GCCs as apartment birds?

[Solayan]

Here is one of Koopa's many terrible noises Luckily she only does this a few times a day now, but if she is upset she will literally do it for HOURS.

Love it Other than alarm calls Frodo's loudest noises sound more like someone is brutally murdering a squeeky toy. I'll have to see if I can get a video of him doing it.

 

[Inheavenlygrass]

I agree that it depends on the bird. Kiwi's generally not a very loud bird but if she gets going she'll shriek the place down. It's usually doors opening and closing, or me laying around in bed when she wants to play that get the worst noise. Although lately she's started screaming "BIRD!BIRD!BIRD!BIRD!BIRD!" when she's angry, which I think is hilarious, but probably wouldn't impress neighbors. On the other hand the pair of GCCs I work with; Double and Trouble are some of the quietest birds I've ever come across. They only make noise when they're separated.

 

[Alyse]

What other species would you say are also more suitable for an apartment?

I had my parrotlet and my budgie in my apartment and never had a complaint. Can't say I would have had the same luck with my CBC if she had been around!

 

[Cactus]

Thank you everybody for all the replies!! It looks like as far as GCCs go it greatly depends on the individual bird, which makes sense. But it seems like small parakeets seem to be good choices? Just looking briefly into rosey bourke's, they look really great! I'll definitely do more research on those guys.

 

[Meatball]

My GCC are very loud. I did have them in an apartment with no complaints but can't understand why! They aren't loud often but when they get going it's ear piercing. I hoping to rent a house or trailer when I move to avoid complaining neighbors

 

[Cactus]

Ooh, princess parrots look really good too! ;; Not as quiet as say a Bourke's, but it seems like if well taken care of they're at least quiet enough to not get someone evicted, which is my goal. It seems like they're very hard to find in the US though, hmm.

@Crys12065 How often would you say they do get loud? :0

 

[karen256]

I've had my GCC in a dorm room and 2 apartments over the years, and never had any complaints. She's a pretty quiet bird. I think if she was in a cage and could hear me in another room, she would probably scream for me. But we are never in that situation. She is cage free and free to follow me around. If she can't be with me, I put her in her room (which is also my office/computer room) and shut the door and since she can't hear me, she will settle down for a nap.
She has a loud alarm call, which she uses only when she is truely frightened (pretty rarely), and then a hurry-up-with-dinner scream which can be annoying - but only lasts while I am getting her dinner ready. She also has a high pitched happy squeal she will occasionally use when happy and playing. It's not very loud and I like hearing it because it means she's happy, but my dad has commented that it can be painful to hear. So I guess older people with reduced hearing range may find some of the noises more irritating.
But in general, she is a very quiet bird. On the rare occasion she is screaming with the windows open, I can hear her outside the house, but her screams are not distinct among the wild birds and other outdoor noises - I would never notice her unless I was listening for her.

 

[Revika]

Nokcha may be starting his puberty so this may change, but otherwise he's more of a grumbling chatterbox than a squawker (other than alarm calls when I pull out the vacuum).

But yeah it definitely depends on who your landlord/neighbors will be as well. Some are very picky about noises and will make complaints ASAP.

 

[camelotshadow]

It was my green cheek (not my Hahns or my Quaker) that had the neighbor knocking on my door at my last place asking me if I could "keep it down". In another place, no one said a thing. It really comes down to the bird, the building you are in, and how tolerate people are. When I am living in apartments, I have my bird room on a timer from 9am to 9pm (or 10am to 10pm, etc) so that they go to bed before noise complaints really matter.
Of all of the birds' screams I've lived with, Koopa's dig right into my skull and lodge there. Volume wise, maybe my Hahns was louder. But the screeching...oh the screeching.

Again, the smallest bird gives me the most grief!

Here is one of Koopa's many terrible noises Luckily she only does this a few times a day now, but if she is upset she will literally do it for HOURS.

Bump
Hours would be a major migraine my head still hurts from Koopa's screeching.

If you can try to keep them happy & not calling for you then they can be quiet.
If they want you or something they can make you & the neighbors miserable
.
My neighbor got lucky with her GCC its so quiet a few chirps you don't even know its there.
Sex unknown age about 6 months. It is the sweetest pineapple happy to play by itself.

Still things could change after it goes thru puberty.

 

[webchirp]

Mainly my boys would not make good apartment birds. The girls are pretty quiet other than an alarm call. However, having a large flock that may be a more natural order of things to let the boys do the work. Carlton was posted for free on CL as one of the reasons being noise. He loves an hour a day to just call, chatter and yell. Rocco's alarm call just startles the absolute poop out of everyone; instant flight! Unfortunately, he does not like spiders, beetles, outside wildlife etc... . Zephyr can be noisy but not as much. Bebe usually only complains when it's bedtime; little poop imitates every voice to see if I will come back and then just starts doing his loud complaints.

 

[camelotshadow]

Thanks about the male information. That's interesting. Many times while getting a bird sex is unknown so you can't tell if you are getting a female or male. Would be great if females all were quiet.
Perhaps that is in a flock situation? If there was only one single bird perhaps a male would be quiet as he had no females or other birds to vocalize with. Koopa is a female & I heard her screech & it would bother the neighbors. I guess it depends on so many factors how quiet or noisy a bird is & the all unknown factor of pure personality.

 

[HNHOBU]

I don't have my GCC in my apartmement yet, but I did have one when I lived with my parents and I find my cockatiel and lovebird louder than him. All of my birds gets plenty of exercise and are mostly out of the cage, so noise isn't a problem. It just comes down to your bird and how you handle its temperament

 

[JosienBB]

Thank you everybody for all the replies!! It looks like as far as GCCs go it greatly depends on the individual bird, which makes sense. But it seems like small parakeets seem to be good choices? Just looking briefly into rosey bourke's, they look really great! I'll definitely do more research on those guys.

I think all birds greatly depend on the individual. But yes, I think rosey bourkes are a good choice Haven't heard a bad thing about them yet! And never heard a noise complaint about them either *touch wood*.

 

[JosienBB]

My female conures are certainly not apartment birds. They've got a banshee-like screech. Ophelia, my smallest, is my loudest too -- she gets so excited when she hears us coming back (like the garage door opening or something) and you can hear her outside as clear as if you were inside. My boy, BB, on the other hand, is actually fairly quiet -- when he's not making his excited machine-gun noise, that is. Decibel-wise, they're not as loud as my hawkhead, but boy can they go on for a heck of a lot longer than she can!

And about that individual thing -- it really cannot be more true. I was at a petstore last week where they had two sun conures and two black capped conures. They were all loud, but the black-cappeds' screech literally hurt my ears. So glad my black-capped BB is not like that, lol.

 

[Aequa]

Ooh, princess parrots look really good too! ;; Not as quiet as say a Bourke's, but it seems like if well taken care of they're at least quiet enough to not get someone evicted, which is my goal. It seems like they're very hard to find in the US though, hmm.

@Crys12065 How often would you say they do get loud? :0

My princess is louder than my GCCs. His natural noises aren't, but they are great mimics and learn to yell easily it seems. I can hear the princess through our walls but not the greenies.

Green Cheeks would probably make good apartment birds, depending on the place and bird. Any bird can be loud but decent apartment birds would probably be GCC and smaller. Birds like: Cockatiel, any Pyrrhura conure, Budgie, Lovebird, Parrotlet, Bourke's and maybe some of the quiet, larger birds. Just beware, the larger the bird, generally the easier it is for it to be LOUD. A GCC just can't reach the volume of a Cockatoo or something!

 

[camelotshadow]

Meyers Poi are supposed to be on the quiet side too.
Again some of them love to do the alarm call & if they get to wanting something can be very loud & heard outside apartment.

I heard pionus are on the quiet side as they usually are more independent & don't scream for attention.

I thinking most screaming is for attention. They want something usually the companionship of there human parent.

My english budgie a female is very quiet but not very interactive as a parrot leaving me wanting alot more then the occasional interaction she can give.
She is more like a stuffed too.
Believe me she is a doll & a joy to have around but you really can't play with them & she shows no affection.

I'm still wondering how sex fits into loudness of bird.
In general would a male or female be considered more quiet.

In budgies & cockatiels the females are more quiet & don't talk as well.

Would the same be true for the GCC?

I'm trying to go for the better odds & bring home a quiet natured baby....LOL knowing that they all can have there own personality sex has to have some influence on how they mature after puberty.

 

[Dostc426]

It of course depends on the apartment as well as the bird but I owned a beautiful sassy GCC and she was a perfect apartment pet, she only made little messes and even when she was loud she would easily get quiet and content. She was absolutely worth it!