Great Billed Parrots

[RainbowParrots]

???

Tanya,
Many breeder's whole flocks of Great Bill Parrots died for no reason in Florida during hurricane season. All the birds were kept in outdoor enclosures. No reason could be found for the deaths and it is assumed that the air pressure or humidity levels during the summer somehow caused the deaths.

June Dinger who is very knowledgeable about GB parrots told me she does not even take her pet GB parrots outside during the summer.

Dixie is frightened of the outdoors so I don't take her outside at all. Savannah who used to live with my sister in Florida does love to be outside......but I would not take her out in the summer. We live in Georgia where is it quite humid.

 

[zech1122]

are they the same as alexandreans :O? they look similer

 

[Monica]

are they the same as alexandreans :O? they look similer

The great billed parrots are in a completely different genera than alexandrines, so no, they are not the same.

Genus Tanygnathus
Great-billed Parrot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Genus Psittacula
Alexandrine Parakeet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That said, there's no telling how close the two genera are related.

 

[Tinta]

Maddie seems to be much bluer than the other two.
Is she really or is it just an effect from the pictures?

 

[Chicobo]

Glad someone re-opened this thread! They're amazingly beautiful birds -- are they very loud? I love the look of Ekkies but the screaming decibel-wise can get a bit....er....frustrating given I live in an apartment, so no Ekkies for me After watching your ladies I'm very curious to learn more about Great Billed parrots. So unusual and pretty!

 

[drop]

Wow Rita, your Great-Bills are gorgeous! Thanks for the inofrmation and videos!

I saw one a few weeks ago at a pet shop, I never imagined that I'd actually lay eyes on this species of bird. S/he was bigger then I had imagined and so vibrantly colored. My boyfriend was really smitten. S/he was already sold and so the price was not listed, I hate to imagine how much they were asking (we're in Canada).

I also noticed that the bird had a bowl of pellets there. I thought I had read, like Eclectus, that you have to be especially careful with feeding this genus pellets/synthetics. What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Shade]

I saw one a few weeks ago at a pet shop, I never imagined that I'd actually lay eyes on this species of bird. S/he was bigger then I had imagined and so vibrantly colored. My boyfriend was really smitten. S/he was already sold and so the price was not listed, I hate to imagine how much they were asking (we're in Canada).

I've seen them from a breeder for $2000 in Canada.

 

[drop]

Thanks Shade. I also saw them at 2000$ from a breeder (the one in Manitoba, she is the one who also has Capes). I wonder how much they were marked up at the store.

 

[Saemma]

I get the impression that at a a pet shop they would at least be $3000 or even slightly higher. Just because they aren't as common to see. jmo.

 

[drop]

Thanks Saemma, I assumed at least 3000$ too, just should have asked, lol. Anyways, it's purely out of curiosity.

 

[TITANIS]

I asked at a store where they have one and they told me only $1800, but I have doubts about that price.

 

[LivingFiction]

I can confirm that price.

$1800 for males
$1400 for females

If I remember correctly, and I know someone who has one unsold chick in a clutch right now.

 

[Shade]

I can confirm that price.

$1800 for males
$1400 for females

If I remember correctly, and I know someone who has one unsold chick in a clutch right now.

That would be the price in the US. In Canada, parrots tend to be more expensive, therefore $1800 from a pet store up here does seem a bit low..

 

[Sharpie]

Interesting! I never knew about these birds before!

 

[TITANIS]

That would be the price in the US. In Canada, parrots tend to be more expensive, therefore $1800 from a pet store up here does seem a bit low..

Yeah, I wouldn't take that quote they told me very seriously. I may have completely misheard or the person working there may have the price wrong. $2000 from a breeder is what I've come to understand as well and there's about a 20-30% retail markup, which would usually mean ~$3000 in a store, give or take a couple of hundred. It's 'probably' $2800, not $1800.

All I know for certain is they're amazing birds and worth going out of the way to see one in person.

 

[Leza]

I have seen ONE in my life and I was not sure of what type of parrot it was and I only saw it briefly a long time ago. Oh to turn back time..

 

[Missi]

Years ago I spoke to a lady who ran the Tanygnathus Society in Ft. Myers, FL (might have been June) who was a major breeder of the GB. She told me about the hurricane season mystery illnesses & how they have a verrrrrry specific diet, similar to ekkie's with dietary sensitivities so that kind of turned me off from the species but I do still love to see & ehar about them. I thought they looked similar to Alexes as well Before I did research I thought they were related!

 

[drop]

I asked at a store where they have one and they told me only $1800, but I have doubts about that price.

Well, just thought I'd mention that I was there again today, and either the sale fell through or another bird got transfered in, because the sold sign is gone. Anyways, the bird was not priced at 1800$... but only $1599.99. I was quite surprised, especially seeing as the more common Jardine's beside him is listed at $1799.99.
I wonder why the Great-Bills are going for such a (relatively) low cost?

 

[TITANIS]

I wonder why the Great-Bills are going for such a (relatively) low cost?

Beats me, but their reputation does have that 'sudden death' syndrome to wrestle with. Another uncommon parrot species has a similar reputation and it's also comparatively inexpensive considering it's rarity in aviculture. Perhaps there's a correlation between the two and their expected prices, can't say for sure. Even so, it's quite odd for an uncommon species that is also gorgeous in an unusual sort of way. Seeing one in person, which I have on several occasions, leaves no lasting doubts about the ancestry of birds. These parrots look even more prehistoric than Capes do, if that's even possible.

 

[RainbowParrots]

I purchased our two great billed parrots as weaned babies in 2007 and their price was $900 each. We had been on vacation and visited parrot mountain in gatlinburg TN and we saw some Great billed parrots there. When we returned home I did a search on line and was lucky enough to find Breeding Dreams ranch in CA was advertising two baby great bill females for sale. Great billed parrots had been a dream bird for me for years but I never thought I could find one or afford one. After seeing them at parrot mountain it got me interested in finding one as a pet and the stars must have been aligned just right for me to be able to find my two girls.I wouldn't imagine that the price has gone up much more than I paid. Not purchased from a breeder anyway. Pet stores of course would probably charge more. There is a pet store in VA who often has great bills for sale and I think they sell them for $1500, which is also the price I believe Parrot Mountain sells them for.