considering getting a bird

[lizzie-82]

We are in the very beginning stages of looking to add a pet bird! We want to get all the facts and get a little help to decide which bird fits us best.

Now, I dont know much, that's why I am here before actually buying a bird! Please excuse any dumb questions!

We want a bird that will interact with us, bright colors, the ability to talk, not tiny but not huge... A long life expectancy is good! We are in it for the long haul. My sister had a bird that would scream and screech so loud my heart would almost stop.... I'd like to avoid that! I understand the bird isn't going to exactly be quiet and we know they need a LOT of interaction that we are prepared to give.

We were interested in the sun conure and the Quaker parrot, which is legal in our state of Neb.. I know I will have some more questions about housing, food, and other specifics later! I hope you all will be able to help. We definitely want to do it right. We are also interested in maybe adopting a bird in a rescue if anyone has any suggestions. Our new bird will join a house with a lazy cocker spaniel, a sweet Japanese Chin, a stunning panther chameleon, and the meanest veiled chameleon pretty much ever!

Thanks!

[Lady]

Hi Lizzie,
:pp_welcome:There is a lot to think about when considering having a bird join your family. Here is a recent link to another thread about some of the things brought up to another new member:
[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

There are other great threads as well. I hope you take the time to read some of the information posted and then ask more questions.

[spiritbird]

Welcome to the forum. How did you find us? Lizzie you are wise to seek knowledge prior to a bird. Many people do not and the bird stands a good chance of being re-homed. For beginners one of the better books to read is Parrots for Dummies. The author writes about basic knowledge. Some of my suggestions are:

If you are the vacation type of person suggest you find a bird care giver. Birds do not do well with strangers and just one or two visits a day.

Seek out and find an avian vet in your area. Sometimes they can refer you to good breeders.

If you have other pets you will need to find a way to keep them separate from each other for safety.

If anyone in your home is a smoker that person should smoke outdoors as cigarette smoke and nicotine on hands that touch the bird is toxic.

You will need to bird proof your home for safety. Some examples are remove non-stick cookware, candles, sprays, plug ins, and more. [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

Realize there are a great deal of expenses going along with keeping a bird happy and healthy. (toys, vet care, cage, food, filtration, lighting, cleaning supplies, a good vacuum cleaner)

Plan on waking up early in the morning as this is a birds most energetic time of the day. They are hungry and want to exercise.

Study their nutritional needs. Birds can very easily become vitamin deficient. Have natural or full spectrum lighting available.

Learn the better quality foods and where to get them. You will not find them at a pet store.

Realize that a happy, healthy bird will also not be found in a pet store so get to know breeders that have the bird of your choice.
Or consider a bird rescue and give a needy bird a home and second chance.

The two species of birds you mention are known for being very loud. Do some more research on the species of birds. There are so many. Sun conures are very pretty but also very noisy, as are Quakers. [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]
Of course any bird can do bird calls or as we humans call it make noise. Some species that are on the quiet side can be budgies, senegal, meyers, cockatiel and parrotlets. If you want a larger bird the African Grey is not known to be too noisy. The Amazons usually learn to talk as good as greys.

Some bird species give off a feather powder that can give allergy prone people problems such as cockatiels and cockatoos and greys. You may want to invest in a good air filtration system such as Rabbit Air.

Please come back to us with more of your questions and concerns. Thanks

[spiritbird]

Birds are not domesticated pets like a dog or cat. If you buy a tame, handfed bird, you can be assured that a lot of time and effort went into shaping his little personality. To maintain the fruits of all that labor, you have to be able to handle and interact with your bird every day. Aside from that, daily cage cleaning also takes up more time than many are willing to spare. You should be absolutely sure that you are able to devote enough time to maintaining a bird before buying one. I am not trying to talk you out of a pet bird rather trying to paint a picture of the realities of bird ownership. Now I feel comfortable in saying birds are a lot of fun and love if you nurture and love them back. :magic:

[Rachaelslp]

If you're interested in hearing the noise that a parrot makes, check out you tube videos!! It can really give you an idea of what you might be able to tolerate, and not.
And don't discount a smaller bird like a cockatiel...they are wonderful!!

[spiritbird]

Does the writer have any response to our input?

[jtbirds]

Hi and welcome to these wonderful forums! everyones advice on here so far has been amazing we look forward to hearing back from you.

[BluTweet]

Howcome its just the mods responding?

Btw watch videos about this, and think about these things:

-What type of bird are you going to get?

-How many birds are you going to get?

-If you get 1 bird, who will play with it every day and do you have the time for it?

-Whats your personality? are you the shy type? or the social friendly type?

-Will you have the money to buy food/water, new toys , trips to the vet?

-Will you be home all day and spend a lot of time with the bird, or are you busy a lot?

If you can do most of these things, you are on the right track to getting a bird!

[kendrafitz]

BluTweet - I didn't respond bc my only experience is with a GW, so I have nothing useful to add.

[tropics1989]

Welcome! Very smart of you to seek advice. In the beginning a sun conure and Quaker were my beginning choices to! :) I ended up with a sun named Louie. I'm excited to hear what you choose and read your posts