Bird Advice

[paye]

Hello everyone! I have never had a bird of my own, and I am dying to get one, they are simply the sweetset animals, and I could surely give any feathery friend a happy and safe home. But my lack of knowledge of birds leads me to you experts. I would like a small bird that sings sweetly. I would also like a social bird, one who enjoys cuddles. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[The Outlaw]

Hi. As far as I know, the only real singers are the male canaries. However, they aren't known for being especially cuddly. Some of the amazons are great mimics and will sing songs they've heard. However, they aren't always cuddly either.

THE OUTLAW

[paye]

how would I tell a male canary from a female (aside from it's singing abilities)? Maybe cuddly was the wrong word. I meant that I would like y bird to be social, maybe perch near me as work at my desk, that sort of thing.

[Monica]

If you are looking into a small parrot, one that has a sweet song, and will sit with you if it is tame, then you should look into grass parakeets. There are different types of grass parakeets, classified under neophema. Depending on the type of species that you look for, depends on the range of colors. You can get birds that are very green, to mostly red, pinks, blues, etc.

The types of grass parakeets are: Bourke's Parakeet, Elegant Parakeet, Blue-winged Parakeet, Rock Parakeet, Orange-bellied Parakeet, Turquoise Parakeet, and Scarlet-chested Parakeet. The most popular of these species are the bourkes, among the turquoisine, scarlet chested, and elegants in captivity. These birds have similar personality to that of finches, and though they are not the type of birds to cuddle, if they are tame, or raised by humans, they enjoy sitting with you as they chirp. They have beautiful, quiet chirps and tweets. They require large cages for flight (atleast a cage that a cockatiel or small conure could live in, preferably larger with correct wire spacing), and overall, can be curious little birds who don't usually have much of a bite, if any at all.

Check out http://www.arndt-verlag.com/austral.htm and look for Neophema near the bottom of the list...

[smallonion]

Another good one is a lovebird. One lovebird,if you have a lot of time to spend with it, will be a loyal friend- and perhaps a snuggler. But I don't know about singing/talking. Parrotlets are also great!

Thanks for that list, too, Monica- my Humphrey (princess parrot) was on it, with some info

MIchele and Humphrey

[Monica]

Your welcome! It's always great to check out the Lexicon of Parrots, which is actually quite easy to find via a search engine!

[okieparrots]

My first bit of advise for a first time bird owner is BUY A BOOK! There's lots of information available and you might find something you've never thought about, or discover that the realities of living with a bird just aren't for you. Some of my suggestions:

"Parrots" by Mattie Sue Athan...specifically designed for first time parrot owners....cost is under $10 in most areas
"Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior" also by Mattie Sue....though it's older it's still a very up to date book and packed full of valuable information on behavior as well as the more popular parrot species..cost is about $12 in most areas

Or grab a copy of this years BirdsUSA at a local pet store or bookstore. It always has a broad range of birds (parrots and softbills like canaries) that can help you narrow down your choices. (And there are always things out there that you'll never read about in most books...)

Such a purchase is invaluable to your long term knowledge of living with a companion bird.

[Ron Howard]

we raise and rescue cockatiels. Once off seed, their life expantacy almost triples, from 8-10 years to 20-30. Yes, there are exceptions, but they are usually just that, so a good question for you to consider is are you ready to take care of a parrot (small, large, or whatever) for a great length of time. Its a serious commitment. Then read all you can. Some birds are quiet, some are noisy and others are in between. We had a conure that was only noisy when he wanted attention, a love bird that had a screech like chalk on a blackboard, an amazon that makes a moderate call in the morning and at night looking for others to meet with but is usually quiet, parakeets which chirp a lot, but its a quiet and almost restful sound, and of course cockatiels. Some male tiels like to sing/whistle at sunrise, nicer than an alarm clock unless you want to sleep in, and the females which normally just make a mild chirping sound. There's a lot to consider before settling in on any one type and just asking the question shows that you'll likely make a great caregiver, once you've decided. Last comment, with all the birds in rescues right now, once you've made up your mind, try a local rescue for a bird first, you may be pleasantly surprised by the selection and down right love a rescued bird wants to give. If you're not sure of where to find a local rescue, go to our web page: http://www.cockatielrescue.org/rescue.phtml where we have over 200 nationwide listed. Perhaps there's one close to you. Good luck, good reading and have a wonderful life together.

[LMPego]

I have to jump in here...
My first bird was our lovebird, Zen. I would never recommend a lovebird to a first time bird owner. I know that Peach-faced are generally more "cuddly" than masked, but neither of them have sweet chirps. IME, I've never heard anything louder than a lovebird (except sirens).
I totally agree that you should read everything you can get your hands on. However, nothing I read about lovebirds prepared me for owning one. Read everything you can, but then ask people that have that species what are the worst things about them!
Don't get me wrong, I love my Zen, and wouldn't trade her for the world, but I was completely unprepared and we've done a lot of learning as we go along.
Also, she's better now, but lovebirds can bite very, very hard and tend to grab on and grind. If you're inexperienced in training and dealing with birds (which I was), get something with a smaller beak!

[Crebain]

No expert here, but I'd say "sweet song" and "social cuddly" are mutually exclusive, though the already mentioned grass parakeet or a budgie might work.

For a cuddly, I'd say cockatiel, and for song I'd say finch or canary ... but I think you'll have a hard time finding a beginner breed that has both qualities.