Went to an exotic bird store with the family today.  I've loved birds for as long as I can remember and had Zebra Finches and Cockatiels while growing up.  One of my Cockatiels was hand-fed and was the most perfect, loving little critter.  Loved her to death.  Had to get rid of her when I moved off to college.  



Now, years later, married w/kids, we have a Cockatiel again, but he isn't hand-fed and can be a little d**k at times.    I've been wanting to get another bird more in the Parrot family, and thought a Conure would be a good step.  Ultimately, once debt is paid off and we have the room, I WILL have an African Grey someday!



I held a couple of Pineapple Conures at the shop.  They're a bit smaller than I was looking for, which is more the size of the Sun Conure.  But the Pineapple and Yellow-sided Conures they had there were still being weened and were really calm.  The lady says the Suns can shriek like none other, and we heard a few doin' their thing, haha.  



What does the Pet Hive recommend?  At this shop they pretty much had the three Conures mentioned above, some Ringnecks, and Cockatoos (Lesser Sulfur Crested) and some baby Greys.  The Cockatoos and Greys are $1100+, so that's a huge No-Go for now.  



What can you all tell me about these little guys?  And, of course, pics are welcomed!

I’ve had parakeets, cockatiels and macaws for most of my life.  A few years ago, I received a 12 year old Sun Conure who had been caged for her entire life.  After several months of working with her, she finally started trusting me and enjoyed the interaction and coming out of the cage.  Now, she cannot spend enough time with me.  I cannot believe how smart this bird is.  She has more personality than any of the other birds I’ve had.  However, I live in a condo and everyone in my hall knows I have her, even my ever so pleasant neighbor who lives directly below me.  I have to make sure the room remains dark until 7:30 in the morning or she will squawk until I give her attention.  She had been abused and passed around to many different homes before I got her.  This type of bird really isn’t condominium appropriate because she can be loud in the morning; but other than her loud calls (and messy) she’s great.  I don’t have the heart to give her to someone who has a house after everything she’s been through.  Also, I think my cockatiel enjoys her company.

I worked in a bird quarantine for a while.  It was there that I learned a little bit about Ringnecks, Greys and Sulfur Cresteds.  If you haven’t had experience with larger birds, you may want to reconsider until you’ve had some time to research or get more opinions.  Larger birds can be very destructive when they can’t find something to keep them busy.   But, if you’re looking for a smaller or less expensive bird for now, I think the Conure is a really great option.

Thanks.  We're definitely not ready for a large bird yet, which is why we're interested in a Conure.  The lady at the store kept saying how loud the Suns are; sounds like yours is truth to her thoughts!