The "Starter" bird?

[Graehstone]

Looking at all of my birds just now I realized that Nicky, my 3 year old Budgie, gets the least amount of attention out of my four birds. I guess part of that is also due to the fact that she is the only cage bound bird we have, our Wild Child if you will, and the most vicious of the lot as well, with a tendency to clamp down and not let go of your flesh when clipping and trimming time comes round.
There really isn’t anything you can do to the poor little thing, I mean its neck is … not even pencil thin, any fast jerk or movement to remove her would result in her death. So we just have to suck it up and be brave bird Parronts and try to ignore the EXCRUCIATING PAIN … I’m tellin’ ya ... Pit-Bull Bird. But she brings great pleasure to us as well during the day as she happily serenades the hours away and mumbles under her breath as I walk by her cage. Just the mere mention of her name will send her into paroxysms as she flings herself toward the cage bars and twitters her defiance at me, “C’mon … What’cha lookin’ at … heh.. Put ‘em up … I tell ya … Put ‘em up! So we spend our days not two feet apart from each other on a daily basis and have come to an amicable agreement of … “You don’t mess with me … I won’t mess…” you get the idea.
Well even if she does prefer Katrin over myself as she tries to fawn all over her when she comes home, hanging on the cage making little clicking noises and just loving the fact that Katrin stoops down to put her face inches from the cage and Nicky and just softly talks to her and blows softly on her chest, you can almost see the bliss in her little eyes when they are together like this. Well, we still love her to death and would not want to live without her ever again.
This actually brings me to the point I wanted to make with all of this.
I have read about what kind of bird is the best bird to start with and what bird is good for children to have and what is the best bird I can buy as a first time bird owner, and pretty much every single one of them either said Cockatiel or Budgie. Now I understand to some point why this is so, but on some level I find it … just … wrong. I realize that there are many more budgies and ‘tiels available on the market as to make them “affordable” and thus turn them into throw-away birds. The “practice” bird, you know, the one that gets forgotten to be fed, or ends up out in the garage, or just stuck someplace on a kitchen windowsill as a living decoration.
People don’t realize that these birds are very long lived and have the personalities of the Big Guys and are every bit feather for feather worth as much as the Big Guys, not only in personality but in devotion and tenacity, in love and humor as well. They are NOT throw-away birds but rather the Ambassadors of Introduction into a world filled with wonder and excitement, and as capable of stealing your heart and holding it forever as the rest of them.
That’s why, when someone asks me what the perfect “first” bird is, I tell them the truth. The bird that is the most pleasant to be around and the most cuddly and intelligent and just stunningly beautiful for its size and temperament and all-round “Great-Bird” awards is in my eyes the Hyacinth Macaw. Does it make a difference that this bird costs a minimum of $8000, 00 and up in comparison to … hmmm … let’s say … a Budgie?
Nope … it matters not one whit, who am I to put “value” on life? Should I continue to tell people that they should practice/start with a bird of lesser monetary value because their lives are of lesser value? I don’t think so.
If they are going to get a bird then they should be prepared to invite it with open arms and lots of toys, lol, they should have done their homework and should fully realize that they will be sharing their lives with it for the next 10, 20, 30 or more years, depending on the species. The actual price of the bird shouldn’t have mattered at all. I just feel that these little guys, and all of the smaller fellows for that matter, are getting the shorter end of the stick when it comes to certain things.
So the first bird doesn’t really have to be a little one now does it? If you are going to get a bird, you should be prepared, period, end of story, no discussion about it.
I see little people in feather suits when I see mine, each one a person with its own thoughts and set of emotions and dreams and hopes and everything that makes them individuals. Each one of them unique and each one dependent on me for their continued happiness and wellbeing, so it really doesn’t matter what size they are or what their cost was, they are my children and will be with me for the remainder of my days.
So I guess this is my … Protest … for the better treatment of the Little Guys … so there.

[greyburd]

As usual Graeh, well put!!!! I guess some people don't think about all that. I would have to agree with you on the HYM. Next to Greys (TAGs or CAGs), HYMs are my bird of choice. I tend to gravitate toward bigger creatures, and they tend to be more gentle, and all around more pleasant to be around. What a wonderful day it will be when I bring my baby HYM home. Hopefully, Bird Board will still be around so I can share it with you all (because I KNOW it's not happening any time soon).

Anyway, you have such a way with words. Thanks for posting.

~don

[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.

[The Outlaw]

How totally true. Frankly, my meanest birds were my budgies, too. They were so mean that my Lily used to be afraid of them. So, I gave her my Ekkie hen and they absolutely adore each other. Just this morning, Miss Lily was building a very complicated and amazingly well engineered Lego house for Mai Tai to play in. My hen can be unbelievably viscious when you forget and enter her cage without permission and unlike any OTHER bird I've seen, WILL NOT BACK DOWN. I mean, she'd literally fight to the death, I have no doubt.

This same bird AWAY from her cage is ALWAYS wonderful and always has been. I routinely take her, my BG Margarita and my little Severe Chi Chi to kindergartens and pre-schools for little demonstrations about wild and exotic pets. The Fabulous Margarita ALSO adores little kids.

I have NEVER taken the keets nor would I ever take the Quaker. They are totally NOT kid friendly and sometimes not remotely user friendly even to me.

I really do think that they get more confident in direct relation to their size. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. Who hasn't met a viscious, insecure little dog? However, how many mean Labradors have you met?

THE OUTLAW

[peeker]

Another point of view...I certainly don't see any bird as a throw-away bird, but I can see several reasons why people would mention a budgie or cockateil as a good starter bird. A budgie is an easier commitment than some other parrots might be IMO. Their size is less intimidating, there messes smaller scale. Although all birds benefit from good diet, some diets are more difficult than others. The expense is certainly less and entire rooms need not be rearrranged to accommodate the new cage. As a first time bird owner, you're not always aware of everything that will be expected of you when they take this little bundle of feathers into your home. To care for many of our feathered friends properly and to keep them happy means to have a real commitment to make many changes when you accept them into your lives. You will give up your teflon and stop burning candles first. Then you will stop using harsh cleaners and get rid of unsafe houseplants. Later you might consider a steamcleaner. a humidifier and an air cleaner. There will be alot of self discovery with the first bird. Your heart will be picked up and swept away by a wing flip and a wolf whistle or a lilting little song and the daily cleaning and feedings will be a simple gift in exchange for waking up with a smile each day~~or.....you will quickly tire of changing water bowls and cleaning up poop and you will hear screaming instead of joyous song.
Another bird such as an eclectus has even higher dietary needs and there will be above average shopping and chopping demands. A conure will need daily interaction or a screaming problem might result. A macaw will require face to face time with a confident and strong bird owner. A grey will most likely need a calm and orderly household. JMO again, but I feel that larger birds are of higher intelligence and also more sensative as well as more easily damaged if they are continually re-homed. Also a larger bird is not as easy to find another home for. Not just anyone can take a large bird such as a macaw into their home even if they want to, but most homes can make room to take in a budgie or a cockateil.
I feel bad for any bird that would be thought of as a throw away and I hope that no one here feels that I am making "small" of these little birds. They are all very special little souls and each one is invaluable. Some are easier as first birds though, and I feel that budgies and cockateils bring alot of joy for a first time owner.

[Vankarhi]

Christy, i agree. Grae, as usual, your writing is totally beautiful, but I do not consider the "little" birds as throw away. I realise this is not "directed" at me personally, but I started out with a budgie, and had many more. Most of mine were lovely pets. I had the occasional female who was very fiesty, but on the whole they were lovely. My best one was a green male named "jasper". He was so tame and child friendly and talked like a little trouper. I have also owned quite a few cockatiels in the past and they were all lovely pets, and I too took some of them along with my galah to school show and tells in which kids would pat the birds and talk about them. They were affectionate, avid little whistlers and a couple even spoke a few words. Yes they can bite, but they are not likely to rip off a childs finger, maybe draw a bit of blood, not take a big chunk out of an arm or face either. We could go on and on here. And when I lost one through death or accidental flying away, I was absolutely heart broken. But they started me on my love affair with the feathered friends. I chose to go to bigger birds because I wanted to and felt I was ready for the responsiblity of a bigger bird. They are more expensive usually and their accessories are much more expensive also. At least with a smaller bird most people can afford to buy a big enough cage for the bird to be able move about with some comfort. Most people I have advised to buy a cockatiel or budgie have actually stated they were leaning towards or wanted a smaller bird. Those who have said they wanted a bigger one, I have advised a cockatoo or eclectus as I have experience with them and know what they are like. It all depends on what a person is looking for, size, sex, talkabilty, affection/scratching/petting etc and what a person can afford. I would love an African Grey, but since being on this board am now leaning towards a Macaw, but I have to say that price is really stopping me here. Don't misunderstand me, I love my Skye and Bo, but love what I am reading about some of the other birds.

All just my opinion and not meant to offend anyone.

[Glenn]

I just went through the task of helping my 12 year old nephew to purchase a "next step" bird... he has had a budgie for a few years and has been diligently saving for another bird... 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... not that I would secifically recommend some of those birds for the house environment they have (like I would never say get a conure - simply becuase with him being a child he will be at school & sports & playing with friends and the conure would end up being very noisy due to lack of attention, and I made sure to note that down in the list I gave him)... anyway the point is that after looking over the list he then was able to choose a bird the HE felt was right... guess what, he initially saw the Regent Parrot and went "I want THAT!!!" I told him that we were going to the shop in 2 days and in that time he was to look at the list and think hard... the next day he announced I choose 2 lovebirds.... Why? Not because they were "throw away", but becuase they are the right "size" and the right "personality" and they didn't need special care & attention levels...
These smaller birds are not "throw away" they are more simply smaller birds for smaller people... IMO

[pbyeerts]

as my husband and I adopted NIMO almost 2 years ago (he's a blue and gold). I wanted a parrot for a while, and through my research decided a BG macaw was the bird I wanted due to temperment, size, and other characteristics. I decided to begin with the species of bird that I knew I wanted for life, so we got NIMO on 2/1/03.

The many challenges Mark and I have faced with NIMO are due to us being his 3rd home at age 4 and not knowing anything about handling large parrots. He had significant emotional issues and baggage, including a complete lack of discipline and a degree of neglect. He came to us "damaged," and it has been a long and difficult road of rehabilitation to teach him to become a loving member of our family. Mark and I have learned how to be good parronts through our behaviorist, Liz Wilson, as well as lots of help and suggestions from the Queen of BGs, Outlaw Nancy and other online friends.

I would say we have dealt with 85% of his issues, and the remaining 15% will work themselves out with more time and patience. Nimo went from being a domineering and vicious biter/screamer to a wonderful cuddlebug who today let me roll him onto his back and snuffle his belly :icon_smil .

So in essence, I totally agree with Graeh's statement about getting the breed of parrot you want. However, finding the right bird is the key to success! In many ways, Mark and I should have never gotten Nimo due to our lack of experience. However, I can now say that I wouldn't trade him for the world (at least not today LOL ). Pamela

[Willow]

My first bird was a 2-3 week old parrot of unknown parantage at the time. She had been born in a tree in south florida, the tree fell in a storm, and the groundskeeper found two chicks in the nest and brought them to the humane society where I worked. I and a friend were the foster paretns for one of the wee babies . . . searched the web to find out how to hand feed her . . . brought her to my guinea pig vet who was also an avian vet . . . found out her legs were splayed and had to bring her in twice a week for bandage changes . . . she grew up to be an Orange Wing Amazon and now I have 4 Amazons . . . ! ;~) She was the perfect starter birdie for me.

[VRSparks]

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 )

- Victoria