What kind of bird should I get?

Question

I have been interested in getting a bird for a long time, but i don't know what kind to get. I have never had a bird before, but I have had other pets and I am very responsible with them. I want a bird that i could take out of its cage to play with, and maybe one that would talk.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions about a good bird for a first-time bird owner.

Answer 1

Hi there. I am glad you are asking as there is one Very Important thing - you must buy a hand fed, hand tamed bird.

I hope you go to a local feed store and find a breeder in your area to buy a bird from. Pet stores are not good for buying birds.

I recommend a young African Lovebird. In fact I have 4 for sale right now that I hand fed and hand tamed. Where do you live? You can click on my icon and email me.

Nevertheless, do find an already tame bird that you can hold, snuggle with, preen and kiss. Lovebirds do learn to talk.
Also, Quaker parrots can talk and if hand raised are sweet pets.

Be sure to get a big cage for your bird, toys, a nice dark sheet for a cover, a cuttle bone and more toys. You will be it's best toy if you get a hand tamed bird.

Good luck.

Answer 2

If you have never owned a parrot don't start with a big one, they are alot of money, time and attention. If you get a big one and decide you can't handle it then you have to find them a new home and it messes them up. Go on line and so research, look for breeders. Make appoinments to check out the birds. You want a tame bird! If not you will not be happy. Retail pet stores are into money not tame birds so stay away from them unless you can see they are tame. Not all pet stores are bad but alot are when it comes to selling un tamed birds. I find one of best first time birds to own is a tame handfed cockatiel. They are sweet and funny. I have both pet and breeder pairs and love them. A lovebird or handfed parakeet it great to. If you chose a lovebird stick with one not 2 like some pet stores will tell you they need 2 to be happy, this isn't true and they will bond to each other and not you. Tiels will too if there is a male and female. Get as big a cage as you can. They need room to move and they need toys. Get fun toys and chew toys. I learned to make some of my own toys and it is fun. Make sure you learn the best way to feed the bird you get. They don't just eat seed. The eat fruit in small amounts, veggies, brown rice and pasta as an example of what they eat. House plants can kill them if they are poisonous. Coated cooking pans will kill them. Get stainless steel ones. Join a yahoo group of the kind of bird you get and ask questions. Groups are a good way to learn.

Answer 3

Budgies are ace, number one. They're a flock bird and very intelligent so get two so they're never lonely.

BUT, if you want something more exotic - a parrot, cockatoo etc. bare in mind these are very posessive. They will bond with you, love you and be the most incredible, affectionate creature you could imagine.

But remember, cockatoos especially, in the wild pair with their mate for life. If they see your affections directed at any other person or pet...( including your spouse ! ) they can be highly distressed, very aggressive and will scream the house down. Many people forget this and the result is a very unhappy, lonely but beautiful bird. So sad.

I had a cockatiel for 24 years and i miss him so much. Just wonderful pets. Budgies or cockatiels, go for them and you are in for a long, long treat. Good luck.

Answer 4

A budgie is a good starter bird. You have to work with them. They are a little scared of hands at first but once you finger train them they are awesome little buddys. The males (the ones with the blue Ceres.) can learn how to talk.

A cockatiel is another good choice BUT if you are going to get one you should only get a hand raise cockatiel they are the sweetest and love people. Some can be really nasty.

Quaker parakeets are also another good choice. They are lots of fun but a little bit more work. You should look them up
http://www.petbirdpage.com/quaker.htm
Check this site out
http://www.parrotparrot.com/articles/species.html

Answer 5

I have a Senegal Parrot. He is GREAT. He talks and is very playful. They dont get too big either. He is a little bigger and quite a bit stockier than a parakeet is.

See if your area has a rescue group for avian pets. I adopted my bird from one and couldnt be happier.

Answer 6

african grey if you can afford to buy one they are the best talking birds you can buy get a baby if you can and talk to it and love and handle it as much as you can i have onr that sometimes i forget i am talking to a bird not a person and she also will argue with me over some thing s she tells the baby not to get into things and tells me to go to work in the morning and go to bed at night among lots of other things she also says i love you to get out of trouble . smart or what?

Answer 7

I have 2 cockatiels and they are they best birds ever!
You can teach it how to whistle and speak they grow to 10-12 inches long and i love them!

Answer 8

My Answerr is boring: The sparrows. all the sparrows. i like them b/c they are the only chook--different than the floor-feeding junco--which will come to the feeder as quickly as I placed it on the brink of the domicile window. they are not as afraid because of the fact the different, greater clourful birds. I feed the wild birds in basic terms interior the wintertime. I stay in a rural area & have found out that procuring feed in the different seasons is in basic terms a waste of $$ because of the fact the birds have plenty foodstuff someplace else that they gained't consume from the feeder, & the foodstuff is going undesirable & I finally end up having to feed the chook seed to the chickens--layer mash is plenty decrease priced than the chook seed.

Answer 9

Cockatiel's and Conure's make good birds cockatiels are cheap and love to be taken out and it is possible (but hard) to teach them to talk. Conures on the hand also love to be taken out and it is easy to teach them to talk but they are really expensive, mine was 450.00. So whatever bird you pick.

Answer 10

Budgies are great. easy. and fun.

if you want a more uhm lets say "experirneced bird" get something like a big cockatoo or a parrot.

good luck