Posted: 4/9/2010 12:53:18 PM EDT
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I get exposed to a greybird / cockatiel at work and stoped by the pet store and fell in love with a sun conure they had.
also interested in a snake or lizard after baby sitting some from my daughters science class. |
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I owned a cockatiel, who passed from being egg-bound, and now own a blue-fronted amazon parrot, which is a green and blue version of the popular african gray. The amazon can be loud at times, and must be treated as if you are dealing with a 2-3 year old child. The vocabulary is ok, and could be better with more practice. It is very affectionate towards me, but if my wife attempts to pick it up while it is sitting with me, it tries to attack her. I have heard that they become more attached to one person above others in a household. Initial expense was high, but general care isn't too bad. Make sure there is an aviary vet in your area, as birds are expensive at the vet's office. Wing trimmings and toenail trimmings are a required skill to learn.
Ours is a part of our family, and will probably live as long as I do. |
| sun conures are gorgeous birds...had birds for years..cockatiels, goffin cockatoo (noisy as hell), red breasted cockatoo (both cockatoos were my moms and another noisy as hell one), african grey parrot...she kicks royal ass, got her in high school, she is about 15 years old or so now...speaks about 20 words (not consistent or constant)...but she knows who all of us are, literally by name...really cool birds, they do require attention, and can be quite the task for upkeep, changing papers daily (reduce bacteria, bugs, etc...) changing water out 2x a day at least, its not just bird seed and bird pellets...she eats fruit, vegetables, loves peanuts (in the shell), pistachios, crackers, corn on the cob, mash potatoes (not the box kind), raisins, sunflower seeds, etc...they are loyal but you can know or see who they favor, the cockatoos always went to my mom, african gray, always comes to me |
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I have a Timneh African Grey and a Greenwing Macaw. Make sure you do a lot of research before getting a bird. They are a lot of work and require a bit more knowledge to care for compared to a dog or cat. They require a varied diet. Just giving them seeds/pellets won't cut it. They need fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, and some people food. No avocado, chocolate, caffeine, or alcohol. There are other things they can't eat but it's too numerous to go into. Start looking for an avian vet. Not every vet knows about birds or will treat them.
Conures, in general, can be very noisy and a bit nippy. Get a hand raised bird if you want to be able to handle it. The extra expense is well worth it. IM or email if you have questions. |
| at one time we had several hundred....everything from parrotlets to Green wing macaws, African Grey, Solomon Island Eclectus ( the males) they are sweeter, and the Green Wings were my favorites. For a small affordable bird, the parrotlets are very good, sometimes called a pocket parrot, we called it the small bird with a big bird attitude. Another good one is the Pionus. Nothing beats a grey though for intelligence IMO. Always get a hand raised baby vs a parent raised baby/ Cockatoos are tempermental, they can be great for 7-8 years, then hit sexual maturity and bam, they can turn on you, not to be ugly,but just to show you who the boss is...and trust me, they can hurt you and faster than a speeding bullet. We had Sulphur Crested that would absolutely would come after me the instant I came in the room, and I wasn't afraid of birds, but he saw me as competition for my wife....then , there was the female Goffins ( yet another Cockatoo variety), that loved me, but found my wife the object of attack at times |
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Two Timneh African Greys, one female, one male. And a Senegal. They all talk, sing, and whistle. The greys are very intelligent. As already stated, birds need attention and a varied diet. If you have a bird, it needs to be living where the people are living, meaning that a bird in a cage in the back bedroom or in the seldom used dining room has no business being in your home. Birds are very social, and you become part of the bird's flock.
If you are confident about having a bird, a great option is to adopt/rehome one from a rescue. There are several rescue groups out there. Two of our birds are rescues. If you need more info, I can steer you to some excellent sources for info and birds. |