The "Starter" bird?

[KelnKritters]

I can see both sides here but I also wanted to add something. If sugesting some get a Budgie or a Tiel for a first bird it would be wise to find a breeder not a pet store to buy them from. My Tiels are handfed so they make good pets. I also have budgies that I got from the lady I used to work with that were parent raised and mean as badgers. Then I got my first English budgies from a man who shows his and handraises them I can hold them and rarely do they bite. Petstores often buy the smaller birds from parent raised stock. When they are in the store you rarely even know how lod they are.This spring I am setting up some breeding budgies so that I can handfeed them to make them sweet pets too. Shopping around for a bird is a really good idea. JMO,Kelly

[greyburd]

Good points Kelly, but not all pet stores sell only parent raised birds. The pet store that I frequent does sell hand fed 'tiels. The parakeets, I wouldn't touch. But the 'tiels are sweet.

[Melika]

Another side of the coin is some people only want one bird. As we know, once you pop, you just can't stop. But some people do. Personally if I had gotten a parrot as my first bird, I would probably still only have one bird.

I do love my budgies and my biting, half tamed 'tiel (I am his second home. He came with four years of hand fright). But looking back I know the kind of relationship I really wanted was from a parrot. Small birds do have their attributes but it isn't really what I was looking for. But I owe it to them to love them until they grow old and die.

I agree that the ideal first bird is the one you love and have done extensive research for. And you have honestly evaluated your life to see if you can really care for such a creature.

When I look at bird rescue organizations I often see 'toos and macaws but most often I see 'tiels. They may be smaller and cheaper but they should not be more expendable. Perhaps these owners were regaled with stories of 'tiel fans and how their 'tiel is so loving and quiet and never bites. But then they get a 'tiel and end up with a screaming, biting bird. Most people get "starter" birds to learn about caring for parrots, instead of getting books first. So these problems could be owner caused. So is making a 'tiel crazy as bad as making a macaw loony? I would have to say yes. It is still a bird and has emotions.

People should do just as much research before getting a 'tiel as they would when considering a larger parrot. Then they might just decide birds aren't their style and avoid creating another homeless pet. Or find they want a ringneck or pionus instead. The little guys deserve that much consideration too.

[Skyebirdsmom]

I LOVE it Mike :icon_smil I have always adored the little guys, and with Skye, goodness knows ....all 28gms of him is pretty tiny! LOL Tiels are one of my favs too along with Budgies. My son is getting ready to move to Wyoming and is bringing me his 2 baby girl budgies....I can't wait. I'm sure Skye is going to love having 2 little sisters to boss around, LOL. And oh boy can he BOSS!! Ha, ha.
Good article Mike, as always.
Linda & HRC~

[Myst]

For a child I still recommend the smaller birds - Think about this - We were given a 15 year old military Macaw (Sinbad)- she chose my 10 year old son. His friends made comments about him and the future - His reply is that whatever he does or where ever he goes down the road Sinbad will be with him. He knows that she might outlive him and is prepared for this. How many kids do know that are that committed to a bird? The life time of a large parrot can easily be 60 to 100 years. How many kids will accept this and not expect their parrents to take over the bird so they can go to college, and work and get married and all that? The general rule is the smaller bird the shorter the life, the larger the bird the longer the life.

For an adult the larger parrrots might be good first bird. The person who thinks ANY bird is a throwaway will never be a good bird owner.

[Skyebirdsmom]

Originally Posted by Tiki

Beautifully put Graeh! "Little People in Feather Suits" I LOVE IT! That is how I feel too.

Over here, our native cockatiels and budgies are often considered "throw-away" or "starter" birds. It is cheaper to get a new one than take the one you have to the vet for example. My tiels are all individuals with their own personalities and I love them all to pieces!

I hate when people buy birds for their kids unless the parent is committed to caring for the bird....most birds that end up getting pushed aside beling ot kids who have grown up and lost interest. I would like to see higher prices on these little guys just so people would value them more and be more motiviated to take care of them.

I agree about the higher prices for the budgies and tiels. my sweetest bird ever was a precious tiel hen. She was mama's girl and was never as happy as when she was on me. After dinner I'd always lay down to watch the news and more often than not, before long, here would come her fat little self waddling in to find her mama. Somehow she'd find out how to climb up on my bed and waddle up to my pillow and snuggle up to my cheek and we'd both watch the news. Those were some of the happiest days of my life with her! I had to rehome her due to health issues, but she's got a GREAT mama now and that's wonderful. But I wouldn't have taken a million bucks for her.
Linda & Skye~

[KatyKat314]

You know...this isn't always the case but i was thinking abou this the other day. in dogs, you see a lot of nasty, bitey/yappy little dogs that are like to tear the skin off your ankles! Whereas a dog as gargantuan as a bull mastiff, rotties, great danes and the like can be the most affable, goofy sweethearts around. Size is intimidating and obviosuly a lot of animals feel they need to make up for their lack of it! i see this similarity in birds! Ferocious bidgies and macaws that can be cradled like babues. This is not always the case, just a slight commonality that i have observed. Kind of funny when you think about it.

People think a smaller bird will be more "lovable" or managable because of their size and in some ways that is true considering mess and living space but I also know of MANY small birds that would tear off your finger wheras few of their larger counterparts would do the same.

It's in the raising and its in the bird. Maybe big birds are more often purchased by those who know what their doing (which is true I think) and all these inexperienced people are buying the "throw-aways" as their starters. it's a twisted system because I totally agree NO creature is a throw away.

Anyways, just speculating. Cheers everyone, I am heading off to class!

[Ringneckmom]

Definitely true that no bird is a throw away.
I agree to both points about getting a smaller first bird and also about the one you want.

But what I see is that most people don't really know what they want when they get their first bird. It is after their first bird that they realize they may or may not want a larger bird or even that they are not a bird person.
For those that have never had a bird - a smaller bird like the Tiels are more forgiving of our mistakes and most larger birds are not. I also think that size has nothing to do with how sweet they are as I have had many sweet keets and still have many sweet Tiels. It is in how they are raised and maybe also in the genetics from the parents.

I started with a parakeet and graduated up to a Tiel and then to a Ringneck and even larger birds. I have since fallen back in love again with the Tiels. My heart belongs to my Tiels and Ringnecks period. But I would not have known what the perfect bird for me was if I had not had the chance to experience the personalities of so many different birds. Not everyone is as lucky to do that without owning them first.

I think if people would research and research before they bought a bird and know the commitment then it might be easier to have your "perfect" first bird. But sometimes even that does not work until you are actually living with this bird.
I have seen bird owners that get a bird knowing the commitment and personality etc and discovered that was not the bird for them.
It is hard sometimes to do this and not all the time will people have the commitment to stick with it like so many others have.

I think it boils down sometimes to trial and error.

Regardless. all life is precious whether it is tiny or large.

[PEANUT]

Graeh you always write the most beautiful things. I just do not beleive any living thing is a throw away thing. If it is living it is worth something, maybe not to every one but to someone.

[kathleen]

Originally Posted by Glenn

so I found out what birds were available at the pet store I shop at & then listed out for him all the pros & cons of each... I included size, general personality, speach abilities, personality, general noise levels, dietary needs... the list included cockatiel, lovebird, quaker, indian ringneck, conure (sun & nanday), lorikeets & regent parrot...

If it's not too much trouble I would love to see the list of pros and cons that you created. I bet it would be extremely helpful for the newbies researching which bird would be best for them. That's what I came to this forum for, to find out which would be best for me as a first time parront.