Hey, potential new parrot mum!

[beckie9521]

Hi all

I have been a long time lurker and finally thought I should join and say hey.

We don’t have any birds, but are the proud owner of a pug, a french bulldog, 2 moggies and a 6yo!

We have wanted a parrot for many years since we met a rather lovely female eclectus in Tenerife back in 2014 called Maria.

We have read so many articles and websites, watched hours of YouTube videos and scrolled through endless forums and finally now feel ready to welcome a feathered friend.

We loved Maria so much but from what I have read, a female Ekkie wouldn’t be ideal for complete bird newbies so we have been looking at Male Ekkies, Conures, Pionus’ and Caiques.

But we have read so much conflicting information!

We didn’t want a ‘starter’ budgie or cockatiel as we really do only want the one bird, and it really wouldn’t be fair to choose a bird we weren’t really set on just to ‘prepare us’.

Could people please advise on their first birds and maybe recommend one?

We have found an avian vet 6 miles away from us, along with a bird behaviourist (just in case) and feel like we have done an immense amount of research and preparation and we are prepared to put in as much effort and time as required.

We did try and find a local avian rescue sanctuary to volunteer and get some experience but all the avian rescues in our area (NW England) are online and home based so unfortunately this isn’t possible for us.

Any advice would be immensely appreciated!

Many thanks, bec x

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

welcome

 

[BeanieofJustice]

Welcome! You could talk to the avian vet and see what they say about whether they know any birds that are available in the area. My macaw was my first bird, my conure is my second bird. I've always been a believer in letting the bird pick you, my conure came from a good bird shop and my macaw was a rescue.

For each of the birds you listed, you can go to each of the threads dedicated to them and read about them.

What is your family's noise tolerance? What is it that you are seeking in a bird companion? These questions can help you narrow down what species might work for you and your family.

 

[greys4u]

Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
This is from the forum, also you might want to look around

 

[Shezbug]

Welcome.
My first bird was a budgie- the best friend I had in the world! then more budgies then cockatiels, an old wild galah (who fell out of a tree) I looked after as he was too old to make it in the wild anymore so he lived his last days with me, 28 parrots (a kind of native ringneck), chickens and now I have a macaw and some budgies.

Budgies are perfect companions.... cheeky, energetic, fun, not too noisy for most people, and fairly easy to cater for.

Starter birds don’t really exist as all birds have their own special kind of requirements and challenges. My concern with the larger beak birds for you would be your 6yo safety. That being said the smaller birds may not be as safe with a 6yo??

Let the bird pick you unless you have your heart set on a particular bird. If your heart is set on a particular species then research and find someone with those birds so you can get to understand more about them.

I’ve had people who had liked the idea of having a bird come and visit to see the mess I get to clean daily and the noise I love to listen to.....none of those people followed through with getting a bird and decided they much preferred them to visit for short periods of time. Lol. Once they learned of all the problems that dogs and cats and improper care can cause to birds and added that to the vet bills and daily requirements my bird has they have all decided to make do getting their bird fix through visits and photos.

The more time you can spend around birds the better you will know what you’re willing to sacrifice, change and put up with so you will find choosing the right bird for you much easier.

Good luck finding your perfect match, I can’t wait to read all about it and of course see some pics too

 

[Zara]

Welcome to the Avenue Beckie!

I don´t believe ¨starter birds¨ exist, only First birds.
I do agree with you that people should not get one bird to prepare themselves for getting the bird they actually want.

My first bird was a lovebird. Such a fantastic bird companion. My bird is presumed male, and I had him for over a year as a lone bird. He was quiet, loving and energetic. He would come out of his cage, fly around the living room, then come and sit with me, we spent a lot of time together playing and interacting.
I have since acquired 5 more lovebirds.
My 2 year old nephews and my boyfriends 6 year old brother all love the birds, holding them and interacting with them.
Sadly, they are usually overlooked by potential new bird owners because they are catagorized as ¨starter birds¨ and those seeking a parrot see them as some sort of sub-par bird. The reality is they do have big personalities, as all little birds do. Each one is their own. They are funny, can be taught tricks, and are just as beautiful as a larger bird. They can be ¨tamed¨ and social creating an excellent bird companion. The other bonus is they can have a full flight in your home so they get plenty of excersize.
I even take my first bird out in a harness to hike the mountain near my home

(Can you tell I´m biased?)

Have a read of all the different ¨Good, bad and Ugly¨ threads for each bird family and see which birds suit your lifestyle.
If you have questions about any species, post new threads and members will help you.

Good luck on your search to expland your family.

 

[sunnysmom]

Welcome. I agree that you should get the bird that you want from the get go as you're hopefully going to have that bird for a long time. That said, cockatiels really are wonderful little birds. They're common for a reason- because they're sweet and relatively easy to care for. Conures are also a good choice. I know you said the rescues are all home based, but will they let you come and meet some birds? That's really the best way to determine what bird is right for you.

 

[scrape]

Welcome!

 

[cassiesdad]

Welcome to the Avenue.


As has been said before...there are no "starter birds"...they don't exist.

What does exist is YOUR First Bird.

We have found an avian vet 6 miles away from us, along with a bird behaviourist (just in case) and feel like we have done an immense amount of research and preparation and we are prepared to put in as much effort and time as required.

..excellent...and to be perfectly honest...I've shared my life with many species of birds for over 35 years...and I'm STILL learning new things about my birds every day...the birds themselves tend to be the teachers...and they are very good teachers, if I may say so.

I do agree with you that people should not get one bird to prepare themselves for getting the bird they actually want.

I also definitely agree with @Zara...you really shouldn't "work" your way up the ladder with birds...that's showing tremendous disrespect for the bird you'd have, IMO.

Male Ekkies, Conures, Pionus’ and Caiques.

..all great species...all having differing needs and personalities...the only species I've ever had personal experience is with are Conures...as I am currently owned by a sassy Nanday named Buddy. She's a fine part of our flock...very sassy and opinionated.

For each of the birds you listed, you can go to each of the threads dedicated to them and read about them.

I also highly recommend this...

 

[expressmailtome]

Welcome, and enjoy the site!

 

[iamwhoiam]

Welcome to AA.

 

[Fuzzy]

Beckie! So great to hear you are being thorough in your research.

Have a read of all the different ¨Good, bad and Ugly¨ threads for each bird family and see which birds suit your lifestyle.

Good idea, Zara!

If you are in NW England, could you try visiting some of the shows? There are more up north than down south. It's so different to see (and hear!) the birds in person rather than just looking at pics of them. That's what helped me narrow down my list when I was looking for a parrot.

There's the Newark/Nottingham Show http://www.embba.co.uk/

And the Stafford bird show which is huge.

 

[janicedyh]

I would not recommend an Ekkie. I'm saying that even though I love mine dearly. Even though they are not so called "cuddly" birds, they are highly emotional, need to be out of the cage a lot, need a ton of attention. Although I hate making a blanket statement, after interacting with dozens of Ekkie Parronts...most times they do not do well with dogs and small children. Its not that they would be prone to biting children, its that the noise and running etc cause them anxiety. They are complicated to feed and are one of the top species to acquire plucking disorders.

 

[Leih]

Poor budgies so many people think they're "generic" until they learn more about birds. My first bird is my lovebird and I chose a lovebird because of their reputation for being very playful! Like @Zara said, they have huge personalities! I also like their stocky body shape and short tails . If no one already said, conures are little goofballs and can be cuddly, but they demand more attention than many other species, and all birds require a lot! Mine would love nothing more than to be attached to me all day. I also have two linnies who are very sweet boys but they are hands off. My conure can be really loud when he wants to be, I swear he barks. My lovebird chatters all day long, nothing really obnoxious, but her contact call can be quite loud. My linnies are very quiet but the noises they do make are really unusual. Kind of like little monkeys. I always wanted a bird but never took the plunge until I got Aoife, my lovebird. I researched etc but truly you don't know until you try it but now that I have them I absolutely love them. They are a lot of work but they're worth it!