lovebirds vs bourkes

[krissyg1989]

a few people on the board mentioned a bourke might be a good bird for my younger cousin. now...i have no clue where to find any and i havent been able to find any breeders.

what about lovebirds? i personally have never really been around lovebirds.

[Eliza]

The few Bourke's that I have seen have usually been in an aviary situation. They are rather peaceful and not as communicative as the average budgerigar. Some of the reading that I've done indicates that a hand-raised Bourke's parakeet makes for a fine companion and as I said in a previous thread, some folks recommend them for carefully supervised children. You may have to do a little searching for a hand-raised bird; I'd suggest birdsnways.com or hoobly.com. I will try to provide you with some links in a bit.

As for lovebirds... I'm not completely sold on the idea of them as a suitable pet for young children. A hand-fed and socialized male might make for a good companion of the child is carefully supervised when handling the bird. Lovebirds can deliver a sharp bite. In some cases they grind their beaks once they've gotten a hold of a piece of flesh. A child, particularly one as young as your cousin, may not react well to that. You may want to visit www.africanlovebirdsociety.com (they have pet specific articles) and www.lovebirdsplus.com (very similar to Bird Board, only devoted to lovebirds).

Please understand that I am a BIG fan of lovebirds (and Bourke's as well). I think that they are often misunderstood and underestimated as pets. That said, I personally do not feel that they and other small parrots are suitable as pets for most young children. That's not to say that children should not have parrots as pets... or any animal. Young children often expect to much of a pet: they want a creature to cuddle and quite frankly, most animals don't go for that. It's EXTREMELY important that every member in your cousin's household is on board with this idea and that THEY are all committed to proper handling and care.

Best of luck.

-e-

[krissyg1989]

i'll be the one careing for it. but he wants something to 'call his own'. he's never tried to cuddle my birds. he just likes to sit around with the birds on his shoulders or finger.

i had thought about getting him a parakeet but i know ours at the store bite way too much. the breeder i got my conure from has beautiful (and very hand tame/friendly) lovebirds for sale for $60. we all promised him a bird, and little kids NEVER forget. ahhh. but everyone is for the idea, his mom thinks its a great idea. i just dont know what the BEST bird for him would be.

[Eliza]

Here are some links pertaining to Bourke's:

http://www.shirleymorgan.com/bourke.html

http://members.aol.com/gouldianguy/g...y/graskeet.htm

http://www.centralpets.com/animals/b...s/prt6018.html

http://www.denelder.com/kritters/bird10.html

http://www.grassparakeet.com/bourke.htm

My lovebird is pretty active. Sometimes he'll sit on my shoulder and chill but more often than not, he's flitting back and forth across the top of the couch, running down and sitting on my lap. He's not a sit still type of bird. Too be fair, he is still young (he's approx. 18 mos.).

-e-

[Monica]

I've handled a few lovebirds as well.... and in truth, I have to agree with Eliza. They can make great pets, however they LOVE to try and go into dark places (think... clothing... for ex... not good with a small child), and tame ones can be quite cuddly... but they are noisy (high pitched squeals), bitey, and can be aggressive towards other birds... no, I don't think a lovebird is good for a young child...