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Birdless in Seattle
- Thread starter schnitzle
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Welcome! I know that you said you were scared out of wanting a caique but honestly my caiques are my favorite birds of all that I have ever had. I have six of them 3 male/female pairs. If highly recommend keeping them in pairs. If you don't want them to possibly breed then you can keep them in same sex pairs. If you get them as babies and they are raised together there is a very high likelyhood that they can continue to be cage mates for years to come.
What I look for in a bird might be different then what you would like. I don't do cuddles, I like independent pets, I like challenges and PERSONALITY! Naughty, feisty, active, clever, high strung and crazy are all in the plus category for me when picking a pet.
I keep do allow my birds to breed although only on pair has so far but they are pets first. What attracted me to caiques was the idea that I could keep two together and still maintain their pet personality. Caiques are known to still be buddies with their people even if they have a bird buddies too.
I have been told by some the Black-headed caiques are more high strung than the white-bellied caiques and that has been my experience with mine. It may just be individual personalities though.
Having six of them has taught me that there is a big difference between individuals and I think that is what makes the most difference.
I would say (and this goes for any parrot) that you do need to learn to respect them and their wishes. Caiques are very strong willed and you will not have a good pet unless you can allow them to think they are in control. It is important to work with them and figure out what you can live with and what you can not. Then you have to set up the environment to fit your and their ideas of what will work. Training is key.
Essential for me is that my birds will go back into their cages when bribed. They are all flighted and I only grab them in a towel if it is an emergency, mainly if they are getting into trouble with another bird. Otherwise, they do mostly what they want. They step up or don't, the squawk, the sit where they want they come to me if they want or the fly off somewhere else. They are tons of fun to watch and train.
I do have one that bites so I basically don't pick her up. She will sometimes step up on a towel but mostly she likes to be left alone. She prefers to come out of her cage and sit somewhere up high. After she is out for awhile I lure her back to her cage for a treat. She knows the routine. She is my biggest challenge but I am confident that if I didn't have 5 others to look after she would be much more socialized. What we have works for us. But most importantly it works for her. I think that is what it takes to manage a parrot.
It is much more about nurturing the relationship than controlling it.
What I look for in a bird might be different then what you would like. I don't do cuddles, I like independent pets, I like challenges and PERSONALITY! Naughty, feisty, active, clever, high strung and crazy are all in the plus category for me when picking a pet.
I keep do allow my birds to breed although only on pair has so far but they are pets first. What attracted me to caiques was the idea that I could keep two together and still maintain their pet personality. Caiques are known to still be buddies with their people even if they have a bird buddies too.
I have been told by some the Black-headed caiques are more high strung than the white-bellied caiques and that has been my experience with mine. It may just be individual personalities though.
Having six of them has taught me that there is a big difference between individuals and I think that is what makes the most difference.
I would say (and this goes for any parrot) that you do need to learn to respect them and their wishes. Caiques are very strong willed and you will not have a good pet unless you can allow them to think they are in control. It is important to work with them and figure out what you can live with and what you can not. Then you have to set up the environment to fit your and their ideas of what will work. Training is key.
Essential for me is that my birds will go back into their cages when bribed. They are all flighted and I only grab them in a towel if it is an emergency, mainly if they are getting into trouble with another bird. Otherwise, they do mostly what they want. They step up or don't, the squawk, the sit where they want they come to me if they want or the fly off somewhere else. They are tons of fun to watch and train.
I do have one that bites so I basically don't pick her up. She will sometimes step up on a towel but mostly she likes to be left alone. She prefers to come out of her cage and sit somewhere up high. After she is out for awhile I lure her back to her cage for a treat. She knows the routine. She is my biggest challenge but I am confident that if I didn't have 5 others to look after she would be much more socialized. What we have works for us. But most importantly it works for her. I think that is what it takes to manage a parrot.
It is much more about nurturing the relationship than controlling it.
jmfleish
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OMG! That Budgie is so cute and I love the setup! I love the Budgies as well and would probably try them if I didn't have my Linnies. The Linnies do have a problem with the hand shy issues that I don't think you tend to see as much in the Budgies. As far as toys go, I think that any parrot can learn to love toys if you just teach them how to play. Also, sometimes you really just have to find the right toy!
Hello! I agree with the others that there is no such thing as a starter bird, and I thought I would give you my thoughts.
I love conures, especially green cheeks, but I may be just a bit biased. IMO, most conures are very playful and interactive, and also enjoying hanging out or cuddling with you. All birds are individuals, however most I have met follow those lines.
I would also recommend visiting a rescue, you will meet a lot of birds and you will also may find a new friend.
I love conures, especially green cheeks, but I may be just a bit biased. IMO, most conures are very playful and interactive, and also enjoying hanging out or cuddling with you. All birds are individuals, however most I have met follow those lines.
I would also recommend visiting a rescue, you will meet a lot of birds and you will also may find a new friend.
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- Schnitzle
@Animallover03 I'll have to research more about conures, they really are adorable!
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- Schnitzle
Hi @Laurie !
Sorry I haven't responded sooner. I really appreciate you taking the time to post and wanted to wait until I had time for a thorough reply
What attacked me to Caiques was that they were so playful, naughty and crazy. And the hopping!! But I'm also nervous about getting in over my head with a bird who will become aggressive after 5 years and that seemed to be what people were mentioning in the Caique Cul de Sac. And a comment about how a Caique would "insist on being #1 in the household, and will tell you that in volume or blood" really stood out in my mind!
I don't necessarily need a bird who cuddles, but I would like one that enjoys head scritches. Because my dogs (now only 1 elderly dog) didn't want to play with toys, chase, or rough house I thought it would be fun to have a bird that does that. But I'm keeping the trade-off between being a feisty bird and being a more difficult bird in mind. I'm all about letting the bird think it's in control. If I'm being honest showing an animal that I'm the boss is not something I've very interested in. I'm firm, but trying to be an "Alpha" has never worked out for me with my pets. I would however, love to use positive training to get an animal to learn behaviors!
I got to meet a few new to me birds today at Wings of the World which was great! Problem is, I kind of love them all
for different reasons. They didn't have any Caiques though.
Sorry I haven't responded sooner. I really appreciate you taking the time to post and wanted to wait until I had time for a thorough reply
What attacked me to Caiques was that they were so playful, naughty and crazy. And the hopping!! But I'm also nervous about getting in over my head with a bird who will become aggressive after 5 years and that seemed to be what people were mentioning in the Caique Cul de Sac. And a comment about how a Caique would "insist on being #1 in the household, and will tell you that in volume or blood" really stood out in my mind!
I don't necessarily need a bird who cuddles, but I would like one that enjoys head scritches. Because my dogs (now only 1 elderly dog) didn't want to play with toys, chase, or rough house I thought it would be fun to have a bird that does that. But I'm keeping the trade-off between being a feisty bird and being a more difficult bird in mind. I'm all about letting the bird think it's in control. If I'm being honest showing an animal that I'm the boss is not something I've very interested in. I'm firm, but trying to be an "Alpha" has never worked out for me with my pets. I would however, love to use positive training to get an animal to learn behaviors!
I got to meet a few new to me birds today at Wings of the World which was great! Problem is, I kind of love them all
for different reasons. They didn't have any Caiques though.
Have you thought about a Grey or an Amazon?
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- Schnitzle
Yes! There was a CAG baby at Wings of the World yesterday that I got to pet a bit. They seem like a really good mix of smart, fun, independent, noisy and naughty. Of course the guy there said that they didn't recommend that it be someone's first bird. He said they are too "challenging". I actually don't know a lot about Amazons. I'll have to do more research.
I hope you find your perfect bird. I haven't found the caiques to be difficult for the most part but I am only one person.Hi @Laurie !
Sorry I haven't responded sooner. I really appreciate you taking the time to post and wanted to wait until I had time for a thorough reply
What attacked me to Caiques was that they were so playful, naughty and crazy. And the hopping!! But I'm also nervous about getting in over my head with a bird who will become aggressive after 5 years and that seemed to be what people were mentioning in the Caique Cul de Sac. And a comment about how a Caique would "insist on being #1 in the household, and will tell you that in volume or blood" really stood out in my mind!
I don't necessarily need a bird who cuddles, but I would like one that enjoys head scritches. Because my dogs (now only 1 elderly dog) didn't want to play with toys, chase, or rough house I thought it would be fun to have a bird that does that. But I'm keeping the trade-off between being a feisty bird and being a more difficult bird in mind. I'm all about letting the bird think it's in control. If I'm being honest showing an animal that I'm the boss is not something I've very interested in. I'm firm, but trying to be an "Alpha" has never worked out for me with my pets. I would however, love to use positive training to get an animal to learn behaviors!
I got to meet a few new to me birds today at Wings of the World which was great! Problem is, I kind of love them all
I do like that they are smallish. Size may be a factor for you. My 6 caiques make more mess than the 25 parrotlets that I had when I raised them. So I imagine one macaw makes more mess than my 6 caiques.
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Thank you again @Laurie! I really do appreciate your insights. There's a black cap coming to a nearby shop and I'd like to meet them. The bigger the bird the bigger the mess I guess huh? haha Except I hear budgies are very messy! A mess I'd be happy to put up with thoughI hope you find your perfect bird. I haven't found the caiques to be difficult for the most part but I am only one person.
I do like that they are smallish. Size may be a factor for you. My 6 caiques make more mess than the 25 parrotlets that I had when I raised them. So I imagine one macaw makes more mess than my 6 caiques.
Just-passn-thru
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Major Mitchell's are completely misunderstood ...I love my Majors, from what I'm reading into what you would like in an Avian companion , possibly a human reared ,hand feed Majors might be the bird for you .
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How are they misunderstood Suzanne? I don't know much about them other than that they are beautiful. Do they have a different personality than other Cockatoos?
zoo mom
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Budgies are awesome birds.You guys are going to laugh in my face, but I think we're going to go with a hand raised budgie
There's a story, but I should probably start another thread. Not sure which forum though!
