Help choosing the right bird for our family

[maryellenj]

Hello,
I am trying to do some research about what type of bird would be the best pet for our family. This is a big commitment and I want to be sure to make the best decision. I used to work at a bird pet shop as a teenager years ago and fell in love with the conures. They would follow me around and get on their backs in front of me to pick them up, they were so funny. I think a smaller bird would be best for us. We would like a bird that is affectionate, fun, and intelligent. The kids would like to be able to teach it to say some things. I realize that we would need to spend a lot of time daily with the bird, and that would not be a problem. I am thinking we need to find a hand raised baby to be sure it is tame. I am not sure what kind of conure would be best. I have read good things about the Blue-Crowned, and the Greencheeks. I love the look of the Sun, but what I have read about it's screaming scares me. Do they really scream that bad if you make sure they get enough attention?
Other birds in play are the Ringneck Parakeet, I am not sure that they would be as much fun as the conure, I' not sure. I love how they look and talk.
The smaller Macaws seem interesting also.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Also I am in South Carolina, and need to find a breeder that hand raises.
Thank you,
Mary Ellen

[Conure crazy]

I also love conures. We have a half-moon conure, Kermit, who will be 5 in March. She loves to talk (she has a pretty good vocabulary for a conure) and be handled. I also have 3 kids and she loves kids. You didn't mention the ages of your children. Kermit is quite a bit smaller than a blue crown, she is similar in size to green cheek (give or take a few grams).

[maryellenj]

Wow, Kermit is very beautiful! I have 2 boys one is almost 8 and one 18. They are very excited about getting a bird.

[Conure crazy]

Thank you. My children had just turned 7, 8, & 8 when we brought her home. I wanted a bigger bird but the kids wanted a bird too and that's how we decided on a conure.

There really are a lot of great conures to choose from.

[mundyzoo]

Maybe you can find a breeder in your area and talk with them about their conures and go see them, that may help you to make a choice.

Welcome to the bird world, you are in for some fun!

[amanda143]

Welcome to BB! We have a nanday conure and while he doesn't scream very often, when he does it is pretty loud. However, he is about twice the size of a greencheek. He is pretty playful but he doesn't talk. Our quaker on the other hand, won't shut up! ha

We also have a Ringneck Alexandrine Parakeet. She's about the size of the nanday with a really long tail. She's sweet and docile, but not very playful. I have heard they have the ability to talk very well but she doesn't.

I think you are on the right track though. A handfed/handtamed bird is a must if you want a family bird. You may try birdbreeders.com and search by state or by the type of bird you want.

[maryellenj]

Thank you for your replies everyone. My husband stopped by a little pet shop today and was surprised to find it had many birds. We are somewhat rural and there is not that many pet shops, let alone any with birds. They had Sun Conures and Ringnecks. We went by tonight to see them. I liked the Conures better, they were so beautiful! I was also happy that I did not think the squawking was anything we could not handle. The conures they had were older and not very tame. I asked if they ever get babies in, and he said that they breed them and that if I wanted to wait I could get one of their next batch of babies. He thought maybe by May he would have some. That will give me time to work on his cage and toys. He is not born yet and the kids have named him Salsa.

[odhinn]

As Amanda stated you are on the right track. Our quaker reminds me of a teenager with ADD. She is into everything and obnoxious when the attention is not focused on her. But she is awsome to have around and extremely playful once she bonded with us. Our alexandrine isn't playful but I think that is because she is 12 and went through a traumatic experience before she came to live with us. She started to play with her toys the other day and also discovered that she can throw shells at the dogs with good accuracy. She goes nuts when I come through the door and won't stop screaming until I am in sight and come over to talk to and handle her. She likes to take a stroll through the living room and kitchen with me especially when I am headed for the peanuts or cinnamon sticks. Our nanday is extremely playful while in his home but still has some issues with people so I am the only one working with him ATM. I have been told that they are awesome when hand fed and bonded to the family, also Very playful and acrobatic. Our pet tiels are fully flighted and actually come when called. They are great companions but are less playful then the quaker. Welcome to the board and I hope you have a good time finding a FID.

[birdlover912]

Conures are great little birds! Currently, I have a peach fronted conure (9 months) and a sun (4 months).

Rylee, the sun conure, really isn't all that loud. He vocalizes only when he wakes up, is hungry, and only a few times inbetween. It is a little loud to get used to at first, but if you have spent time with conures before, you know that they all are this way. He loves to be cuddled and petted and trying new things even though he is a rescue bird--he adapts to change well.

I got Orrin, my peach fronted conure, as a handfed baby from a breeder shortly after he was weaned. He is easily overstimulitated--he doesn't hesitate to give a nip if he is too excited. He is almost like a puppy in a way; around playtime, he doesn't think of anything but playing and can get carried away. Because of this, I have to be extra attentive to his body language, something that my younger siblings cannot do (they can't interact with Orrin because of this). The volume of his vocalizations aren't that much louder than my lovebird, and he doesn't do it as often either. Orrin doesn't like to be handled or cuddled much--he prefers to play.

If I were to choose which bird would be better around younger children, I would definatly choose a sun. Rylee is a pretty doscile parrot and is less apt to bite than Orrin--that is his last resort. Since your kids are older and can learn how to read parrot body language, a peach front might be a good choice as well.

The best advice I can give you would be to talk your entire family to meet some different conure species. Are there any that you seem to prefer? Even though the different species of conure look similar, there are differences in behavior (and volume!). The more birds that you can meet, the better you will know what you want in your future companion. :)

[becca623]

Nandays are also great birds. They aren't as colorful as sun but they are usually extremely lovable. Their scream can be ear piercing though. With spring coming up, you should be able to find lots of baby conures for sale. Good luck!