Choosing a Bird

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Seventeen years ago a three months old hen Senegal picked me by jumping on me five times in a three hour period at a bird show. I took the hint and bought her. Sunshine Senegal is my heart bird.

I have no regrets.

 

[Familyof12]

Carmen bit because she was abused and she was so scared about everything. Once I gained her trust she doesn't bite us anymore. When I mean bite, I mean bite through skin and tear, not the playful kind. None of out others do this. Neither of mine pluck at all. Carmen is slowly growing out her wing and tail feathers (bought her as is without questions when I saw this) and now can do a flutter glide thing. I'm hoping she will fly great again one day.

Diablo is great at flying and is a sweetheart. He loves scritches, being held in my hand, and will even hang upside down and lay on his back in my hand. Carmen...she's different. She likes morning walks on my shoulder or in my hood on cold days. She likes me talking (she chirps quietly when I stop) while we walk or do chores but only in the morning. She doesn't like scratches but always stays close by and never lets me out of her sight. Diablo is more independent and investigative. Carmen more like a regal large parrot.

 

[Tara81]

DId someone say Budgies??? Mine are 6 years old and the green one is still very playful. Poncho is a lazy bean.

Warning more bird pics Inc !

 

[fluffypoptarts]

Affection is honestly a huge thing for me, I want to have a very special bond with my bird. I hear Cockatiels and Lovebirds are very very affectionate and bond very closely, of course it also depends on the individual bird's personality. Budgies seem nice too, they have such funny personalities. As far as Parrotlets go I haven't done a lot of research about them other than knowing they're nippy and maybe quieter than Lovebirds.

That's quite true about lovebirds (and cockatiels). I have 6 lovebirds and my girlfriend has 2. They're all loving in their individual ways, though the boys are the real snugglers. Only one of my 3 hens is a real Velcro bird - the females tend to be edgier and more feisty, and a lot more interested in doing their own thing, but they all enjoy pets/scritches.

Several of my male lovies will cuddle under my chin or into the crook of my neck, and almost all of them will sleep on me. They like to nibble and groom me and spend time hanging out on me. They are all happy to get scritches and cuddles, although the crazy one has to be in the right mood to allow hands on him.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

I have tons of these pictures:

 

[Epsilon]

@fluffypoptarts They are so incredibly cute! I think I've definitely settled down on either a Cockatiel or Lovebird. I hear they are egg layers but I'm planning on getting a male. Are males more hormonal at all? I know males do tend to be louder. And what about how dirty they are? I don't mind the dust and poop everywhere I'd just like a heads up as to how bad it will truly be.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

They are adorable beyond belief. Female lovies and cockatiels can both be egg-layers and very hormonal. (My male cockatiel was very moody.) My male lovies are pretty even keel with the occasional cranky episode, which is not a big deal - I just get yelled at and occasionally pinched if I've really peeved someone. Mostly they are sweethearts, albeit very spirited and opinionated ones, lol.

Noise, not constant with the lovies. It seems to vary between individuals. Some of my boys are extremely quiet.

As for dirty - well, lovebirds will sometimes throw their food around or make soup (put food in their water). Other than that, they're not really bad at all. They're also not dusty like cockatiels.

 

[Epsilon]

I know there's a breeder right here in Tampa so it shouldn't be hard to find a little weaned baby. I remember when I was young I fell in love with a little blue black-masked Lovebird. I think I'd like to get a Lovebird when I get my room ready. I need to replace my carpet with wood flooring so it's easier to clean and get a cage for it.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

I know there's a breeder right here in Tampa so it shouldn't be hard to find a little weaned baby. I remember when I was young I fell in love with a little blue black-masked Lovebird. I think I'd like to get a Lovebird when I get my room ready. I need to replace my carpet with wood flooring so it's easier to clean and get a cage for it.

You could put a plastic chair mat under the cage if you're worried about the carpet. (I have carpet and it hasn't been a problem.) Peachfaced lovies tend on average to be more friendly/easily bonded with than the eyering varieties, but they are all infinitely adorable. Adopted older lovies can bond very well, too!

 

[Epsilon]

I like the way the Peaches look more too. They're so pretty.

 

[Tara81]

Wow fluffy those birds really are cuddle bugs! I thought lovebirds were mostly a 1 person bird is this true? I don't think many cockatiels would let u turn them upside down like that I almost want a lovebird too now haha! My cockatiel is still young, she started allowing me to touch her wings for a treat. I wonder if she will ever get that cuddly haha. She loves head massages but she has a very short Attention span , she wants to play with something new every 2 minutes it seems. Wil she grow out of that lol.

 

[Familyof12]

Here is photo of our Tito. He's super adorable. He's loving and the funniest of the bunch. He generally plays all day sings (morning, noon, and evening) and is the most curious of the bunch. He is my daughter's lovebird and I feed him along with my birds and he plays great with them. He sits on shoulders, climbs down our shirts, grooms us, and feeds us. I usually end up with bits of broccoli or whatever he's eating on my cheek or near my mouth. Other times, he feeds us when we ask for kisses, he loves sharing and feeding us.

 

[taxidermynerd]

I've got a budgie, and he's the sweetest little boy you could ever meet! He will come sit on my hand if I have food, he likes to "help" me make his food by trying to eat it while I'm still preparing it, and he likes to chatter when I talk or if the tv is on. He's pretty quiet unless something scares him or he gets really excited. He gives me kissies (on the cheek or lips) and if I present him with my finger, he'll gently beak at it. He also likes to preen my hair.

He will let me know if I'm pushing his boundaries, by opening his beak really wide and then following that with several very rapid bites if I don't back off. Overall though, he's a very sweet, curious boy with a great personality.

And I do agree in some respects with what @JLcribber said. I'm also a minor, and while I adore all sorts of birds, including the big guys, I just don't have the time, space, money or energy to care for them. Birds can live a long time, even budgies can live 10 years or more, so you have to be prepared for that. Cockatiels often live to be 20 or older. Are you going to be able to handle that? It's a very important question we all have to ask ourselves.

But I also have developed the separation of what I want vs. what I can handle. Would I like an african grey? Yes! Could I handle it? No. It's something I learned while keeping fish. Sure, I'd love to have a 150 gallon tank with loads of cool fish, but that isn't feasible for me. It's been extremely valuable while keeping Chirp and I think most bird-keepers would agree.

 

[Epsilon]

But I also have developed the separation of what I want vs. what I can handle. Would I like an african grey? Yes! Could I handle it? No.

@taxidermynerd It's what I came to realize from what @JLcribber said. I love big birds but there's no way I can handle one, my future is too unpredictable right now. I have a Gecko currently but he's pretty old, about ten years old. Of course I shouldn't compare him to a bird, but it's still a very long commitment. And I'll admit, it was an impulse buy, I had no idea what I was getting into. I wanted a companion that would sit on my shoulder and love being around me, but he doesn't like to sit still and he doesn't even really like being handled. While I still love the little guy, if I'd known my love would never be returned, I honestly would've never gotten him. I love him to death though, and I know his time is coming. I'm hoping this time I can properly prepare and have a bird that is affectionate and attached to me.

 

[Familyof12]

Something I always forget to tell people also is they come from warm climates and can't handle cold weather. They will need to be kept warm all winter and in the evenings in the summer if it gets cold. I don't allow the temperature in the birds' room to drop below 75 or above 85 with a humidity of at least 25-40%. Any change in temperature or being cold can cause them to get really sick.

They should spend outdoor time in the direct sun with some wind, preferably every day. Mine sit outside for 2 hours a day. Hubby and I just purchased an outdoor heating lamp (huge large one) to have above the babies in the winter so they can still get sunshine but with heat coming down quite nicely on them and us so we can hang out together.

 

[Epsilon]

Something I always forget to tell people also is they come from warm climates and can't handle cold weather. They will need to be kept warm all winter and in the evenings in the summer if it gets cold. I don't allow the temperature in the birds' room to drop below 75 or above 85 with a humidity of at least 25-40%. Any change in temperature or being cold can cause them to get really sick.

It's a good thing I live in Florida! It never gets too cold here, and I have heating lamps and pads to use during the winter. I also have a screened patio, I can't exactly let them completely outside without some intense supervision, there are a lot of hawks where I live so they'd stay where it's safe.

 

[Familyof12]

LOL. More than excellent! We have hawks here too. Mine are never outside unless supervised Tito gets overly excited and frustrated and if you don't go in the direction of his curiosity but will always fly back to our shoulder. We also have chickens that give the "warning" call if there are any dangers around and one is always the watcher. The dogs also run the perimeter of the house and are excellent at any dangers. We are a pack/flock/gills family and we work great. Then again...we're older too.

 

[Epsilon]

We also have chickens that give the "warning" call if there are any dangers around and one is always the watcher. The dogs also run the perimeter of the house and are excellent at any dangers.

As far as alarms go the squirrels bolt whenever they hear the hawk. And my dog barks at anything that moves outside the house. My dog seems to get along with smaller animals. My brother has ferrets, and thank goodness he's moved out because ferrets are extremely dangerous for birds. She's a West Highland Terrier and about five years old! It seems like she really enjoys the company of other animals, but I plan to keep an extremely close eye even if she is trustworthy.

 

[taxidermynerd]

@taxidermynerd It's what I came to realize from what @JLcribber said. I love big birds but there's no way I can handle one, my future is too unpredictable right now. I have a Gecko currently but he's pretty old, about ten years old. Of course I shouldn't compare him to a bird, but it's still a very long commitment. And I'll admit, it was an impulse buy, I had no idea what I was getting into. I wanted a companion that would sit on my shoulder and love being around me, but he doesn't like to sit still and he doesn't even really like being handled. While I still love the little guy, if I'd known my love would never be returned, I honestly would've never gotten him. I love him to death though, and I know his time is coming. I'm hoping this time I can properly prepare and have a bird that is affectionate and attached to me.

I had a similar thing with hermit crabs, the first pet I kept on my own (not including family dog). Basically, a pet store near me (which has improved vastly since this story happened) was having a "seminar" on hermit crabs where you got one for "Free" (not including all the stuff you'll need to buy) in a little critter carrier. Over the course of a year I had 6 hermies, and I still have one of their shells. I got the first 2 from said store, 1 from Petco that died almost immediately (I don't buy live from Petco now, nor will i) and the other 3 from a small local store that's been around from when my dad was a little kid, where he got his Oscars 30-ish years ago. Only after the last one died did I actually start looking at forums and stuff and I basically screwed up big time. I still feel really guilty that I had these critters and didn't know how to care for them. If I had known how much care they need and how to actually have them live longer than a couple months, I wouldn't do it.

 

[Epsilon]

(I don't buy live from Petco now, nor will i)

My brother got a baby geck from PetSmart and decided to dump it on me after he didn't want it anymore, it died pretty quickly, I already had my current gecko at the time which I got from a family run pet store. They take in animals that have been relinquished by their owners, when I got Icarus he was about two years old. I'm never going to PetSmart or Petco to purchase a live animal, they usually aren't very healthy.