[hotrodhc]

Hi everyone. I'm sure threads like this have popped up many times...time for mine :)

I am a stay at home mom with a 1 yr old son and a 6 yr old daughter with Down Syndrome. My husband is an over the road truck driver, so he's not home very often. We are home bodies, but we do take the occasional 1-3 day trip to Grandma's house.

I just got the OK from my landlord to get a bird or two...now what kind of bird, where to get it, and how many?? We don't have an entire room to dedicate to the birds, but we have a large, open living room/dining room/kitchen area where we hang out the most. I'm not too concerned with the level of noise they make. We don't have any light sleepers that might be bothered, but we don't really want LOUD constant noise. I have a lot of time here at home to spend with a bird or two, we would love the companionship.

My first thought was a parakeet(budgie) because they are relatively cheap to purchase. I've done tons of reading over the past few weeks and have talked to people at pet stores. We are kind of stuck on the "should we get one or two" question.

Recently someone suggested a cockatiel...Now, I didn't consider them before because out of a pet store they are rather pricey. But, I just found a pair for sale in my local paper for a decent price, cage included. I haven't done much reading on them, so any info you have would be greatly appreciated!

I was wondering if anyone had any opinions or advice? We had a parakeet when I was a kid, but I don't remember much of it. We are looking for something that will be a good companion for me and my family. A bird that will get to know my kids, but probably won't be handled by them until they are older.

In your opinion...
Which one is more social with their human family?
Is there much difference in care and maintenance?

Thanks so much!!