Can't decide, lovebird, budgie or GCC?

[hexbugspider]

So I've previously had a cockatiel who I loved very much and hand tamed myself but unfortunately had to re-home due to me being allergic to their dander. So now I'm restricted to birds who are "oil" based or have minimal dander. The bird would be in my living room when I'm at school meaning it would have some I interaction from my family and when I come back it would be let out for a couple hours. However I would like a bird that is somewhat independent and can keep itself entertained while im away. I love gcc's however they are rather expensive plus I would have to get a bigger cage, so I'm on the fence about a peach faced lovebird or budgie. Anyone offer some advice?

 

[charlieboy]

I would recommend budgies I have never had lovebirds or conures though

 

[hexbugspider]

I would recommend budgies I have never had lovebirds or conures though

Would a budgie like interaction though?

 

[charlieboy]

Would a budgie like interaction though?

It depends what you consider interaction. My budgies loved to hang out around and on me, but I couldn't pet them. Some budgies like to be petted if handled a lot from a young age, though They will also sing along to you, they can also learn tricks and to talk! (males, mostly) Of course it also depends on the individual. Conures are more cuddly from what I've heard, though

 

[MahaSarah]

I recommend to get two budgies that are handfed/tamed! They can keep themselves entertained while your away and will also hang out and interact with you when you get home!

 

[_aryxn_]

@hexbugspider although I did not have a budgie or a lovebird, I can almost say that the GCC is an amazing bird! Yes it will cost you a bit more but trust me it is worth it. The bond you will develop between yourself and the Green cheek conure will be more deeper than with a budgie or lovebird as they usually require other bird companions (meaning they tend to interact with eachother more than they interact wirh you). Green cheek conures are easy to tame, easy to train and easy to bond with. Spend a couple hours a day with them and you should develop a bond in no time! Also they are usually extremely cuddly and are known as a VELCRO BIRD meaning they love hanging out with you and interacting with you. Regarding noise, they are generally a quiet bird and in my opinion less annoying then a cockatiel because a cockatiel has a higher pitched scream. A con about them is that they are nippy, like a toddler tasting everything. It isn’t painful at all and usually passes away after they get a bit older. Anyways think about it, as I think a GCC is one of the best birds for you (as I am pretty sure you still didnt graduate high school)

 

[hexbugspider]

would I be able to keep a GCC in my room during school? Aka would it be able to enteryent itself while I'm away

 

[hexbugspider]

Looks like it's time to start saving! My dad agreed to purchase the cage which is extremely helpful. Now I need to find out a way to gather enough money to buy a GCC.

 

[JosienBB]

Don't forget enough money to take the bird to the vet too, which is the biggest expense..

 

[_aryxn_]

@hexbugspider Yes you can keep it in your room but I recommend keeping it somewhere where there is a window so that the bird has something to do and watch if he isn’t playing with his toys.
I am still in highschool and usually my ringneck (who is a needy bird) is usually fine and doesnt usually scream, unless he sees me and wants me to let him out. A fun fact about conures are that they are known as “mini-macaws” and also known as a “big personality in a small package”. They are quite the character!

 

[Jas]

Just a word of advice, bird cages shouldn't be in front of windows as they can get cold from drafts or over heat.

Also we have a lot of crows where I live and that can really scare my conures when they get close to the window. As well as the odd gull.

Conures are clowns with a massive personality.They also like to tell me off, especially when they don't get their kisses or I don't tell them that they're good birds!

 

[SunUp]

I have to speak up for lovebirds here! A hand fed, well socialized lovie is a great pet. I've had mine for 13 years, and he's been a total sweetheart always. He's friendly, cuddly, has never bitten anyone, and is just dang cute! They do not need to be kept with other lovebirds. I do recommend a male as they tend be easier than females once they are mature.

 

[MauiWendy]

If you get a budgie I recommend one not two. Especially if you want the bird to bond and hang out with you. Just make sure you give him plenty of toys and leave the radio on for company when you are gone. Gary loves those twine balls he can unwind. He spends a lot of time playing with those. Gary does have a mirror but it’s a toy with 3 tiny mirrors on it. Not one large mirror. I can’t comment on the other two species because I know nothing about them other then their volume. If you want a bird on the quieter side a budgie is the way to go, but they are busy birds, love to chatter and sing. Gary talks - a lot. Have you looked in to a parrotlet? They are great little bird. All birds are expensive. You have to find an avian vet. Have one lined up before you get your bird. Food is another consideration. Gary loves his seed but he is also being converted to golden feast and nutriberries, and he gets offered green, and yellow veggies and fruit. Doesn’t always eat it, but it’s there. Then you have the cage to consider. 1/2 wire spacing, the biggest cage you can afford. Flight cages are great for all three of those species and parrotlets. So much to consider.

 

[charlieboy]

If you get a budgie I recommend one not two. Especially if you want the bird to bond and hang out with you. Just make sure you give him plenty of toys and leave the radio on for company when you are gone.

I second this

 

[MahaSarah]

I personally disagree that it is okay to keep one budgie by themselves especially when you will be gone for long periods of time during the day.

Also the myth of having to keep one bird by themselves so they can bond to you is just that. A myth.

 

[NK_717]

If you do get a GCC be warned they can go through a tough hormonal stage when they get older...as I appear to be dealing with right now with my conure in another thread.

I wouldn't say he's a quiet bird. I guess it depends on the environment; we have a lot of birds and he's either talking, making various loud grumbly sounds or screaming for fun. Those screams can be heard anywhere in the house

He likes to bang his toys around too but most species will do the same.

Compared to the budgie and lovebird in the flock he is definitely more demanding.
This is just my experience with one conure though!

 

[NK_717]

He's also got a big-bird attitude. In his mind, he's a macaw and not the small bird he really is

 

[NK_717]

And ideally a bird of any species should have a big cage, even a budgie can appreciate one.. I think width and depth are more important than height? From what I've read often on here.

 

[Pipper]

One bird will bond to you much better than birds bonded with each other and that is for sure. You can still tame them and train them although it's much more difficult. And even after trained if you don't keep at it some of the training will be forgotten.

I'd recommend a male budgie or a pair of budgies and either way without a lot of work they won't learn trick or talk normally. The male are much more likely to talk and much more likely to be enthusiastic to be tamed and trained, if no female that they've bonded with or trying to bond with is around. Also male is less likely to bite. If you have a bonded male & female pair than the female is going to be easier to tame & train but still supposed to hardly ever learn to talk. And the price and number of gorgeous colors and cheapness of feeding them can't be beat. I've never needed to do it but a tame budgie should be super easy to give away if you needed to.

A lovebird is more prone to bite and bite hard. They are more prone to attack other birds viciously. They are substantially more expensive than budgies. And the male and females are much less likely to talk than budgies, so unlikely as I don't know of one ever having talked from the books I've read and internet searches I've made.

So in budgie vs lovebird as most likely rewarding pet with most potential it is a budgie win and if you'd like a bit bigger bird than a normal budgie get an English budgie although then you will be paying about lovebird prices for an English budgie.

 

[hexbugspider]

So a quick update, my dad said he really dislikes the constant muttering which budgies emitted which I don't understand because I love it! When I had my cockatiel, he used to have certain periods where he would sing or just randomly screech but other times where he'd be quiet. Are GCC's like this? Since he doesn't mind a bird which screams every so often but not one which continuously mutters. p.s he also loves the fact that gcc's eat food with their feet and can actually finish an entire nut and not take one bite and it falling to the bottom of the cage