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Green Cheek Conure, Lineolated Parakeet, or Parrotlet for first Bird?

Bean Birds

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Hello! This is my first time posting on a forum, so hopefully I am doing this correctly. If I have made any mistakes in posting this, please let me know!

I've been doing research on pet parrots for a while now, and have narrowed down which species I am considering getting to Green Cheek Conures, Lineolated Parakeets, and Parrotlets. I was wondering if I could hear from those of you who have experience with GCC, Linnies, and P'lets to help me make my final decision. I know that every bird is an individual, and that their species does not dictate their personality, but I would still like to hear about the general experiences surrounding these two types of parrots. I also have a few questions about each species.

1.) I've heard that Linnie poops are very messy, liquid-y, and hard to clean. How much time and effort is putting into cleaning up after their waste in comparison to GCCs and P'lets, and how hard is it to get Linnie poops out of fabrics?

2.) Do Parrotlets and Linnies enjoy physical affection (scritches on head, gentle beak rubs, etc.) as much as GCCs? I've heard that GCCs are among the 'cuddliest' of birds, and was wondering how Parrotlets and Linnies compare.

3.) Noise-level wise, how do the three species compare? I know that Parrotlets are the 'quietest' (but can still make decent noise and chatter), and that GCC can get decently loud, but I've heard conflicting accounts about Linnie's noise levels. I don't really mind noise, but I live with my family, who are a bit more sensitive to sound.

4.) I've heard that Parrotlets are very fiesty, especially around puberty, breeding season, and during molts. I was wondering if they 'calm down' after puberty and between breeding seasons and molts? Parrotlets seem like the overall most ideal bird for me, but I am apprehensive due to all the 'terrible twos' stories I have heard.

5.) Speaking of the 'terrible twos' and puberty, what are some effective ways to get through these growth periods. I've heard of slightly altering the parts of their diet and increasing the parrots bedtime by a few hours so that they get more sleep, but are there any other effective tips?

6.) I've also heard conflicting information on P'let diets. Some P'let owners say they should eat all seeds as pellets can cause liver problems for most color mutations of P'lets, while others say that seeds are too fatty and that pellets make for a much balanced diet. I would also feed feeding fresh veggies and fruits in addition to a staple seed/pellet diet, but was wondering what would be best in terms of 'staple diet' for a P'let.

7.) Is there a significant difference in personality between male and female birds for GCCs, P'lets, or Linnies. If so, what gender do you prefer for a pet?

8.) Lastly, if you have experience with multiple of the birds listed, which of these species has been your favorite to keep as pets?
 

Dewdrop

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1.) Unfortunately, I can’t speak about GCCs or parrotlets, but I have a budgie and a linnie, and my linnie’s poop is definitely a lot more substantial and varied than my budgie’s. My budgie has very consistent and small poops, but my linnie’s poop changes a lot depending on what he eats. They get a bunch of fresh veggies and sprouts which makes his poop extra watery and messy afterward. He’s also the type of bird that won’t poop overnight, during naps, or when he’s very relaxed, which means he basically builds up one larger poop during those times, whereas when he’s active he’ll poop more frequently but it will be a lot smaller. When he eats dry food his poop isn’t as watery and is a bit easier to lift off of fabrics with a tissue. Even with messier ones, putting the fabric through the wash gets it clean, but I’m not sure how people deal with it if it’s on a couch or something. There are times he has hung on the side of the cage and squirted poop out of the cage. It’s a rare occurrence, but I have had the misfortune of witnessing it haha. When I first brought him home, it was a bit off-putting, but it’s just something I got used to from living with him, and I don’t find it a big deal to clean up after him now. I’d still love to have another linnie in the future.

2.) From what I’ve read online, it’s not uncommon for linnies to be scared or shy around hands. Mine only enjoyed being held or pet for about the first month that I had him, when he was still pretty young. He now only likes my hands for stepping up or receiving food from. I follow my birds’ cues about what they do or do not want to do, so I haven’t continued trying to pet him. I have seen other people with linnies that enjoy more physical affection and some that do not. It seems there are some general patterns or inclinations within species, but ultimately, like you mentioned, it will always come down to the individual.

3.) As for the noise, in my experience (which is only a sample size of one), he is capable of being loud if he feels like it. His contact call can be very loud, and he does it when he and my budgie get too far apart from each other. They’ll chirp back and forth, sometimes very loudly. He also has an angry shriek, but he doesn’t do this often, as I’ve learned how to avoid making him angry (I don’t let him see me touch his dishes in the morning—he’s grumpy in the mornings :p). Most of the time he’s a fairly quiet bird. He has some strange squawking noises he seems to make when he’s restless/impatient to come out of the cage. He also has cute, gentle chattering and other noises he makes when he’s relaxed, excited, or trying to serenade my budgie. He generally doesn’t chatter as much throughout the day as my budgie. Sorry that I can’t compare him to the other two species you’re interested in though.
 

Shezbug

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It might help you to have a read through these threads...



 

Sparkles99

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When you're done with the good, bad & ugly threads, I'd seriously consider if there is a species you most prefer. We often see people go from species to species, accumulating ever more of them, usually larger &/ or more rare ones. Ask yourself which one you like the most & if there were no deal breakers in any of those threads, go with that one. I believe that, deep down, most people know which species they want. :)
 

BrianB

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I don't have any experience with Linnies. I hear that they are beautiful and fun pets. I love conures. The one I have as a pet is very sweet and not overly loud. She doesn't bite, but she does make this weird noise each night when the lights start to go out. It sounds like a tennis shoe squeaking on a tile floor. Parrotlets have always been a challenge for me. I think of them as miniature Amazons. They can be very difficult sometimes. We never recommend them for families with children. Their bites can be pretty painful for little ones with sensitive skin.
 

FeatheredM

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I don't have a Linnie or parrotlet but I do have a conure. I definitely was considering a parrotlet, but I decided no because I have other birds and I know parrotlets are commonly aggressive to other birds. But I'm not sure if to other parrotlets.
My conure is definitely snuggly, and the poops are manageable. They are larger, but easy to pick up off of couches and carpets. At least for me. I know others struggle with it. But my conure was raised by a breeder who is on top of socializing his birds. My conure randomly gets moody, and I expect it will get worse in the future since she is still only around 9-10 weeks old. My conure is very quiet, but she's also a female and most female birds are quieter. A pellet diet is bad if it has no vegetables. But if it has tons if veggies, than it's better than a seed diet with veggies.
 

Bean Birds

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Thank you, everyone, I really appreciate your advice! I think I will go with a Green Cheek Conure :)
 
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