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Long time animal lover, first time wanting a bird(lots of questions!)

sunnysmom

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Welcome to the forum. The best way to know what type of bird you like is to try to meet some birds. And I always encourage adoption. There are many birds out there in need of good homes. I would suggest looking into cockatiels. The males can talk some but are better at learning to whistle tunes. My cockatiel also mimicked pretty well. He could ribbit like a frog, would beep like the microwave, etc. Keep in mind that parrots are work, no matter the size. And require household changes- no Teflon pans, no candles, incense, air fresheners, etc. They are wonderful but they are not the easiest pet to have in general. But obviously, we all here think they're worth the effort. :)
 

Brittany0208

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I actually can relate here,

I wanted birds so bad! I researched and researched, bought books, and watched youtube videos, all the time about birds, for years! I tried so hard to get some, i did everything i could to find some! When i did, i listened to my outdated bird book, bought a little cage, some seeds mix, and a few toys, and two birds. They meant the world to me! I loved them so much! I did everything i could. I thought i was doing it right. But i was really, really wrong. They were just eating seeds, had cheap toys, and a small cage, i also didn't have a vet in my area. Both, died. One from the cheap toy, and the other from either a disease or heart attack, she was in the window. I bought two more, promised myself no window, and no cheap toys. The one, figured out a way to slide the food dispensers in a way they could escape, we tried to fix it, we thought we did. We, went away, and the bird slipped out in the night, and got caught behind a dresser, and suffocated himself :(. The last one, my baby, my 3 year old baby, i miss you so much :(. He died boxing day, he started acting sick, he was sleepy, fluffed up, and falling of his perch, i didn't know what to do, there was no vet, nothing i could do, he kept falling off his perch in a sleepy way, i knew it was his last day, a few hours later, of trying to help him, with everything, he died in a seizure. I was not prepared, i had not found AA, i was on my own, and had just lost my baby.

For the past few months i had been thinking about getting more, but i can't stand loosing them again, my parents won't listen to me about a new cage or diet or anything. Now, i'm waiting a few years, till i have my own place/job/money and I'm going to do it right. Buying a bird isn't something easy, it's a commitment.

:sadhug:
 

JLcribber

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For the past few months i had been thinking about getting more, but i can't stand loosing them again, my parents won't listen to me about a new cage or diet or anything. Now, i'm waiting a few years, till i have my own place/job/money and I'm going to do it right. I wish i could have done better, i wish i could have a do over, i miss them. Don't make the same mistake i did. Buying a bird isn't something easy, it's a commitment.

There is no school like the school of hard knocks. I have a saying I've used most of my life. "You just don't know what you don't know, until you know". This biggest thing to take away from that is no that once one does knows, what do they do from that point forward?

When the time is right you are going to be a fabulous parront. Any bird will be lucky to find you. :hug8:
 

TinyFeathers

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There is no school like the school of hard knocks. I have a saying I've used most of my life. "You just don't know what you don't know, until you know". This biggest thing to take away from that is no that once one does knows, what do they do from that point forward?

When the time is right you are going to be a fabulous parront. Any bird will be lucky to find you. :hug8:
Thank you @JLcribber :)
 

tka

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Bird have ear canals. They're covered by fine feathers. Mine likes me to gently scratch around her ears.

You have very little control over what a bird decides to mimic. Birds will mimic sounds that appeal to them or ones that get a reaction. Reactions have to drama-filled - a human yelling or shouting at the bird can be just as exciting as them praising it. Many more birds mimic sounds than mimic speech. Your bird is far more likely to mimic ring tones, microwave beeps, the doorbell, dogs barking or babies crying, a sound from a TV programme or advert, a tap dripping, the smoke alarm and so on. Basically, think of the most annoying sound you can imagine and then imagine your bird doing it just to troll you.

One lady on here had a Grey who mimicked her husband's snoring...the husband would snore all night and the bird would "snore" all day. I've met a Grey who went into the office where one of his humans worked, and within a week he'd mastered everyone's ringtone and would make the sounds just to watch people scramble for their phone. Funny as heck for the bird, less funny for his human's colleagues.

My bird doesn't mimic and I am perfectly happy with that. She has more than enough yells, squawks, chuckles, beeps, squeaks, grumbles etc to communicate with. I don't need her to mimic human speech.

Budgies (parakeets) are nice little birds that mimic and aren't too loud. You can get some really interesting colours and mutations - check out some of @PoukieBear's threads of her babies.
 

Zara

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Budgies (parakeets) are nice little birds that mimic and aren't too loud. You can get some really interesting colours and mutations - check out some of @PoukieBear's threads of her babies.
Agree. A budgie is a good option for apartment living. I hear they like to be kept with a buddy though, so that´s something to think about.
Also, a single lovebird is a great option for an apartment IF you have the time to dedicate to him/her (but they won´t mimic, they´re just cute)

I have always made my own cleaning products, even before having a bird. It is cheaper and healthier for us humans.
For eg. fill a clean spray bottle with water, add a tsp of dishsoap and shake for a good all purpose cleaner ;)

Other things I use to clean are lemons (usually from my tree), distilled vinager, vodka, bicarbonate of soda (for bathroom), rubbing alcohol, and ACV (for bird cages, dishes, water silos etc).
 

iamwhoiam

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It's good that you are asking questions and doing research. Go to some rescues as well as bird stores and interact with the birds that are there. As for mimicking/learning to talk there are some species that are better at that than others but when it comes down to it, it just depends on the individual bird. I have 2 of the birds that are in that Top Ten Talking video and they both talk but my red-bellied parrots talk more than them.
Vet bills depends on the vet and even the area where you live. If you take your bird in for a new bird checkup the vet will probably do blood work and cultures in addition to a visual examination and that could cost $300-$400. If you adopt a rescue bird it's possible that this bird would have been examined and cleared by a vet so there may be no need for this new bird check up. My birds go in for annual exams and grooming once or twice a year depending on the bird. Also if I think something is "off" with a bird I get him/her to the vet to be checked.


Cages....prices vary with size, material and quality. In addition to cages, you need to consider accessories: toys, perches, food/water dishes.
Fly...yes they fly and that's a good thing for them. You can harness train some birds so that you can safely take them outdoors. Some breeders and pet stores will clip the wings but then the flight feathers will grow back.

How much mess are you willing to deal with and how much noise? My birds, just like most, are messy. Not only do they mess up their cages but also the surrounding area where the cages are located. Food and pieces of toys are tossed out of the cage and onto the floor. My birds are not very noisy most of the time but sometimes it can get a bit loud here.

You will also have to make changes to many things in your house: no candles, no air fresheners, no basic cleaning supplies like Lysol spray or Pledge furniture polish (replace with things like diluted vinegar or baking soda paste), no Teflon cookware, only specific types of insecticides, etc. Your home will need to be bird safe.

 
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McBoredFace

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Thank you guys for all the advice and information. I will definitely try to find somewhere to interact with different birds to get a better understanding. As for the messes and loudness it was all making me go “awh how cute” lol! I do have like waaaay too much time on my hands so I’d really love to dedicate my time to a beautiful bird. I’ll keep doing research but I won’t buy one for a while. I want to keep learning and interacting with other birds and asking you guys more questions until I’m ready. I had bad experiences with my first reptiles. I didn’t know much and I went to a corporate pet store.. and listened to them! 3 geckos died within 6 months when theyre supposed to live 10 years! I should have taken them all to the vet when I first got them but I didn’t have the money and only knew one very expensive vet. So I only took the one last one to the vet but it was too late cause by the time you see anything wrong with a reptile it’s usually too late. But I spent over a thousand dollars on the reptiles and vet bills until the vet and very helpful reptile people helped me out. Now I know a reptile is nothing compared to a bird obviously lol but I understand having to do so much research and being prepared for everything and anything before jumping in and learning as you go.
So thank you very much. You’ve all given me a lot to think about. If I have anymore questions I’ll let you know :)
 

Cynthia & Percy

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welcome
 

expressmailtome

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Welcome, and enjoy the site!
 

Hawk12237

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Hello everyone! I’ve had many different kinds of pets; cats, a dog, different rodents, reptiles, fish, amphibians, a pig, and more. Never a bird. Now is the time! I’ve been addicted to watching those adorable YouTube videos of cute and funny birds and the more I watch the more I want to have that adorable little feathered friend of my own. I’m totally prepared to put the work the in for as many years a bird lives...(as you can see I don’t even know how long they live yet, I also failed the verification question of how many toes does a parrot have. I said 6... I thought 2 in the front and one in the back lol)
So I need lots of help. I do still have a northern blue tongue skink at the moment and would love to add a bird now. So here’s the questions!
I dont even know what kind I want! I know I want one that can mimic lol (jeez I’ve never been so uninformed on an animal in my entire life! I usually know so much but as a kid and teen birds never interested me. I know sounds crazy right??) so a bird that can mimic. I don’t know the care level of different birds but if there are beginner level ones that mimic that’s great refer me to those! If not then that’s fine. My first reptile was a chameleon! Those are advanced lvl reptiles that people do not recommend to beginners but he lived a long healthy happy life! Same with my chinchilla, sugar glider, my pig would have if my mom didn’t give him away while I was out of the house.. (terrible I know. Long story maybe another time) but I’m more than capable of accommodating for a more advanced animal companion. So which kind would be a good fit?
Will they fly? Or fly away? I’m not sure how I feel about having bird’s wings clipped. It doesn’t sound nice. But again I don’t know anything maybe it’s better? Idk.
How much do these birds go for?
How much is the starting price for everything?
How much does a vet visit usually cost?
After I find out what bird I’d like to get I can pretty much do the rest of my research and ask questions as I go. But that’s what I’d like to know for now. Any other information I should know would be much appreciated! Since I’m new I’m not even sure what I should be asking yah know? So tell me everything! I’m all ears! ... do birds have ear canals? You can’t see under their feathers lol

By the way I won’t get this bird until I know for sure what I’m getting into and have done all the research and have asked way more questions! So please don’t be rude like many forum have been in the past and tell me I’m an idiot who knows nothing about this animal so I’ll kill it if I get one and horrible things like that... I know I am very uninformed but I want to learn so I can find out if having a bird is right for me. Which it should be since I’ve clicked with every single animal I’ve had because all animals are just so amazing and MUCH better than people haha :)
My first advice, pay a visit to a respectable avian parrot store, not just any ole pet store, most of those are just in it for the money and haven't a clue on parrots. A respectable
parrot store will have a sitting room with perches where you can spend time with a prospective parrot. This will allow you to get a feel of what your comfortable with. In my experience at
a parrot store, the bird will choose you, not you chose it... keep that in mind, because it enhances the bond down the line, sometimes, but a good start by far. Once you are set on the type of parrot,
pay a few visits to that parrot shop shop a few times a week and spend an hour in sitting room with that parrot. They get to know you and look forward to you coming in to see them.
All the while studying everything you can about that particular type of parrot. So many people rush out and buy a parrot on the spot. I never recommend this. Never rush, because it's a long term
relationship, it's crucial that you and bird feel comfortable together. Then... when all goes well, time to get married to bird and bring bird home forever.
 

Nikomania

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So thrilled to see that you're doing your research before committing. Kudos to you!
Parrots are messy, loud, and very expensive. They need a variety of fruits and veggies to remain healthy. I would extensively research their dietary needs as well to make certain you are able to meet those needs. They need lots of out of cage time and time spent interacting with you.
If you go on vacation, it's a challenge to find someone who can provide good care for them. Frankly, I have given up taking vacations that are more than 3 days away from my flock.

Like you, I am a huge animal lover. Didn't get my first bird until I was in my 50's. Now I worry about who will get them after I'm deceased, something which you will also need to consider.

If your bird decides that your husband will be his one and only, will you be okay with that? Birds choose their person(s), and sometimes it won't be you.

Welcome to AA, and thank you again for taking the time to research before you become owned by a parrot! Wish every prospective parront could be like you!
 

Hawk12237

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Didn't get my first bird until I was in my 50's. Now I worry about who will get them after I'm deceased, something which you will also need to consider.

If your bird decides that your husband will be his one and only, will you be okay with that? Birds choose their person(s), and sometimes it won't be you.[qoute]


That is what my wife and I think about, who gets them when we're gone...so we have a diary my wife writes on all our flock, likes and dislikes...that way someone will know how to take control of our flock.
My Zon was that way, loved my wife, then chose me down the line as it's mate or best buddy. Kicked my wife to the curb it did...
 

avery a

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definitely look into green cheek conures ! they are such sweet little birds with the personality of a big bird. They aren't too loud most of the time and will sometimes learn to mimic words or other sounds from their environment.
 
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