Nandays...?

[Haniyya]

Hello. I wanted to see if I could get some information from any "Nanday" owners.

My 11 yr old daughter has been begging me for a bird for quite some time. I re-homed a B&G Macaw a year and a half ago... and as much as she has tried to overcome her "intimidation".... he is just too big for her. During our regular visits to Pet Smart she fell in love with a Senegal there, and would hold him all the time. Well, just the other day I came across an advertisement (Kijiji) for a Nanday (really cheap, with cage). They said he/she is 2 years old and "tame". Now, I'm aware it will take quite some time regardless when bringing a bird into a new home... I just wanted to get some advice regarding Nandays and their temperament. Is 2 years old "too old"?? And if he/she is not as "tame" as this woman is claiming... would a Nanday be too much work for my daughter??

Any/all advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Haniyya.

[Greycloud]

First let me say that Nandays are great little birds. They are very pretty, can talk, very playful, little clowns and some enjoy snuggleling. That being said, you couldn't pay me to have one. I'll probably get chewed up for that, but it is just my own opinion. Nandays can be nippy and they are one of the loudest conures. Now granted you have a B&G, but a nanday has a scream that is VERY LOUD!
Your daughter is a good age for introducing a small bird. As long as she is respectful of the bird she should do fine. Only you can decide if she is mature enough. She is going to have to accept that she will get bit, by any bird. Is this going to turn her against the bird? Which defeats the whole purpose of you getting one for her. Did I mention they were loud?

[pippy]

I know someone who has a Nanday and it's a lovely little bird!

However, the noise it makes is absolutely horrendous! I can't begin to describe how awful it is! It's not a noise I can tolerate for long without my ears bleeding that's for sure! It makes more noise than my three Greys on a noisy day put together!

Don't be surprised if the reason it's cheap is because they want to get rid of it quickly.

Nandays are often bought by people totally ignorant of what they're letting themselves in for so consequently often end up on the never-ending rehoming roundabout

Think long and hard before buying one or you could end up doing the same to one

[saintsellr]

I own a male nanday,and I believe it is not a bird for kids.They can get very attached to other birds,and guard them closely.Even when they are being good,they are 'bad'.Mine doesnt bite...but my daughter can only be in the same room with him for 5 mins.or less.They SCREAM when they are happy,they SCREAM when they are mad...and they are great bluffers..mine has bluffed my daughter so many times she doesnt even attempt to be within 3 feet of him anymore.They are not for someone who wants to put the cage in the livingroom..you will get NO REST.My sun screams too..but nothing like him.My macaw squawks ,the nanday makes him sound like a canary.Terrible news I'm sure you didnt want...lol.My daughter loves our parrotlettes,and my moms various finches..these weigh next to nothing,and even if they wanted to bite ,couldnt do any real damage.Just a thought.Good luck.

[kali]

We have a Nanday. She is gorgeous, but doesn't like me. She will tolerate me, and i always get a nip before she steps up, but never bad. She could bite me HARD if she wanted to though, and i think she's letting me know that! Her screams are LOUD! i had a Sun Conure, and his were bearable compared to her. Being in the same room when she decides to 'have a go' is pretty much unbearable.

But Luke, he's her favourite and she'd do anything for him! She'll roll over and they play and snuggle.

So, i get to see both sides. They are Great little birds, and i love having her around... but i don't think i would ever want one for myself. Spend a lot of time with it before you decide, especially around dusk if you want to hear the scream for yourself.

[jdlilfan]

Nandays can be nippy and they are one of the loudest conures. Now granted you have a B&G, but a nanday has a scream that is VERY LOUD!

Ditto! We're planning on adding a macaw to the flock here soon. I always OK things with Mom & Dad since they birdsit. They said a macaw is fine as long as it doesn't do the conure-scream!

However, the noise it makes is absolutely horrendous! I can't begin to describe how awful it is!

Double Ditto!

Maverick's screams could literally wake the dead!

Here's the negatives with Maverick: he becomes extremely aggressive and hormonal during breeding season. I call him a mini-amazon. Haha. He is very possessive over me and has attacked Ryan and my mom for just coming in the room and talking to me. But that is only a problem during Spring and not throughout the year. He also has a tendancy to be VERY nipppy. And like I said, the screaming! But screaming doesn't bother me. With him and Cheeko, I've become impervious to noise.

The good side though is Maverick is very cuddly, playful, and a huge clown. He's an AMAZING talker. He's got quite a vocabulary and he's extremely smart. He'll tell you "bye" when you grab your purse or your coat and he'll say "bad bird" when he knows he's done something naughty. I love him to death. He's always making us laugh and smile and he's a great companion. I wouldn't trade him for the world. He's been a huge blessing to us.

Go meet the bird first, get a chance to see her personality, then decide if you think it'd be a good fit in your home and with your daughter. Definitely let your daughter meet the bird as well.

[Haniyya]

Thank you all so much for your advice. It is greatly appreciated.

Today we went to meet "Sammy"... and what a cutie. My daughter was holding him within minutes of getting there. The women had an aviary at her home (ooooh my, she had a lot of birds.... in a really small space). Not sure how much one on one attention he was getting... he had only one toy in his cage... and was given a diet of ONLY sunflower seeds (cockateil mix). It didn't take long for my daughter (or me) to make a decision... and after about 20 minutes he was in the car with us on his way to his new home. She was a very nice woman... I would never intentionally speak badly of anyone, but he really wasn't getting anywhere near the love he deserved... and expressed to me that she was only really trying to make a profit off the cage/stand and was throwing him in for free (she only wanted $150).

My daughter and I drove straight to Pet Smart (and Dollarama) and bought him some toys. Within minutes of taking him out of the box (and clipping his wings) he was sitting on my daughters shoulder and playing with her hair. He stayed there for about an HOUR... lol. With the new surroundings, he was most comfortable there. I disinfected his cage... and added all his toys. I will NOT be continuing with his seed diet.. I know it might take him some time to adjust to pellets/veggies/fruit... but hopefully it won't take too long. He seems happy. Before he went to bed... he was talking, but haven't been able to make the words out yet (he sounds like Donald Duck.... lol). My daughter has already planned out her daily routine... lol.. she's tooooo cute. I don't think the "noise" will bother us too much... but I'll definitely keep you posted *wink*. I know for me personally... I can "easily" tune things out (5 kids running around screaming helped with that.. lol)... as for the rest of the family, we'll have to see.. *smile*.

I know that regardless, he's going to be one spoiled little guy!! He deserves it. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

Thanks again.... you were all very helpful.
GOD bless.

Salam (Peace).

[Greycloud]

Please quarentine him from your B&G! Especially coming from a multiple bird household.

[Haniyya]

At what distance do I need to quarantine?? I TOTALLY DIDN'T EVEN THINK OF THAT!!! Thank you!!!

[hollyhawkz]

Well congratulations!!!!

Don't worry about quarantine now because it's too late. You would have had to set up separate rooms, with a change of clothes after touching the new bird (and a whole lot more). Just make sure you get him to a vet asap and have the tests done to assure he is safe.

It is always best to have an avian vet do a full check up whenever you get a new bird. Then you will know if there have been any infectious diseases brought in that can harm your B&G and it will help you know the health of your new bird in case there is anything wrong...

Oh, and we are going to want pictures, we love pictures! We also have a conure forum that you can post question in about your nanday.