The Right Parrot For Me??

[RenBrownINC]

I know I must be an annoying pain to some of you by now, but I would like some input.

I wanted to get a b&g macaw, but was concerned about the biting issue and so i thought i should 'rethink' the situation. I thought i would be happy with a different pet, but in the back of my mind I feel that i need a pet parrot in my life.

Anywho, soon I will be home ALOT because I will be working at home [for the rest of my life,lol] and so i certainly have time to devote to a new feathered friend. I live in a house in a neighborhood. I have spent many hours around many different parrot and I will not adopt/purchase one until I know and have EVERYTHING that I need to. Also, costs are not a problem whatsoever.



Im looking for a parrot that enjoys attention, lives a LONG time, is medium - large, & one that i don't need to fear getting bitten by. Yes, I know i will get bitten, it would just be nice to not have to worry about having to go on a trip to the ER when i get bitten. I have gotten bitten before, so no I am not terrified of the idea. :]

I have had no luck whatsoever with Cockatoos, so please don't suggest one.

Thank you for your time and I'm sorry about my horrible grammar & spelling tonight. I'm very tired; hence why this post makes me sound like a bored 10 year old. Lol.

God bless.







Ren Brown.

[birdlady49]

Honestly, if you're worried about being bitten, you need to rethink getting a bird. All birds bite. Even the little ones can draw blood.

Have you been owned by birds before? I don't mean being around someone else's birds. Have YOU been owned by birds?

If not, a cockatiel is a wonderful first bird. They can cuddle, they can talk, and they can be wonderful companions. But some of the worst bites I've received have been from cockatiels. They always seem to get me in the web between the thumb and the second finger.

If your heart is set on a larger parrot, how about a pionus or a senegal or even a small conure or quaker? And you can't go wrong with a ringneck dove though, of course, they don't speak English.

Birds can sense your apprehension if you think they're going to bite and they'll take FULL advantage of that. Your relationship would get off on the wrong foot. So please reconsider and don't get a large parrot if you're fearful of being bitten.

[RenBrownINC]

All good points.

You're right. I forgot to add that i have owned birds before-when i was younger i owned cockatiels & a sun conure. Maybe I should get an Eclectus or a sun conure.

Goodnight and thank you for the advice. :]

[Monica]

I was thinking something along the lines of one of the following birds...

Pionus
Princess Parrot
King Parrot
Cape/Un-Cape Parrot
Jardines
Brown Headed Parrot

Maybe even a Meyers.... they are all small-medium sized birds, some pricier than others, or just harder to find, but the Pionus & Australian parrots would all make great pets, with the African's also being great.

[ROYJOY]

if $ is no object, then you should get the bird of my dreams, a hyicinth, they have a beak the size of the hook on a small tow truck, but probably wont bite you hard, although they have a 300 psi munch, and can break the weld on most cheap cages. like was mentioned above, if your afraid of getting bit dont get a bird, or...................gee, i cant think of any animal that doesnt bite, mabe a goldfish. i get bitten all the time it doesnt hurt that much, you just get used to it after a while. if your going to be home alot, you should have a bird,. they are an animal that requires lost of time and attention, but you must put aside your fears, you'll have so much fun.

[RenBrownINC]

I'm not afraid of getting bitten. Ive been bitten many times by small-medium-large parrots. My fear is, concerning the biting issue, that i will end up needing to go to the ER. If i was assured that a B&G couldn't send me on a trip to the hospital due to a bite - i would own one in a heartbeat. A Hycianth [spelling?] Macaw? Haha, yeah...that would be a disaster.

On a side note i spent an hour with a B&G Macaw today that i love with all my heart & soul. Too bad someone bought him already. I tried to spend time with the CAGs they had there and oh my lord, those ARE smart birds. They knew just how to lure me in close enough to get bitten...

[TJ Relic]

Originally Posted by birdlady49

They always seem to get me in the web between the thumb and the second finger.

Oddly, Rigel likes to use the web of my thumb as a sort of pacifier or his chosen spot to gnaw. I decided he likes it so much that I can bear it for the love he's giving, and I can gently chide him if it gets painful.

I think now is a good time to talk about the difference between "beaking" "biting" and "mangling." I think RenBrown is really afraid of that last one.

[RenBrownINC]

I think now is a good time to talk about the difference between "beaking" "biting" and "mangling." I think RenBrown is really afraid of that last one.

LMAO. You've got it.

[Nazir's]

Hey Ren, you are certainly not a bother to me and I admire your concern.

Sometimes you just have to get out there and go hands on. I say that because I was mind set on a Macaw. Today I went to a bird show just to see for myself. There were four Macaws that I had a chance to mingle with. The b/g was 2 years old and he absolutely loved me. He wouldn't let me put him down. The Greenwing (which had always been recommended to me) didn't display the same energy. The other two scarlets were cool but that all I can say. There was baby b/g there too but I didn't bother accessing him much as he was still too young for me to get a feel of his personality and traits. However, I had a chance to handle them all and after doing so my mind was clearly made up. The Macaws were just too much parrot for me at this time. Though, they all were sweet and beautiful they were also too much more of a parrot that I felt I could handle.

Although, the 2 year old B/G and I hit it off from the start, I just felt that a Macaw wasn't for me.

Questions are good! Once you narrow down the paths that you'd like to take, get out and explore them with some hands on. It could make a world of difference but you'll have to be honest with yourself or it will all be in vein.

Good Luck!

[RenBrownINC]

Nazir, you give really really good advice! And thank you for being so kind. :]

I spent an hour today with a female Catalina macaw [im not interested in owning a hybrid whatsoever though] and i got bit a few times. Didn't bother me, so i think i'm getting over the whole 'Oh lord, if it bites me I will drop the bird and cry' phase. I know that when owning a macaw it wont bite me nearly as often as i got bit today, too.

I know I'm probably going to sound like a crackhead for saying this, but for some reason the only parrot I can imagine myself being happy to own is a Macaw. I keep trying to persuade myself into considering a smaller bird..but it doesnt work.

Anywho, I'll be sure to post tons of pictures and update you all when i finally adopt or purchase my parrot. If i purchase, it will be from Treetop Birds. I dont know if any of you have ever heard of that place, it's here in dallas. Very friendly employees and they take wonderful care of their parrots. I tried my best to make myself love Kookaburra bird shop, but to be honest i hate that place. And ALL of their birds are BITERS with a capital b. I have no clue as to why though, seeing as they are nearly all socialized more than 8 hours a day.

Thank you everyone who has helped me on this forum. Yall gave me ALOT to think about and now all I have to do is get in control of my concerns.