easiest vs hardest bird?

[dandruff]

In your opinions, how would you rank your birds from easiest/friendliest to hardest? I'm looking to adopt a new bird friend but I'm not sure which ones i should look into, and which ones i shouldn't even consider. I'm not too experienced, I've only ever owned budgies.

 

[Mizzely]

It's all relative. Some people mesh best with big birds like macaws, while others do best with smaller birds like cockatiels. Better questions would be:

What is your noise tolerance?
Do you own your own home?
Where would the bird be in your home? How big of a cage can you comfortably fit?
What is your budget for the bird? The cage? Monthly for toys and food? Vet?

 

[Gigibirds]

Out of the birds that I have the most experience with, I would rank them (from easiest to care for - hardest to care for) Budgies, Lovebirds, Parrotlets.
My budgies have always been very low-maintenance and sweet, they never bit, and they were not too loud or messy. Very lovely birds!
My lovebirds are considerable louder than any of my budgies have been, and I have had 2 that were intent on emptying out all of the food from the food dishes, so that they could eat off the floor....so they were VERY messy! All of my tame ones are/have been cuddlier than the budgies, but would occasionally bite (not in a mean way, just when they were trying to step up or something and used too much pressure, but it hurts!), and my un-tame ones are not interested in people at all. However, my lovebirds all live in aviaries, so they are very entertaining to watch, and they have been more fun than my budgies.
Parrotlets are the hardest. My current parrotlet, Pistache, is absolutely wonderful, but very picky. She has an enormous attitude, if she is molting/offended/upset/in a bad mood she will bite (many times it is hard enough to draw blood), she gets very angry at certain colours/noises, she prefers women to men, she only likes people with long hair, etc. But on the other hand, when she is in a good mood she is the sweetest, most loving, best bird I have ever had! I love her to bits And her actual care is quite simple: she's not too messy, not too loud, etc. It's just that parrotlets are so opinionated and fussy, so I had to rank them as hardest.

But really there is no 'hardest' or 'easiest' bird. All birds are different in their personalities, and every individual bird requires a different amount of care. And there are other factors, too. Like my lovebirds are (usually) pretty low maintenance, but their constant chirping would probably get to be annoying at times if I kept them inside. @Mizzely asked some great questions - if you could answer those we might be able to help you a bit better. Best of luck to you finding a new birdie friend!

 

[flyzipper]

As the others have said, easy and hard should be assessed on multiple dimensions, which combine to make a specific bird harder or easier.

• getting any bird to eat a healthy diet takes effort, but some are easier, and others with specific dietary needs are more difficult.
• a bird's history will make them easy or hard, on that relative metric.
• a bird's age can influence whether they oscillate between easy and hard. A young hormonal bird may be a 2 on the easy scale one day, and an 8 the next, while a mature bird may be a steady 4.
• how interactive the species is. They're both small birds, but a finch would be hands-off, while a green cheek conure likes to be really engaged.
• how intrepid a bird is. Budgies might take more work in order to be comfortable, while a green cheek conure is quite intrepid naturally.
• your confidence/comfort (bravery?) will be a factor as well. I have a friend who is great with small birds, but simply won't go near larger birds, so even an "easy" macaw would be difficult for him (at least initially).

I own a small, medium and large bird, and I'd say their care is 80% similar (the primary difference being the amount of cleaning and space required). That said, they all come from fairly "good" backgrounds, and are all members of the Psittacidae family, so that helps equalize things as well.

You owned budgies... what did you like and dislike about them?

That might help steer you in a specific direction.

 

[The_Mayor]

Agreeing with what others have said.

I find my birds super easy - they eat stuff that's good for them and (mostly) don't eat stuff that isn't. Their aviary isn't usually a mess and it's very easy to clean. They're cheerfully vocal, but not loud. They've never bitten me, and I know if they ever did, I would unquestionably deserve it. They don't take baths, but they smell okay, so, eh.

But, if you want a bird that interacts with you, or even reliably steps up, that'd involve hours and months (maybe years) of work. And, the first time you went away for a weekend, even if you had a pet sitter staying with them, you'd probably find yourself back if not on the lowest rung, certainly a long way down the ladder of progress.

They're easy for me, because who they are meshes with what I want in a bird. But if you wanted a bird that would learn new words and ride on your shoulder, they would be an exercise in frustration.

 

[dandruff]

It's all relative. Some people mesh best with big birds like macaws, while others do best with smaller birds like cockatiels. Better questions would be:

What is your noise tolerance?
Do you own your own home?
Where would the bird be in your home? How big of a cage can you comfortably fit?
What is your budget for the bird? The cage? Monthly for toys and food? Vet?

my noise tolerance is very good, i could probably handle anything up until a macaw's level. I do not own my own home, so the bird would be in my room with me. I can fit any size of cage, i have a place set aside that would be able to fit a macaw cage (I dont want a macaw). I'm not the one who would be paying for the food, so once i get a job ill have around 500 a month for toys. (right now I'd just make my own), and up to 300 probably for vet visits. I am comfortable handling a large bird like macaw, but I dont have enough experience or time for a macaw/any bird with macaw-like needs.

 

[dandruff]

Out of the birds that I have the most experience with, I would rank them (from easiest to care for - hardest to care for) Budgies, Lovebirds, Parrotlets.
My budgies have always been very low-maintenance and sweet, they never bit, and they were not too loud or messy. Very lovely birds!
My lovebirds are considerable louder than any of my budgies have been, and I have had 2 that were intent on emptying out all of the food from the food dishes, so that they could eat off the floor....so they were VERY messy! All of my tame ones are/have been cuddlier than the budgies, but would occasionally bite (not in a mean way, just when they were trying to step up or something and used too much pressure, but it hurts!), and my un-tame ones are not interested in people at all. However, my lovebirds all live in aviaries, so they are very entertaining to watch, and they have been more fun than my budgies.
Parrotlets are the hardest. My current parrotlet, Pistache, is absolutely wonderful, but very picky. She has an enormous attitude, if she is molting/offended/upset/in a bad mood she will bite (many times it is hard enough to draw blood), she gets very angry at certain colours/noises, she prefers women to men, she only likes people with long hair, etc. But on the other hand, when she is in a good mood she is the sweetest, most loving, best bird I have ever had! I love her to bits And her actual care is quite simple: she's not too messy, not too loud, etc. It's just that parrotlets are so opinionated and fussy, so I had to rank them as hardest.

But really there is no 'hardest' or 'easiest' bird. All birds are different in their personalities, and every individual bird requires a different amount of care. And there are other factors, too. Like my lovebirds are (usually) pretty low maintenance, but their constant chirping would probably get to be annoying at times if I kept them inside. @Mizzely asked some great questions - if you could answer those we might be able to help you a bit better. Best of luck to you finding a new birdie friend!

thanks for the reply! I just answered the questions asked, if you would like to check them out.

 

[sunnysmom]

Keep in mind too that each bird is an individual. I am bird sitting a lovebird right now. He is super easy. I fostered a lovebird previously. He wasn't as easy. All my cockatiels have been easy birds. Not that loud. Not that demanding. My goffin isn't what I would call easy but he's a good boy. I think it's more what species speaks to you. Some people are drawn to conures. Others to cockatiels, etc.

 

[Ripshod]

My experience:
Easiest bird - Budgie.
Hardest bird - Budgie.
Every bird is different not only by species.

 

[dandruff]

In your opinions, how would you rank your birds from easiest/friendliest to hardest? I'm looking to adopt a new bird friend but I'm not sure which ones i should look into, and which ones i shouldn't even consider. I'm not too experienced, I've only ever owned budgies.

By the way, when i say "easy" I mean bonds easier to humans (ik that it depends on the bird, i mean more of how budgies take less time to tame then ring-necks or macaws), I'm willing to spend hours caring for a bird & I'll always do anything to make their life better

 

[Chomskypom]

If you don’t own the home, then unfortunately it isn’t your noise tolerance that matters, but that of the most sensitive person in the house.
Also, since birds have a lot of environmental needs, everybody in the home needs to be on board with safety stuff like no candles, smoking, or teflon pans, being careful about open doors and windows, etc.
I had parakeets when I was subletting a bedroom of a bigger place, and it went okay, but I probably wouldn’t do it again.

I apologize if you’ve already thought about this stuff, I just wanted to mention it as another factor besides bird difficulty. The humans can be difficult, too

 

[tka]

Before you assume anything about cage sizes, have a look at this: Wingspan Info | Natural Inspirations Parrot cages

A decent sized cage for even a medium bird (African Grey, Amazons) is a good 48x36 inches. They need much larger enclosures than most people realise!

 

[flyzipper]

I'm still curious about your experience with budgies. What do you like or dislike about them? What are you hoping to add, change, learn, etc with a new bird? What are your expectations with respect to the new bird's ability to interact with your budgie. Does your budgie live in your room as well?
In multi-bird households, the needs of our existing flock members can be more important than our own.

 

[Lady Jane]

What are your expectations and hopes for having a bird in your life? This may help you out to sit down and think about it and make a list for yourself.

 

[Mizzely]

I don't think a budgie is easier to bond to people than a macaw.

My friend had a mini macaw for a couple years that never bonded to her; she bonded with me in 3 days.

I had a quaker bond to me immediately, then around puberty he hated me. Then he was friends with me again, until finally he started dive-bombing me.

I Had a green cheek that was always human friendly but independent.

I think meeting a bird that you click with is the easiest

 

[Sophia101]

So first, it’s best to know a little bit about yourself. I’ll tell you a little about myself and what has worked for me. I am a bit noise sensitive, so constant loud noises bother me a lot. I once watched a jenday who was so constantly loud that I wanted to rip my ears off. My friend also has a sun conure that bothers me. I do however have two other Conure’s (a half moon and a green cheek) that are not too loud. I also have always had enough time on my hands to work with many birds at once but that may be difficult for some. So here we go:

I have a flock of parakeets which is sometimes the only noise that I can handle since they chatter constantly. They are cute and fun to watch but none of mine are super friendly. I breed them so they just have a big flight cage and I let them do what they want.

lovebirds are great little birds although I’ve never personally had one that tamed down. I’ve met ones that are very sweet, just never had one of my own. They’re not my favorites but they are fun to watch.

Cockatiels are really fun, especially if you get a tamed one. My little man adores me and he sings to me all day although others don’t want me anywhere near them. They aren’t super loud and I’ve found they sing more than scream unless they’re flock calling. I find they eat and drink less than any of my other birds comparatively.

Small Conure’s are extremely fun to me! They have huge personalities in tiny bird bodies. I find that they aren’t nearly as loud as the larger Conure’s which I could never handle and they are super silly and willing to learn. They are honestly probably one of the best first medium birds. I will say that one of my Conures is kind of a dink and the other one is bonded to my boyfriend, so he could probably speak better about how loving they are, I’m just the beak trim lady to his bird so she is not my biggest fan. She is quite the cling on to him though

Indian Ringnecks are easily one of my favorite birds. They are smart, funny and bond very strongly with their owners. They do tend to be difficult around seven months when they hit the bluffing stage but once you’re past that, you only have to deal with hormones once a year and they aren’t nearly as bad. I have had many indian ringnecks and only one was a demon bird. My others have been absolute angels and I find them to be resilient and loving. They aren’t scared of anything, so it’s a good idea to keep their spunky selves away from anything they could get ahold of.

Alexandrine’s, so I’m currently in the middle of my first experience with an alexandrine and Quinn is easily the most noise that I could handle. She does the screech that I call honking on repeat and at times it becomes overbearing and I have to leave the room. She has some bad habits including destroying everything that comes into her path including a fan and AN ENTIRE WALL! I do love her to death, she just needs to be watched carefully and given lots of things to do. She is easily my most curious bird and anytime you are doing something fun, she wants to join in. She will fly to me whenever she sees me eating something or doing something she wants. She is cage aggressive but she is quick to step up onto a stick and come out. Sometimes I can reach in and take her out but other times she’s a grouch. I find that ringneck species are not big on being pet, none of my ringnecks have been big on that and so I tend to do other extracurricular activities with them, they love to be trained!

And most recently, I’ve gotten an Amazon! I got a DYH named Harley who is extremely sweet and smart. This is my first experience with an Amazon, I’ve dealt with macaws, cockatoos, hawks and eagles between different jobs, but I’ve never been around an Amazon. On short notice, I did as much research as I could and from the first few weeks of owning Harley, I can tell you this: they are probably one of the best first time large birds. If anyone is looking for a Segway into a large bird, I think this may be one of the best. I was never interested in Amazon’s because they didn’t seem my type, independent, grumpy. Harley bonded to me instantly and isn’t a huge fan of most other people, but he does tolerate others holding him on a stick or anyone giving him treats. He is not as independent as I thought he’d be from my research, and I’d say it’s more like a toddler is independent than anything. He will go play with a toy in the corner by himself but if you leave the room, he’ll yell hello until you come back. He will play by himself but he knows what he wants and how to get it. When Harley wants to go somewhere he will walk back and forth on his perch and flap his wings a little until I pick him up. He is extremely easy to read. He makes it VERY obvious how he is feeling and what he wants. He will put his head down for pets and pick his feet up for transport around the house. He will also pin his eyes, fan his tailfeathers, and fluff up his feather whenever someone that isn’t me looks on his direction. I find that he is a good bird to have around when I am busy doing things. I hate cleaning the house with the cockatiels, alexandrine of Conures out. They fly to you constantly and always want to get into your things. This is a pain when all you want is to get something done. I am not saying that this will be everyone’s experience, but mine so far has been amazing.

I would like to mention that if you are noise sensitive like me, do your best to train your birds to use desirable sounds! Almost all of my birds know how to talk and it has been a life saver! Instead of screeching for my attention, they know if they say hello, it will get my attention better. Obviously, not all parrots will talk, but if your bird does make any sort of small noise that you prefer to screaming, reward that. My cockatiel, Moe, sings for attention or just runs back and forth on his perch to be taken out. My half moon Conures, Mango, says hi Mango or who’s a good boy. My alexandrine, Quinn, says Hey Q, whatcha doin and some other things. And Harley says Hello and Hi mostly, but since coming here, I’ve encouraged him to speak more and he’s really come out of his shell. He says his name, Erik (my boyfriends name), alright, and some others.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

As someone else said, it’s really about the species that matches up best with your own parameters/capabilities. We have 8 peach-faced lovebirds. I adore them and find them to be a very good match for me, but I’ve heard more than a few people sound intimidated or challenged by them. Nothing about them is a problem for me and I have complete control over my home environment, so it works quite well. We will always have lovebirds.

I hope you’re able to find the right species for your household!

 

[Legend88]

Well technically budgies and cockatiels canaries are amongst the easiest birds to care for , However just like the whole topic about beginner birds , you really shouldnt go by what the easiest bird is to take care of or what the best quote on quote beginner bird is , Get the bird that you want and just do you're research, read about them watch videos on YouTube about them etc etc get what you need for said bird proper cage toys and food etc and from their continue to do as much research as possible before and after you get the parrot that you want and learn more things as you go day by day..

 

[KiwiPo]

I noticed that you mentioned that you could fit a large cage in your room...however, it really is not recommended to seclude your bird from the rest of your family. Birds like stimulation and some background noise

 

[Mizzely]

I noticed that you mentioned that you could fit a large cage in your room...however, it really is not recommended to seclude your bird from the rest of your family. Birds like stimulation and some background noise

It's also not good for our long term respiratory health to sleep in the same room as our birds