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Help me decide...

Greybeh

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Heather Jacoby
I lost my cockatiel a week and a half ago. I miss her terribly and my home isn't the same without her. I know that no bird will ever replace her, but I feel alone and missing the mutual comforts of scritching a little one's head and cuddling.

I wish I could bring home another cockatiel, but the powder-down birds are not ideal for me. I'd noticed my allergies were completely uncontrolled and I sheepishly would tell the allergist, "Yeah, I have a cockatiel, but don't even think about telling me to rehome her!" I ran an air cleaner, tried to convince her to bathe (she had to be in the mood and hated spray bottles so she had her own little "bath tub" -- a plastic pan. She'd get in and let me dribble water over her with my fingers.)

So, I need some help. I'm out of my league when it comes to familiarity with birds that are not cockatiels.

A BIG need is an apartment-friendly bird. Maggie's contact-calls could be loud but my neighbors claim they enjoyed hearing her. But I'd like to not push my luck and to make a choice that's respectful of any new neighbors' tolerance levels. We have pretty thick walls, but wow... could I hear hear in the hallway... Ha!

So, I'm looking at green-cheeked conures, lovebirds, parrotlets, linnies... and I'm open to considering any other species that's not a powder-down bird. Maggie's cage was 36 high, 20 deep and 24 wide, if I'm recalling the measurements correctly. I've wiped it down with hot water and vinegar. I've got to figure out the best way of cleaning her rope perch and toys... but I'd like to use the same cage. I'd been insanely curious about a dusky pionus, but the idea of getting a new cage, moving furniture... and what might be "too much bird" for me was why I've half-heartedly changed my mind. I still feel regretful and I'd still like to meet her to be sure I made the right choice not to bring her home (she's at a rescue).

I'd like a bird that will cuddle, but also be a little more playful than my Maggie was. I don't mind an independent bird as long as I get a little cuddle time in, too. I'm oddly fascinated with birds that are comfortable laying on their backs, too. Not a requirement but a little extra source of fun and joy. Apartment-friendly, again, is critical. Please -- share experiences, opinions and tidbits. Thank you!!!
 

Greybeh

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Heather Jacoby
Also, having just lost a bird, I'm rather concerned about health issues and would be most at ease with a fairly hardy species. My Maggie had been to the vet a few times... she was an egg-layer and ended up needing a Lupron shot because she kept going into another cycle. (I'll probably bring home a male bird because Maggie's egg-laying had me so worried that I put a webcam on her so I could check in on her while I was at work - I live alone).
 

Animallover03

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:welcomeavenue:I don't have any advice for you, I just want to wish you luck on your search. Sorry that you lost Maggie, she seemed like a wonderful fid. I'm sure you will find the right bird. Maybe you could volunteer at a parrot rescue to find the right one. I would meet some of the species that you are interested in, to see if they are right for you. Good luck! :D
 

Brandon's-Fids

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Lovebirds can be loud and have a high pitched call.Parrotlets I find quiet but my Aunt said hers was very loud.Plum headed parakeets are independent birds.I find them very playful and clownish and yes they do sometimes flip on their back when playing.Plum heads make great apartment birds and are not noisy at all and have a lovely call.They are also great talkers.
 

Tanya

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You're really on the right track... Doing your research and open to more than one kind of bird. :)

I've had luck with cleaning a rope perch in a bucket of diluted bleach water in th bathtub. Brush off any crusty poo first. Then let it soak for 10-15 mins. Pull it out to dry over the tub with a fan blowing on it. The chlorine will dissipate quickly and this seems to be one of the few ways to really get into the fibers. (Warning: if you have a colorful rope perch, and quite a lot of the color may soak out into the water! It won't hurt the perch except to maybe to change the color a bit.)
 

Cynthia & Percy

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sorry for your loss:sadhug2:
 

iamwhoiam

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So sorry for your loss. You may want to consider a Poicephalus such as a Senegal or Red-bellied parrot.
 

sunnysmom

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So sorry for your loss. I believe Bourkes and linnies are more on the quiet side (@Lady Jane ?) but not necessarily cuddly. Conures can be loud although I think some types are louder than others (@ConureTiel ?) I don't think lovebirds are overly loud generally (@fluffypoptarts ?) or budgies.
 

fluffypoptarts

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So sorry to hear about your little girl. :(

Lovebirds (more specifically males) meet all of your aforementioned requirements and I've never had a problem with my 6 in an apartment. 3 out of 4 of my boys are unrepentant super snugglers. :) They will tuck under my chin and push themselves into my hands. The other boy is too crazy, but he definitely loves me, he just shows it in his own bizarre ways. :D One of my girls is snuggly, too, she's just very passive about it.

I find them to usually be less vocal than cockatiels (and not as high-pitched), though some people have a lot of trouble with their voices. Of course you could always get lucky and get a lovie with a very high voice. ;)

I hope you find a birdy you bond strongly with. <3
 
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alcmene

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A male lovebird sounds like it would fit the bill for you. Since you mentioned noise several times, I would avoid conures. They are much louder then your cockatiel was

I have never had either species personally, but it is my understanding that neither linnies or parrotlets are cuddly. Parrotlets are known for being really feisty.
 

Jaguar

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I'd like a bird that will cuddle, but also be a little more playful than my Maggie was. I don't mind an independent bird as long as I get a little cuddle time in, too. I'm oddly fascinated with birds that are comfortable laying on their backs, too. Not a requirement but a little extra source of fun and joy. Apartment-friendly, again, is critical. Please -- share experiences, opinions and tidbits. Thank you!!!
These are all mostly just a pipe dream. Everyone wants a "perfect" parrot that's cuddly but independent, playful and silly, "loud sometimes is ok" but not a screamer or a biter. If they were all so well behaved and easy to live with, I doubt half as many of them would be in shelters and sanctuaries. A parrot is largely what you make it. The time and effort you spend into assuming a flock leader position and training it will do far more to make it a "perfect bird" than adopting any certain species will. Working with a rescue might make it slower and more difficult, but then you have fewer worries that this bird might change drastically within a few years.

Parrots are not apartment friendly animals. All of them have a potential to be loud in their own way. It's a matter of yours and your neighbors' tolerance. A budgie's incessant chatter might not get you evicted, but it might annoy you. And a sun conure's piercing scream would probably do both.

I am a cockatiel person. I find the others are, as you put it, "too much bird". Even my green cheek, although the same size as a cockatiel, put me over the edge emotionally/mentally. Sometimes my quaker makes me want to throw in the towel too. But there's never a time I walk into the tiels' room and don't wish I had about ten more of them :lol: The only other parrot I would consider getting at this point in my life is a male lovebird.

I spoke with the adoption coordinator of a large rescue who told me that cockatiels and male lovebirds were the best parrots for most people. I'd believe it.

So if you're absolutely sure you don't want another cockatiel, I'd vote lovie too.
 

Greybeh

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I'll work with the bird (patiently). I'll try to encourage the behaviors I hope for. Lots of toys and interaction, a respect for the bird's boundaries and attention to the signals that the bird gives me.

I hope to read up, but reading the behavioral language of my 'tiel might be easier for me initially. I feel like the crest was a bit of a cheat-sheet for how she felt. I could see something around her eyes sink in a little when she was scared and she'd go stiff. When she was relaxed, those little feathers around her beak would puff out to hide her lower beak. Those sorts of things don't translate well in books so in a way, I expect to be learning a new (body) language as I go. That crest... was such a wonderful clue.

I think I'm down to lovebirds or green-cheek conures. Hoping to meet some soon and do some reading on both.
 

ConureTiel

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So sorry to hear of the loss of your wonderful cockatiel. They are amazing birds and so easy to bond with.

As for other birds, it does sound like you can maybe put the odds in your favor for a happy household with the male lovie. I will say I have great experiences with our GCC. I guess I take a combined nature-nurture approach. I do think you can try to stack the odds in your favor by looking at a particular species's tendencies, as you are doing here. But I also think that the routines you set up, the behavior expectations you have and how you reinforce those, the taming and then training you do, all have a really huge impact on the bird you end up with. I was surprised to have a well known bird trainer scoff (politely) at me when I was admiring his Galah while also voicing the usual "I would love one but I understand they can be needy" -- he was very much of the notion that with good training and routines and care that the parrot is what you make it.

As for my own birds, I am so lucky my Jingo GCC was passively taught by Opal 'Tiel about inside voices! He has this EEK!! EEK!! EEK!! call he can do that could peel the paint off my walls if he kept it up. And I understand that GCCs are generally quieter than the Aratinga conures. But anyway, he hardly does that call (once a week or less), or any loud call, and I think it's a combination of modeling Opal's genteel behavior and the fact that we have a full household so there is always someone moving about (so someone to watch/be company/take an interest in) -- but at the same time it is a generally quiet and laidback household.

And his one spoken phrase, "pretty bird," quickly became his "go to" vocalization, and if he is getting loud, I can easily redirect by speaking slowly and calmly and then asking for "pretty bird" or any of his other trained behaviors, like touching a target, etc.

I agree there is no perfect bird, especially with concerns about neighbors, but don't give up. Do think about looking at a rescue bird, as you could get an adult whose behavior you could already know a good deal about.

Sorry again about your loss of Maggie.
 

Jaguar

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Pyrrhura conures are cute little spitfires, but they have the avian equivalent of small dog syndrome :roflmao: They are boisterous and bossy, and are quick to turn to the beak when you don't understand what they're asking. It's a whole different ballgame than reading a cockatiel. They are definitely more acrobatic and agile than cockatiels, and are cuddly in their own ways, preferring to lay in a crevice or just lean against you.

I think lovies are pretty sassy, but I'm not sure they'll turn your skin into swiss cheese quite like a cheekie could. And they're more squeaky and less... shrieky. If that makes sense. It's a PEEP PEEP vs. an EEK EEK.
 

Jaguar

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I will say I have great experiences with our GCC. I guess I take a combined nature-nurture approach. I do think you can try to stack the odds in your favor by looking at a particular species's tendencies, as you are doing here. But I also think that the routines you set up, the behavior expectations you have and how you reinforce those, the taming and then training you do, all have a really huge impact on the bird you end up with. I was surprised to have a well known bird trainer scoff (politely) at me when I was admiring his Galah while also voicing the usual "I would love one but I understand they can be needy" -- he was very much of the notion that with good training and routines and care that the parrot is what you make it.
Each species definitely has its natural characteristics - if someone wanted a crazy clown bird we probably wouldn't recommend them a pionus over a caique or cockatoo. While you might not ever be able to train a cockatiel to hang upside down from its foot like a conure would, "friendly", "independent" and "playful" are all characteristics that they share to varying degrees, and are easier to build upon than something that doesn't come so naturally. I think they're too broad of specifications to narrow down to specific species. "Comfortable with laying on their backs" was a better one, but that's again more down to training and the parrot's comfort level with its owner, since belly up is an EXTREMELY vulnerable position.
 

expressmailtome

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This is just a reminder:

2~ Interaction Between Birds and Cats and Dogs and Other Animals:
It just takes a split second for an accident to happen even with very well behaved cats and dogs who are taken by surprise. Cat saliva can be deadly to birds. Saliva toxins can kill within a matter of minutes or a few days. Scratches and bites from both cats and dogs and other animals can cause severe injury and/or death.

Be aware that dogs and cats who have been fine for years showing no interest in your birds can change as they get older. Please do not become lulled into a false sense of security. Cats and dogs can react unexpectedly for many reasons when least expected. It is your responsibility to protect your flock.

Also be aware of the potential danger to the other animals in your household. A bird's bite can inflict serious damage to another animal and in the worse case scenario can result in death. Please be careful, Roadies. It is your responsibility to keep all your beloved pets safe.
 

Laurah

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Yes I know. Thanks. My female yellow sided and him (6yrs)have been raised together since babies. The male cinnamon on top of the dogs head is a rescue. I've only had him since Oct 14'. I always supervise them. I have experience in dealing with unpredictable people and pets. :)
 
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