Which _____ should I get? Which one......?

Question

I did that little blank there to catch your attention! Which kind of bird should I get? A parakeet or lovebirds? Or a cockatiel? Any bird that's quiet. I'm looking for previous bird owners or current bird owners or anyone that knows a lot about different types of birds!

Answer 1

Quiet birds? Those exist? :P

Budgies (parakeets in the US, I guess) and cockatiels are easier to work with as first-time birds. They're pretty docile and friendly. Lovebirds are very sweet, too, but are known to be hard-headed, stubborn, and worst of all, territorial. I have five lovebirds, and they're all pretty protective of their cages. They trust my hands in them to do so much as change the food, but are always wary and ready to lunge at me if I touch something they don't want touched.

Each bird has its own chirp. Budgies have a soft chatter and can squawk, but having never owned a budgie or been around for a screaming fit, I'm not sure how loud this is. Oh, and budgies also do this scream that's sort of like an "ACK-ACK-ACK-ACK" which can get sort of loud. Cockatiels have a somewhat soft chirp and often enjoy whistling (males especially) and can also scream. Lovebirds have a very shrill, high pitched chirp, and while adorable, it can become redundant and the pitch can be painful to the ears if you're either too close or unadjusted to them.. or both.

I have to disagree with the people who tell you ANY bird is easy to care for and inexpensive. I love Christie D's answer because it is well informed. To add to her information, budgies can live around 10 to 15 years and cockatiels and lovebirds, maybe 15 to 25 or maybe even 30. Mushroom, tomato leaves, and onions are also feeding no-nos. Greasy and salty foods should rarely, or never, be fed. In regards to the feeding ratio of pellets, fresh foods, and seeds, I would suggest Australian birds (cockatiels and budgies) have a slightly higher (2-5% higher) seed intake because these birds do naturally need a higher amount of seed.

All birds require lots of dedication and devotion to earn their trust and learn to be their friend. They require lots of money for proper certified avian vet care (treatment for some illnesses can hit the thousands depending on severity), lots of money for quality food (for example, I feed my five lovebirds multiple types of pellets and about 6-12 months of food totaled me a bill of $160), good and safe toys for mental stimulation and destructive outlet, proper caging (I would give at least two or three times the wing span space for any single bird in one cage and a bar spacing of 1/2" or smaller).

A good website very informed on diet, biting, and screaming is http://www.rationalparrot.com The webmaster is very informed and has a zoo of her own at home, many birds included. That said, good luck. If you're up to the financial needs, time devotion, and dedication, it'll definitely be worth it for a 15-30 year long friendship with whatever bird you choose to get.

Answer 2

Great starter birds are budgies (parakeets), and cockatiels. Neither are completely quiet and can scream if they want attention or feel threatened.

You can train your bird not to scream for attention. What other things do you want to know?

They should have the largest cage you can afford. They should have a diet that is about 80% pellets, 15% fruits and veggies, 5% seeds and treats.

Cockatiels live quite a while, my oldest is currently 19. I'm not sure about the lifespan of a budgie.

They both need toys that they can chew and play with.

They can be kept alone or in groups, keep in mind that the more birds you have, the larger the cage needs to be.

There are LOTS of foods that you cannot feed them. To name a few: anything with caffiene, chocolate, avacado, asparagus.

They need to have time out of the cage to fly, play, and interact with humans.

You also need to have $$ set aside for vet visits. They should have a well bird visit once a year. Any time that they are looking off/ill they need to see a vet ASAP since birds hide illness until they are REALLY sick. That will cost $80+ depending on tests and treatment.

Answer 3

Usually a cockatiel is easiest to tame, and very sweet. Parakeets are good too. Love birds are pretty, but I've never really tamed one.
All these birds are social. Either you should give them plenty of attention, or give them a companion bird.
None of them is loud compared to a bigger parrot, but all of them can chirp loudly when they want attention. Parakeets often like to talk when you are talking. That's what they do with each other, and if you have 3 or 4 they can be kind of loud, but it's a pretty sound.

Answer 4

I would go for the love birds. They are not totally quiet but better than a cockatiel. They are easy to take care of and not expensive.

Answer 5

I like parekeets, they are smart, you can train them, they are pretty easy to take care of, just make sure they have fresh water and seeds, and clean thier cage every few days. They poop a lot, but it is easy to clean up with a paper towel or napkin. I've had my parakeet for more than 4 years and love him too much! A great companion, he will come next to me and play by my computer. He can be loud sometimes, but i taught him some whistles, and he sings them pretty quietly. They can also be taught to talk, my parents parakeet would talk all the time and hardy chirp like a normal parakeet.

Answer 6

Love birds are beautiful and quieter than a cockatiel, I would suggest a pair of love birds or pair of parakeets. They do better in pairs. Cockateils can be quiet loud, while highly intelligent require a lot of special training and attention,

Answer 7

Parakeets are nice so are Love birds

Answer 8

i have 4 parakeets and 2 lovebirds. i love them all very much, but the parakeets are never quiet!!!! they chatter all day and scream occasionally. my lovebirds are so sweet that even my 2 year old handles them, they are louder than the keets but only chirp a few times a day. i have never owned a tiel so i cant help you there. both keets and lovies are equally cute but messy.

Answer 9

i hear parakeets are very "chatty", i don't know much about lovebirds, and i see cockatiels at the pet store all the time, they seem quiet, and are small.

i hope that helped! good luck!

Answer 10

Lovebirds definitely, Parakeets are very loud and so are cockatails.