What is a good parrot for me?

Question

I'm not looking for articles; I've been looking those up myself. Knowledge from personal experience is preferred.

I'm trying to figure out what parrot to get. Right now I have two lovebirds but would like another parrot.

I'm looking for one that is on the smaller side (a foot or a little bit less, not as small as a lovebird), will sit still outside the cage or while I'm holding them, one that has the potential to talk very well, one that is known for having the tendency to be cuddly and not nippy.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Well...here's my personal experience on the birds that are in my care:

Rio is a Military Macaw. He just turned 7. Militaries are known for being nippy and cranky. When I met him, I rescued him from evils that it still makes me cry to talk about. No one had so much as given that bird a bath in 4 years when I met him, and that was pretty much since the day he was born. Rio is now cuddly, lovey, lives for kisses and despite my best efforts to socialize him, my bird and ONLY my bird. He will never like anyone else, and I've just come to accept that as who he is. He can and will bite to harm if it's anyone but me.

Oscar is a 12 year old Umbrella Cockatoo. I also rescued him. I drove all the way to Chicago to pick him up so that his owner wouldn't put him to sleep. He didn't come from a horrible home, but he did bite his primary care giver hard enough to send her to the hospital. She said that he did so unexpectedly. I got him home and he was like a cat with a beak, diving under our hands for scratches, snuggling up under our necks, just being ultra loveable. Right up until the point where he buried his beak all the way through my left nostril...unexpectedly. I've since learned his body language, and if I respect his boundaries and leave him alone when his posture asks me to, he is hands down the sweetest, most loveable bird imaginable. If I fail to cover his cage all the way at night, he will come to the bottom of the cage where he can see us and talk, talk, talk us out of putting him to bed. "Oscar's a good birdie! C'mon! Get OVER here!! Here Mommy, Mommy, Mommy..." (My brother who detests all birds is flat out in love with Oscar.)

This past week, I also rescued Elvis. Elvis (Who calls himself Elle) is a Double Yellow Headed Amazon. He was bought with drugs and when his owner expressed a want to sell him for drugs, his mother thankfully stepped in and called me to come and get him. They said that they had never been able to touch him, he hates men and rarely talks. Since he's been here, (two days) he's running to me for scratches, he's told on me (on the way home from picking him up, I looked at the spedometer and realized how fast I was going and said something about it. When we got home, my husband looked at Elle and said "Hi Elvis!" Elvis replied, "Whatcha doin, huh? OH MY GOD!!! I'm doing 85!!!), he steps up and down fine, and he has an affinity for fresh fruit which, by the way he eats it he's never seen before. He is hands down the most interesting bird I've ever met. His voice is clear as the day is long, and he speaks in context almost all the time. He is the exception to amazons. Most are very brilliant, and cool, but very unpredictable and generally nippy. When he bites me though, he's not biting. He's using his beak as a hand, and I think that they took that as agression. I'm also 100% certain that they hit him.

We also have a cockatiel, but it's not really necessary for me to go into the joys of owning a cockatiel. I'm sure you already know, as they are much like a lovebird with more trick training potential.

My favorites are the macaw and the amazon. But...you do what's right for you.

Answer 2

The bird that most fits your description is an eclectus. They are not very busy birds infact they are quite calm. They are easily cared for and are also able to entertain themselves. They males are said to be more gentle than females. but, as with any pet it just depends on the bird itself. They are not very destructive and will pretty much stay put whereever you put them. They enjoy human interaction and will stand for a few cuddles here and there but prefer to just hang out with you on your shoulder. They are excellent talkers and are rated 3rd best talkers of all parrots. As mentioned, they are easy to care for and they are very even tempered.

Another that fits into your description would be a lesser sulper crested cockatoo or a goffin cockatoo. some of them are pretty good talkers. They are very affectionate and LOVE being cuddled. they'll allow you to cuddle them all day. But, be sure that you are consistant or they will come to expect it and get very depressed when you do not give them the same amount of attention. The great thing about these 2 species of cockatoos is that they are not really prone to the plucking and mutilating problems that seem to be so common with the larger species such as the umbrella and the mouliccan. However, both are very curious and can be destructive so you would need to keep a close eye on them until you were able to teach them how to be good little birdies.

Quakers-are cute little birds. They have an excellent speaking ability. I don't think I've ever met a quaker that does not have cage aggression. It's just in them to protect their home. I like to refer to them as stingy little birds and they will bite the hand that feeds them. However, take them out of their cage and away from all that is theirs and they are the sweetest little things! You do have to handle them often or they tend to revert back to the wild. But, they talk great and can be very good companions.

Timneh greys are neat little birds with exceptional speaking abilities. They can be lovable if you spend time with them. They are easy to take care of too.

My favorite is the cockatiel they are precious by nature. Cuddle bugs and great companions. They are bigger than the lovebird. Their talking ability is so so. Males talk more than females.

There are so many choices out there. But, I think that an eclectus would fit perfectly into your description. I don't think a macaw or an amazon would fit. They are both nippy and need constant correcting. good luck in whatever you choose :)

Answer 3

Get a cockatiel. I have 2. They're cuddly with people and theyre not too loud.

Answer 4

I have an African Gray, and she's pretty quiet unless you play with her, then leave suddenly. She isn't that big, maybe 11 inches tall, and i know they can learn how to talk. My bird imitates a telephone ringing, beeps, whistles, and catcalls people.

Answer 5

A Quaker parrot... They are small-smart and will talk... I had one that used to sleep under the covers with me... Great bird if you want parrot but don't want the hawking day in and out....

Answer 6

Well I have heard that African grey parrots are really great talkers. I don't have one though, amd they are really really expensive.

Answer 7

get a hornbill, native to Borneo Island