First pet bird- budgie, canary or cockatiel?

Question

My daughter loves animals (her dream is to be a veterenarian) and along with having 3 cats, 2 hamsters and a bunch of fish, she now wants a bird. Don't get me wrong, she doesn't just have these animals as ornaments, she takes care of them, looks after them, and is very responsible for her age. I have experience with birds, having owned cocaktiels and an Indian ring-neck parrot in the past. We've narrowed it down to budgie, canary or cockatiel. I suggested finches, but she wants a bird she can hold on her finger and interact with. My choice is a budgie, but my wife wants to get her a cockatiel (though they are so noisy!), any thoughts??

Answer 1

Either a budgie or a cockatiel. You cannot hold a canary without LOTS of work. Cockatiels aren't very noisy if they are properly taken care of and have toys to play with, I should know, I have three of them!

Both budgies and cockatiels are great first birds. They have the ability to learn to talk and learn tricks.

Just make sure that you have a good sized cage that doesn't have slide doors since both cockatiels and budgies can learn to open them.

Answer 2

All three birds are capable of singing, but a canary doesn't have the ability to speak or liked to be handle.

If a budgie:
Budgies are great for first time pet bird owners, since they are relatively inexpensive and are small and manageable. They CAN be very affectionate once they are tame (and nearly all budgies are tameable).
They are RELATIVELY quiet, but they still make some noises, especially ones that are well-bonded to humans. There is especially that noise that sounds like "ack-ack-ACK" which can be quite noisy. However, the noise can be lower by giving it a "time out" (cover cage for a few minutes, but only if the budgie is bad), or just give a reply to the budgie's call. But keep in mind that these noises would happen, so don't be too upset when it happens.
Budgies might also take awhile to learn how to talk, and not all budgies are capable of talking. Most budgie though can whistle a tune (but don't teach this first, since whistling is more enjoyable and manageable). Also, it is more likeable that a male parakeet will speak.

If a cockatiel:
Although I don't own a cockatiel, like yourself, I was trying to choose a pet for myself (so I did research like every future pet owner should do). Cockatiels are also excellent first time pet bird owners since they can be very affectionate (like their Cockatoo relatives) and are relatively smaller (but bigger than a budgie).
Cockatiels are excellent whistlers and can be noisy, but if properly trained, the noise levels can be alleviated. The males may be able to speak, but not all birds has this attribute. (Since you took care of cockatiel, I won't go into too much detail).


I would suggests to get a hand-raised budgie that is affectionate, since cockatiel do cost more and produces more mess (by more mess, I mean they produce dander). My budgie, which I got from a pet store about a couple months ago, is still timid; thus, if your wife loves the cockatiel for their affectionate nature, get a very loving budgie.

Answer 3

I think all birds are noisy at times. I have 4 parrots of my own and I know what you mean. I think a cockatiel is a great first bird for your daughter. I have one too and hes awesome. We got him to sing Andy Griffith. Budgies are also great first birds and like you said a little quieter, but all birds quiet down in the evening and most of the time when they are loud its because the want attention. My Sun Conure loves to be with you or anyone for that matter and when some one comes in the door she squawks like crazy. LOL Good luck in your search and picking of your new bird friend. The best advice i can give you is don't buy them from a place like a department store etc. Birds are better bought from someone who has handled the birds and are used to human touch. This will help with your daughters training and handling. Good luck to you.

Answer 4

Budgie Ornaments

Answer 5

Although it's more fun to interact with a cockatiel, they can be quite noisy, especially if they don't get a lot of attention. Canaries aren't the best finger birds. Since this is her very first bird, I would highly recommend a budgie.

Answer 6

If you want something to listen to, get a tape of bird calls. As a bird person, I can tell you that even the singing, not-handled ones need daily attention that I suspect you would not be able to give them. They are very vulnerable to drafts, dirty cages and many other maladies. You probably should not put the money in to the cage, food, and daily tasks that birds require. By the by...my last visit to the vet with my cockatiel, took me 38 miles and $572. Birds as pets are a commitment. Mine are 9 and 22 years old!!!

Answer 7

If she wants to hold it, eliminate the canary from the choices. Cockatiels can be quite adorable and loving, but so can budgies. Budgies can be much better talkers. Although no one can guarantee that a given budgie will talk, some of them say as many as 500 words. They speak softly but if you talk to them they often learn to talk back.

Budgies will take a bit of patience and effort to tame since it is rare for them to be hand raised, but once tamed they will be a real pleasure.

Answer 8

Go with a budgie because they are affectionate, interactive, and love attention. Sounds like your daughter will give it plenty of attention. They also love to be hand fed and I am sure your daughter will love doing that as well.

Just watch out for the cat and the bird lol doesn't go good together. If that cat even gets ahold of the birds tail, its buh bye birdie. lol

The hamster would go great together with the budgie also.

Answer 9

I wouldn't get a canary because they really aren't too good for sitting on your finger. I have a parakeet and I love him. He sits on my finger, shoulder and everything else in my apartment that I will let him sit on. I have never had a cockatiel. I know that my parakeet is pretty quiet though. He is a great bird. He knows how to shake hands and turn around on your finger. I think your daughter could do a lot with one.

Good luck!

Answer 10

Oh Cockatiel! I love my babies. They're wonderful. If you're worried about noise then try to get a girl. My doodle isn't very noisy at all. You do have to worry about egg binding though. My male, sherbirdy is very noisy. He loves to sing. I just think cockatiels are great because they follow you everywhere. Their personalities are the best!