• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

My Next Bird...

Fawnia

Meeting neighbors
Joined
12/1/18
Messages
22
Greetings, I am new to this fourm and I have many question ^^

Sadly, my pet cockatiel just passed for unknown reasons last month. I fed him right, gave him love everyday, just one day.. how sad.

Anyways, I am looking into getting a new bird that is not a cockatiel. So I need help making a decision!!

I am out of the house for 8 hours a day typically, so I think it is best for me to get a pair of birds rather than a singular bird this time around. What do you guys think?


I have my eyes on lovebirds at the moment, and I have a few questions about them. Someone has a male/female pair up for adoption near me, but I am scared if I adopt those, will they have babies? Is there a way to prevent it?

If you guys have any more info on lovebirds for a busy person like me that would be great!

----------------

Other than lovebirds, do you guys have any other suggestion for the next bird I should get?
For me,
money, space, noise, mess are all not a problem. Just time. Because I am out for 8 hours..

I hope you guys can help me!

Sorry my first post is so disorganized haha. I will hopefully get better in the future.

I cannot wait to make a new feathered friend.
 

sunnysmom

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/16/13
Messages
28,800
Location
Pennsylvania
Real Name
Michelle
Welcome to the forum. Sorry about your cockatiel. I will tag some lovebird owners.

@metalstitcher @Ankou
 

LSA

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
4/20/18
Messages
4,319
Location
Parrotian Castle
Real Name
Leslie
:welcomeflag:

:sorrow: about your cockatiel.

@greys4u is so right. Also, try visiting a sanctuary to get an idea about birds to consider.

A lady I know boards dogs and has a pair of Fischers. They LOVE each other! An employee said she had a single and it clung to her. My experience was the same.

I'm a big time conure fan and think everyone that can deal with the noise should have them. They're quite adaptable. My GCC is a sweetheart, but my Sunday is LOUD and MESSY. Together they're a great pair. @Coldbreeze works full-time away from home and @d_msparkles have GCCs <1yr!

 
Last edited:

expressmailtome

Ripping up the road
Administrator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/15/10
Messages
49,992
Real Name
Matthew
Welcome! I am sorry for your loss.
 

Coldbreeze

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
9/22/18
Messages
1,168
Location
New York
Real Name
Alana
Thanks for that tag!! I love talking bout Zazu!

Yes I work 8 hours and Zazu (Green cheek conure bout 5 months old) does just fine. She stays in her big cage with her toys and stays quiet only really chirps if one of my parents leave and then comes back she will start screaming thinking it's me and my parents have to literally go show themselves to her otherwise she wont stop.


I am lucky and I dont work too far from home so I will sometimes come home for lunch and have Zazu go berserk on the kitchen table and give her breakfast. Then go back to work. I work 7am-3pm and at 3pm til 10pm Zazu is out of her cage.

I dont know much about lovebirds, Zazu is the only parrot in the home and does just fine by herself I haven't thought of getting her a friend like at all. Mainly because I'm still getting use to taking care of a bird and I want to cherish my time with my bird. Plus I know if I get a second bird it will be double the work.

Not all birds will get along. I also feel like even IF the birds get along they should still have their own cage. A space just for them. Their "safe space". I guess I'm anti forcing two birds to share a big cage. I feel it could cause problems down the line. But again. just my own thoughts about that matter

Green Cheek Conures are amazingly cuddly. Just before Zazu literally fell asleep on my chin. Beak was right under my nose as I watched my hockey game. Funny thing with her is if I leave she contact calls. If I dont whistle back she continues calling me. If I go talk with my parents and DONT bring Zazu with me? Yep. Contact call. I have to ignore it or whistle back to let her know I'm still around. She will also fly down to the floor and go on a birdy mission to find me. As cute as that is. I dont want her doing that because my parents may not know she is on the ground (they also arent mentally trained to look down as they walk to make sure a little bird hasnt decided to go exploring) so it's actually unsafe for Zazu.

She loves to play and snuggle under blankets. She loves staring at herself in the mirror. Loves to eat her veggies and fruits which is something new and something I'm very proud of (she use to not touch veggies!)

Anyway.. I love GCCs

<end educational post>
 

Coldbreeze

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
9/22/18
Messages
1,168
Location
New York
Real Name
Alana
Also as for preventing mating? I'm really unsure but I would assume come mating season to remove them away from eachother? Just a guess here.
 

Begone

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Avenue Spotlight Award
Shutterbugs' Best
Joined
11/29/12
Messages
15,651
Other than lovebirds, do you guys have any other suggestion for the next bird I should get?
Have you consider a pair of Kākāriki? (Redcrowned parakeet)
 

iamwhoiam

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/16/12
Messages
28,269
Location
the zoo
Welcome to AA. So sorry about your 'tiel.
 

Fawnia

Meeting neighbors
Joined
12/1/18
Messages
22
Thanks for all your replies guys!!! So fast hahaha. You guys are great.


I have always wanted a GCC, but I have a question. Like I said, I am away from home for about 8 hours a day. So I most likely would have to get a pair of GCC. If I were to get a pair, would they bond to each other, or could they bond to me too? Or preferably, is it ok that I am gone for that long? I could play the radio for him.

I heard the same thing about lovebirds, they get very attached to you, but you need to spend lots of time with them. And I am afraid I can't spend 4 hours a day with parrots (I WOULD LOVE TO DONT GET ME WRONG HAHA).


Tomorrow I am hopefully going to meet a pair of lovebirds and see how it goes.

I also want to spend more time with GCCs too. There is a big convention in Janurary, so I will hold off getting a bird until I get to go to that, just in case.


Once again, thanks!
 

Fawnia

Meeting neighbors
Joined
12/1/18
Messages
22
Have you consider a pair of Kākāriki? (Redcrowned parakeet)
Hey! I completely forgot about those cuties. I saw one at the bird shop once and was like, Kaka-what? hahah.

I did research on them, and they just seem a bit too skittish, more suited for an aviary. I don't know.... :-( I hope somone can give me an experience with Kakariki.


Oh, another bird I thought of was a rosy bourke. But I feel those may be too skittish too.
 

Begone

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Avenue Spotlight Award
Shutterbugs' Best
Joined
11/29/12
Messages
15,651
Kakarikis are definitive not skittish. They are very active and curios birds. Just like the Caique.
And Bourke is the opposite, very calm and sensitive parakeets.
 

Tiel Feathers

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/15/14
Messages
20,193
Location
Quincy,CA
Real Name
Deanna
I’m so sorry about the loss of your tiel.:sorrow:
 

Shezbug

ASK ME FOR PICTURES OF MY MACAW!
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/28/18
Messages
25,823
Location
Vic, Australia
Real Name
Shez
Welcome :) Sorry to hear about the loos of your bird.
 

LSA

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
4/20/18
Messages
4,319
Location
Parrotian Castle
Real Name
Leslie
I've had 2 Pyrrhuras but never 2 GCCs so can only make assumptions. Currently, I have two 2yo conures... GCC and SdC... that were raised together and have never been apart. They're totally in love with each other AND me. My Blue-capped Conure, 23 yo, is tolerated and accepted by them but they're not "in love" with her. @Erikalynnha and @BrianB have multiple conures. @Mizzely has GCC experience.




 

Monica

Cruising the avenue
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
5/18/10
Messages
11,253
Location
Hell, NV
Real Name
Monica
Sorry to hear about your tiel. :sorrow: The best way to find out the cause of death is to have a necropsy done, if there is a vet in the area capable of doing one. Sometimes though, even with the best of care, you can't prevent certain health issues.

You mentioned rosy bourkes. Personally, I'm not a fan of them, but I do love the normal bourkes! ;) (only difference is color!) With their popularity increasing, there are more and more people that are hand raising them and selling them as pet birds. Even if parent raised, I still think they make darling companions! I do not recommend clipping this species *AT ALL* (sadly, with popularity increasing, these birds are being clipped more frequently, too...) and I do recommend a large flight cage for them. They are very curious, inquisitive birds and I liken them to a cross between a cockatiel (passive, more bark than bite) and a finch (very flighty and chirpy). They are not normally as cuddly as cockatiels are (the finch part, there!) but they've got a lot of charm in a little package!


The best way to prevent breeding is to not encourage it. Of course, there will be some determined pairs, in which case you may need to separate them. Other than that, it's diet, lighting, nesting materials, nesting place... be aware of the triggers to hormonal behaviors and remove them.


Not too many people have Kakarikis. I've seen them but no experience with them. Kaka means "parrot" in Maori, so you were saying "parrot-what?". :laugh: There's the Kaka, the Kakariki (and it's relatives) and the Kakapo... then the poor oddball, the Kea. Only one I haven't seen has been the Kakapo... hmmm... I might need to fix that! :lol:Sirocco! Regardless, I've heard that kakarikis are charming companions, too! :) Feisty Feathers used to breed them, not sure if they still do.
 

Shezbug

ASK ME FOR PICTURES OF MY MACAW!
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/28/18
Messages
25,823
Location
Vic, Australia
Real Name
Shez
I met a darling little Kakariki while I was waiting for Burt to be ready to come home. I was temped to bring the sweet little girl home and I sometimes regret that I didn't bring her home, she really touched my heart. I do not know much about them but she was adorable and curious.
 

TikiMyn

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/13/16
Messages
6,723
Location
The Netherlands
Real Name
Robin
Hey there! Welcome to the avenue!:)
Lots of good advice already given, but I Will chime in.
I have three lovies, two are a bonded pair. At the moment my life is very busy and I am so very happy they have Each other! The third lovie is a special needs and blind so her situation is a little different. If I have 6 hours a day to spends with them, they are happy to interact with me, but if I have only an hour, that is fine to for them.
They do need a lot of toys, foraging opportunities, and if they are going to be caged(mine have a room), I would make sure to make the cage big enough for them to fly and properly exersise while you are away.
Mating can’t Be preventief but you can replace the eggs with fakes!:) My bonded ones are boys, both rehomes. One is 1,5-2 years old and the other 7, at the moment they are crazy hormonal and spend about 5 hours a day searching for nesting material and feeding Each other in corners.. so yeah, that lol! That means right now sometimes they don’t reallt spend time with me, they don’t play like normally either. I hope their hormones settle down soon so I get my cuddle baby Henkie and my gremlin Fea back:p
 

Ankou

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Shutterbugs' Best
Joined
7/9/11
Messages
2,663
Location
Alaska
Real Name
Sondra
I'm so sorry for your loss.
If you haven't already you might want to look into common household items that are toxic to birds. Stuff like candles, self-cleaning ovens, scented wall plugs, teflon coated anything, aerosol sprays, and most cleaners. I am not trying to assume, I don't know how much you know or anything about your home, just it's sadly common for people to not realize just how susceptible to fumes our little friends are. Birds are also pretty fragile, prone to getting into trouble, and hide their illnesses extremely well if she was sick, don't blame yourself.

Lovebirds are fantastic little friends and I totally agree with the idea of getting two birds with your work schedule. Honestly if I could do one thing differently I would have gotten two birds, it really isn't natural for them to be alone. We can try to fill that role and birds adapt but still, probably best to have them a friend if possible.

I've only ever had one lovebird and she definitely wants more attention than I could provide if I worked full time away from home. Lovebirds are very active birds, I don't know how they compare to other species but Peanut was always doing something when she was younger, or taking a short power nap/cuddle between doing things. Shredding toys like paper, seagrass, loofa, palm fronds, sola balls, and soft woods like yucca, balsa, and cork make great toys to keep them busy. Toys that make noise are beloved too, one of her favorite games is just to bang a spoon in a glass or mug for 30 minutes straight. Yay, my favorite.
A bonded pair of lovebirds will almost certainly act differently towards you but Peanut is gentile, sweet, cuddly, and playful... and also opinionated, sassy, and when she was younger, territorial. When she wants to do something she's the biggest, toughest thing in the room as far as she's concerned and absolutely expects me to respect her rules (and for the most part, I do. I've done my best to set up her space so she is able to make her own choices and I don't have to stop her.)

Unfortunately there really isn't any way to stop a bonded pair of birds from breeding but it's very easy to stop the eggs from developing. You can remove them and replace them with fake eggs (probably a good idea to have some on hand, they sell them online in all sizes) or boil them and return them. Some websites will say freeze or shake them and return them but that can fail and result in a chick with birth defects when it does. I preferred using fake eggs because Peanut would often break the boiled ones playing with them like a ball (worlds best mother.) And yes even my lone female lovebird would lay eggs twice a year from the time she was 1 until 6ish. Even with 1 female bird, any species, it might be something you have to deal with at some point if you didn't already have to with your tiel.
We can try things like not offering nesting cavities (though determined birds will just plop a nest in any old corner,) nesting materials (but a parrot with nothing to shred is a bored parrot,) and controlling the amount of daylight they get with a strict bed time (recommended is 12 hours of darkness for hormonal birds.)
 

Erikalynnha

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
3/22/17
Messages
1,078
Location
Baltimore, MD
Real Name
Erika
I LOVE gcc they are total pains in the butt but make wonderful companions if worked with. I have a full time job. Sometimes I'm stuck at work over 8hrs. My 4 do just fine without me. Only 2 share a cage but I switch up toys enough that they always have something to do and of course they get out as soon as I get home even if it's just for Hour or 2. I would also recommended black capped conures :) I adore my little girl Uchtred so much. She is cuddly, sweet and protective of me I have always thought black Capps are gorgeous with their little jester collar looking necks. Mine are bonded in groups of 2 and have to have outside playtime but will stop what they are doing to interact and hang out with me.
 
Top