13 and want a bird, don't know no wat kind yet

[safarichick101]

I really want a bird. I have researched a ton and I make good grades. I go to school for 7 hours a day but i could fit bird care into my schedule, and playtime etc. I was set on a tiel, but now i'm for peach fronted conures as well. I just love em' all.


I want something that can be calm and easygoing, but at times also playful as well as cuddly. I am open to any species anybody throws at me. I really want a tiel, but i also really want a peach fronted conure, or any conure for that matter. I like their playfulness. But i like the tiels easy going temperament.


FYI, if i got a tiel i was planning on getting a male so I don't have to deal with egg laying addicted females. I've heard they often suffer egg binding and such.

Just to let you know, I am 100% open to any species. Just reminding you.

[LovelySydney]

This will be your first bird I presume? For a first bird I would go with an easygoing species such as a tiel or a parrotlet or a GCC. Conures ARE loud and can require quite a bit of adjustment from the family who house them but it depends on the species of conure you are going for. I dont know much about peach fronted. This is just my opinion, I am by no means an expert!! I do think a tiel would do great for you - and they are, like you said, birds with such great temperaments. Are you parents on board with you getting a bird??

[safarichick101]

yeah, they say its ok for me to get one around christmas, which is also my bday. I've started so many threads (though i do appreciate the answers, so keep em' coming), about having a bird when going to college n stuff. And it just seems like everyones teils did fine with their adjustment, while the sennegals and conures did bad.

[Emmilyy]

I agree with LovelySydney, Teils and GCC's are great! but i dont know about Parrotlets.. I love em, but they think they're huge and act like amazons! :P

A GCC was "my" first bird, and i think it's going great! She's playful and cuddly, but can also be pretty mellow at times.

[Ashling]

Tiel! If raised well, they will be calm and easy going as well as playful and cuddly. In fact my 8 year old tiel was already pretty cuddly for a tiel but the other night I had him under the covers with me and he snuggled into my face and let me kiss him on the neck and scritch his head. He was all puffed up and making kissy noises to me. He is now letting me kiss his beak which he never used to let me do. When in a playful mood he will open his wings and talk and sing and bob up and down and play peekaboo. I'll try to get a video of this for you. I could go on for hours why tiels are the best candidate for you. In my opinion they are the perfect parrot. They are also not very noisy which is a plus!

Scritches (pure bliss)

[jdlilfan]

I think a tiel would be perfect! They're just all around a great choice for a first bird. I think you'd really love a tiel! Playful, cuddly, affectionate...excellent birds!

[sailorkelly]

I had a tiel when I was growing up. He was in my family before I was born. He died when I was about 12. I loved him. I was the one taking care of him because he was wild caught. I was the only one who could open his cage without being bit.

Now after saying that, I own a PFC. She is the only bird in are house now. She is not loud for a conure at all. In my opinion she needs more attention than a tiel would. She is very smart. She knows words and one sentence. I taught her to shake last night. If not given proper nutrition and training/attention they could have alot of problems develop.

From what I have read most PFC owners say they are not cuddlers. But every bird is different. Abbey will let me touch her with my nose an lips but that is it. She does have to be with me or know where I am. She likes being on my shoulder or hanging on to the back of my shirt chewing on my belt. She is on my shirt right now chewing a hole into it.

Cages cost about $100-$200
Toys $50-$100 every month or so (cheaper if you make them or bargain shop)
Perches, Bowls, Huts, Play Stands $50-$100
Food and Treats $50-$100 (pellets, fresh veg and fruit, seed mix, then snacks)
Vet bills $100-$1000 every year

Birds are very expensive and they live for a very long time. Maybe you could volunteer at a bird rescue so you could get more experience with different types and learn how to take care of each.

[Angelsmum]

Oh yes, a tiel would fit the bill well. Your parents are happy to take care of it when you are on sleepovers, away etc? That is the only way that there will be no hassles and parents do not end up possibly with a pet they don't really care about. It was always a family discussion here before any pet was introduced as I knew that with life, and university the odds were I would be looking after it. Our uni's don't allow pets.

[hsmoscout]

Peach fromteds can be VERY loud. I was in the same position, in a way, and I got a 'tiel. I love Peanut to death! I am getting a GCC for my 14th birthday, though.

[NotEnoughTime]

I visited a colleague's place a couple of months ago. Two budgies were sitting in a cage. They sit there all day. Why... Because their teenage daughter, who's budgies they are, left and went to school in another city and could not take the budgies.

How unfair to the birds.

These birds never have any interaction. They never get out of the cage (the parents don't like the idea of "poop" around the house). Unless my parents guaranteed me they would interact with the bird if I had to leave it with them I would *not* get a bird...

Just my opinion.

That being said - if you get a parrot I would recommend getting one that would suit you for *life.* Parrots do not live just a few years if properly cared for. They live decades. So I would consider getting a parrot as a life-long companion. Although I enjoyed my cockatiel and budgie, if I had done more research when I was younger I would have gone for a parrotlet or green cheek. To me these parrots have a lot more character and are more social.

Again - just my opinion.