Alexandrine

[Canadian Chick]

I joined this board last year when my boyfriend and I were looking into getting a bird. We talked to breeders and did research and then decided we were too busy and with all the house renovations, decided to wait. Well things have changed and I am now home way more and work a block from home and have decided we have the time and space for a bird.
A friend of mine has a Grey and her friend has a male Alexandrine and needs to find it a new home (her son is allergic). I have never looked into the Alexandrine before and have done some Google searching and found general info, but I would like to hear from people who have owned/own them and get their thoughts/feeling on the bird. The male we are looking at is 2 and was hand raised by my friend and is extremely friendly. He has lived with 3 children and they can do pretty much anything to him. He talks and his name is Kiwi.
Any info anyone has would be extremely helpful. Thanks!!!

[RingneckedPrincess]

Alexs are awesome birds! I have one named Rajah...he is very sweet and entertaining but they are not cuddly birds by any means.

If you want a bird that is stunningly gorgeous...and can talk (most of the time)...and does enjoy interacting an alex will work. They just aren't a cockatoo...

Dani

[tielmama]

I don't have one, but that sounds like a great opportunity to me.

[prissyCrissie]

GOOD CHOICE thats all i can say lol as you can i see im very biased on this one- absolutly love my alex. But like the others say- they are certainly not cuddly birds, although there are exceptions:)
Their GREAT talkers and love being around their people. i guess it all depends what sort of bird you like? You should spend lots of time with him first and see if he's the kind of bird you'd like to spend your days with- personally i say go for it lol:P
xox

[stepht25]

I ADORE my alex! (okay, so I adore all my birds!) Kirby really is wonderful though. I don't know if I can think of anything really negative to say about him as a companion bird. (well, I guess the imitation of the dog's squeaky toy and the smoke alarm with a low battery can sometimes be annoying! LOL) He's rarely in a bad mood - and on the rare occasion he is - he's very easy to read (it's very hard to miss an angry alex!). I don't think he has bitten me at all in the 4 yrs. or so we've had him. He's nipped my daughter a time or 2 - but mainly because she didn't ignore his requests that she leave him alone to begin with. He's great with our kids, loves when people come over (he assumes they've all come just to see him), will step up for just about anyone, likes to be with us, but is also very content to hang out in his area and play with toys. He's not one to hold a grudge if my schedule gets hectic and a couple of days go by when he gets less 1 on 1 time than he's used to. He talks some, learns tricks very fast, is not a bird that I would consider noisy and is easy to feed. He does allow me to scritch him, cuddle and give kisses - but not really anyone else. I could probably go on and on! LOL My husband likes to talk to the birds and hand out treats or help me feed - but Kirby is really our only bird that he is comfortable enough with to actually hold and interact hands on with. He's just a very easy going bird with personality plus.

There's a yahoo group for alexandrine owners you might want to check out. The owner of the group breeds alexandrines in Canada and I know we have several Canadian members. alexandrines : Alexandrines

[atalantae]

Oh my I would go for it in a heartbeat!!! I love and adore my son!!! Alexandrines are fantastic birds. They chew alot of wood. Kasey loves to just sit on my shoulder. He and I will take naps sitting in the chair on Sunday afternoons. They have a hearty appetite too.. lol
Kasey will go to anyone, loves to give his kisses and just be with me. Well anyone whom wants to hold him... tehe..

Oh my you go girl!!!

Win

[Canadian Chick]

Thanks guys!!! That is all good to hear. I talked to my friend last night and her friend just needs him out of the house so she was going to take him to my friend's place, but she said that if we want to try him out we can take him and if he works out then great and if not then she (my friend) will take him until they find a permanent home. I am going to meet him this weekend and will hopefully be taking him home (for good). My friend said he is quite cuddly and loves people, he sounds alot like Kirby. So hopefully all goes well and I will keep you updated. Thanks so much!!

[stepht25]

Originally Posted by Canadian Chick

he sounds alot like Kirby. So hopefully all goes well and I will keep you updated. Thanks so much!!

Well, if he's anything like Kirby, I really don't see how you could go wrong bringing him home! (and of course I am totally unbiased! LOL) Make sure and let us know how the meeting goes!

[Canadian Chick]

So my boyfriend and I went to meet Kiwi last night and surprise surprise, he was wonderful and we came home with him. We are trying him for a week (we were a little worried about how our dog would react), but I think things will be fine and he will stay with us. He didn't talk the whole way home, just sat on my shoulder, but once we got him in the house and on his stand, he wouldn't shut up. haha. He is soooo chit chatty, it's cute. We brought the dog in after a while and once he was safely in his cage. She went nuts. She is a husky so her prey drive is high. She was jumping all over and wouldn't stop howling/barking at Kiwi. He didn't care at all, just went about his cage playing with his toys and eating his food. This morning went a little better, Xenia (our dog), now knows that she can't jump on the cage, so she sits or lays beside it and doesn't bark but still yaps and howls to him. When she finally quiets down, he asks he how she is doing and tilts his head waiting for her to respond. I think they will be fine together (never be able to be out together, but that's ok), once she settles down and loses interest in him a bit. Any tips that anyone has on introducing dogs and birds would be helpful. Also, how long did it take for them to settle in together (for those of you who have been through this). That is my only worry right now. Otherwise he is great. He loves to chit chat with me and he tries to nip a bit when I put my hand in his cage to let him out, until I say "hey, you want out?" and he says "out, thank you" and steps up. Very polite bird. haha. That's my update for now. Any tips are greatly appreciated and I will be on here more and more as time goes on.

[catschair]

How wonderful! I am so happy for you and him. Now I want to see pics of this darling!!