I've wanted a bird for years, but being an apartment dweller, it was never an option. Earlier this year I bought my first house (yeah me!) and it finally occured to me that I could have a parrot. I started my search at cockatiels, but I'm not really crazy about them. Forgive me tiel people, but I just don't find them attractive, and I really wanted a PARROT parrot. I looked into a Grey next, but it just wouldn't fit into my noisy, fun, but semi-chaotic life. Neither would a Ekkie, though I think they're just beautiful. I looked into budgies, but there's that PARROT thing again, and while they're pretty to look at, well...no. I had never considered a macaw because of their size, but when I found out about RFMs, I was in love at first sight. They are everything I'm looking for, and more. I went about gathering as much information on them as I could, and was told time after time "shouldn't you start with something a little smaller/easier like a cockatiel/budgie?" A starter bird? As in, learn about birds and their care then move on to something better, something you really want? Why not just learn as much as I can from boards like this and local bird folks, and get what I really want to begin with? I don't believe that a living thing should ever be cought based on size or ease of care. When a person buys their first bird, it should be chosen because of it's personality and how well it fit into the life of it's new parront. When a "starter" budgie or tiel is rehomed to make room for someone's dream bird, it was never in the right home to begin with.
When my RFM arrives, I'll be ready, because it's the right bird for me, and I took the time to learn as much as I could about it's needs. No starter needed. (Of course, since I first decided on a RFM I fell in love with a little imp called a Pacific Parrotlet, and it looks like - just by chance - he'll be my "starter" bird. Oh well
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- Victoria