Any Poicephalus Species Recommendations?

[ejsturm]

Hi everyone,

I recently posted over in the Bird Discussion forum for help on choosing a bird species. My wife and I are in the process of narrowing our options to a few species. Right now, I think we're really leaning towards a Poicephalus. I was hoping that those of you who have owned one of more of the different species of Poicephalus could suggest which one would fit best with us.

Taking from what I posted in the previous forum, here are some things that we're looking for in a bird, and some facts about us and our life style that the bird would be brought into.

Bird Qualities:
-Cuddly to Very Cuddly
-Sociable
-Easily Handled
-Non-nippy / Non-aggressive
I understand these qualities have a lot to do with upbringing and our interaction with the bird, but species that are more prone to this behavior are a plus.

Us and our life style:
- Age: 25 and 27 years old
- Home: Small one bedroom condo (680 sq. ft.)
- Children: None
- Other Pets: Bearded Dragon (lives in his large terrarium)
- Work: 7:00AM-4:00PM Monday through Friday
I want to make sure to get a bird that doesn't mind being home alone during the week. Weeknights and weekends we plan to have the bird out of its cage with us for as long as it wants to be, but it will still have to be spending 9 hours a day alone. Also, because we live in a condo, a quieter bird is a plus.

I think that's it. If there is any other info that would helpful to you in making your suggestions, just ask. Also, please let me know if the Poicephalus aren't a good fit for us...we got lots of species recommendations in the other forum (cockatiels, conures, pionus), we were just drawn to the Poicephalus.

Thanks a bunch, I look forward to reading your suggestions.

~Erick

[becca623]

I have a senegal. Well, she's supposed to be my mom's bird but she's staying with me. She's 11 yrs old. She can be very sweet and cuddly but only on her terms. Even at her loudest, Livi voice is no more than a loud whisper. She had at least 4 homes before we met her. Her vocab continues to grow. She's friendly to everyone. She has a splayed leg but it doesn't inhibit her in any way. She will "fall" backward to lay in my hand. She caught me off guard the first time she did it. She isn't fond of toys but I still provide them. She needs time to get used to anything new. She has a good appetite but can be picky. She's not demanding of attention. She does fine if left alone. Actually, she prefers to have time to herself. I can't say how typical she is of sennies since she's the only one I've spent much time around. She's also the prettiest one I have seen. She has a pearling to her head that I haven't seen on other ones. My mom has had a hard time believing me when I've pointed out other sennies to her because they aren't as pretty as livi. She's biased though.
I have met some very nice babies. One fell asleep anytime anyone pet his beak.
I've only met one red bellied. She was a plucker and for that reason alone, she had my attention. I have a thing for pluckers. Go figure.
If I were shopping for a poi, I would get a meyers. There's just something about them. The ones I've met have been very sweet birds. I just love their little voices. I like the muted coloring also.
The Jardines are larger than the other pois but they are really neat birds too. I've seen some gorgeous ones.
To be honest, I really don't think you could go wrong with any of the poi species. As long as you get a healthy one that responds well to you and your spouse, you should be fine. I can't think of any real draw backs to any of them unless you are allergic to dander which they have a very small amount of. Livi leaves welts on me when I handle her.
Maybe I'm not the best person to give suggestions because I tend to like them all. I really think pois make great pets. They aren't loud. They aren't overly active. They like cuddles. They don't seem to be as much of one person birds as many other species. This is just my observation. I'm sure other people will have more insight for you.
Regardless of what you choose or better yet what chooses you, Good luck. I think you will be very pleased.

[bethn]

I have a male Cape Parrot (poicephalus robustus fusicolis) He is a wonderful bird. Capes are the largest of the poi family. Jazz is very slightly smaller than a Congo Grey. He like to play, and is very affectionate. He wants to be with us although he does play happily on his perch/cage if he is in the same room with us.
If you have no other large bird experience, my breeder recommends a female. If you own a bird already, I have heard that a female is better because at puberty males can become insufferable to the point where owners have been forced to rely on hormone shots. Jazz is an only bird so that will not be an issue for us.

He talks well, and is relatively quiet. There is a fairly constant flow of chat, but it is not loud.

Jazz is not nippy. He has a LOT of attitude and yells when he does not want you to do something or headbutts your hand, but there have been no bites. He is very strong willed. We are working on clicker training and that is really helpful. It seems to immediately change his attitude.

Pois are wonderful birds. Good luck with whatever you choose.

For more info on Capes go to Craigharris.org

[Izzy]

I replied to your other thread, but thought I would here too.

I have a 12-year-old female meyers named Lily. I adopted her almost exactly a year ago (it'll actually be a year in two days!). She is the perfect bird (and no, I'm not biased!). She had two homes before mine, her first for eight years and her second for three. She was originally rehomed due to the owner's failing health, and her last home had to rehome her due to her screaming. She has NEVER been a problem since the day I got her. I lived in an apartment for the first six months with her, and now in a condo. She rarely ever screams, and when she does it isn't loud or incessant. All in all, she is a very quiet bird.

She loves toys that she can shred - balsa wood and little rubber ducks are her favorites. I just got her a new cage that still needs to be disinfected, but it will be 32x23. I would recommend a cage that size for the poicephalus - they tend to be very playful. I work a lot, so I do a lot of foraging with her. All of her seed mix is hidden around her cage in dixie cups and foraging toys. I also have a hanging gym for her that hangs from the ceiling over her cage to save space - she loves running around on her gym playing with all of her toys!

Lily lives to love people. She will do anything to be with you and loving you. She will take advantage of people who are afraid of her, but she doesn't understand that she can do actual damage with her beak.

She doesn't talk at all, but makes kissy noises. She does slightly overpreen her vent and under her wings, which we're working on. She started this right before I adopted her, I think it may be from when they were covering her 20+ hours a day. She seems to pluck now when she is afraid I won't uncover her in the morning or if I'm gone too long, but I'm hoping that time will heal that.

I really don't think you can go wrong with a poi. I STRONGLY recommend reading Barbara Heidenreich's books and subscribing to her magazine as well (www.goodbird.org). Having a firm understanding of positive reinforcement and behavior will really make a difference as to whether a bird thrives in your home or not.

[Poicephalus girl]

Bird Qualities:
-Cuddly to Very Cuddly

Poicephalus aren't known to be the cuddliest bird. Don't get me wrong, mine love human presence, but they don't need to be on us all the time (they do spend some time cuddling though, specially one of my Meyer's who's favorite spot is my boyfriend's shoulder)not , they are quite content with playing on their own, specially my Senegal.
Lately, my Red-bellied has appeared more needy for attention towards me and likes to be on or close to me.

-Sociable

They can be very sociable. My Red-bellied loves to show off for people. All of mine but one (the oldest one (only had her since last August) who's old habits are harder to change) do very well with other people. I do try to socialize them the best I can.

-Easily Handled

Again, all of mine but my 13 year old Meyer's are quite easily handled. I think Petey had been mistreated in her past, which makes her wary of women, but almost any man can do whatever they want with her.

-Non-nippy / Non-aggressive

I've had my Sennie since she was weaned. Other than the breeder, I'm the only one who's really had a hand in her education. She's turned 3 at the end of March and she is really not nippy nor aggressive. She rarely does bite and when she does, she'll have given warning before.
All my other Pois have had previous owners. I was able to get my Red-bellied less nippy (he still does occasionally nip, specially when hormones are high, but almost every bird will do so) and I'm my way to do the same with my youngest Meyer's who is still occasionally trying to test me. I do think education plays a big part here.

I understand these qualities have a lot to do with upbringing and our interaction with the bird, but species that are more prone to this behavior are a plus.


Overall, it seems like they could be a good fit for you. I would suggest visiting babies and adults if you can, to get a better idea. When it comes to choosing one Poi over the other...I don't know if there is that big a difference.
In my experience, it is true that they are reasonably "quiet" birds, at least compared to others. They do well on their own during the day if provided with something to keep busy.

[tracieerin]

Originally Posted by ejsturm

Hi everyone,
Bird Qualities:
-Cuddly to Very Cuddly
-Sociable
-Easily Handled
-Non-nippy / Non-aggressive
I understand these qualities have a lot to do with upbringing and our interaction with the bird, but species that are more prone to this behavior are a plus.

Us and our life style:
- Age: 25 and 27 years old
- Home: Small one bedroom condo (680 sq. ft.)
- Children: None
- Other Pets: Bearded Dragon (lives in his large terrarium)
- Work: 7:00AM-4:00PM Monday through Friday
I want to make sure to get a bird that doesn't mind being home alone during the week. Weeknights and weekends we plan to have the bird out of its cage with us for as long as it wants to be, but it will still have to be spending 9 hours a day alone. Also, because we live in a condo, a quieter bird is a plus.
~Erick

My situation and preferences match yours pretty exactly. I have a red bellied female that is 17 mos, and an 8 yr old male Senegal that chews his feathers. I'm very happy with my pois. I was pulled to them too over the pyrrhura conures and pionus. I love their looks and the poi waddle.

Cuddliness: My senegal is insanely nice and cuddly but rather sedate. My red belly does love to show off and is cuddly on her terms like in the morning, nighttime, and while sitting on my knees under the table.

Sociable: Jack is very sociable and will go to anyone, Penny is not. This is my fault, I was the only one that handled her for the first few weeks. I highly recommend having all your friends come over to hold pet etc. your bird starting two or three days after you get her.

Easily Handled: Both Jack and Penny easily step up and take petting (Penny by me only). Jack doesn't like to be "manhandled" like picked up, turned over, pull wings out etc. Penny lets me do anything. This is a raising thing as well. Don't go too fast that you break their trust, but make sure get them used to having wings pulled out, feet touched and nails filed, and just generally handled so you don't have problems later.

Non-nippy or aggressive: Jack is a saint and never nips unless you really annoy him, and even then it's barely a pinch. Penny went through a nippy stage but is OK now. She will bite hardish if annoyed, and will break the skin if scared but these are usually easily avoided. Expect a nippy stage with a baby bird anywhere around 9-18 mos but you should be fine.

If I were interested in another poi I would be very torn. Brown Heads appeal to me for their sweetness, but I could end up with any of the other smaller species including another RB or senegal. RBs especially are so animated and comical. Penny hops around like a caique sometimes.

I'm not really interested in bigger pois like Jardine's or Capes, their size and looks just don't appeal to me.

[Poicephalus girl]

Originally Posted by tracieerin

If I were interested in another poi I would be very torn.

I wish I could say that.."were" interested.
I know I want more one day. I do want a Cape parrot (will have to wait until I have a house now that I found a breeder who is not too far away!) and I would also like a female Red-bellied.

[molehole22]

I have a senegal that I just got this past September, and I was first to bond with him, other than the breeder and other attendants in the store we got him from. He is almost always cuddly, unless it's night time and he's trying to sleep, or if he's aggravated by something. He always steps up, but I have trouble making him step off my finger when I try to put him back in his cage before bedtime! He loves human contact, but can also be alone during the day while everyone is away from the house. When I'm holding him on my finger, he sometimes hops onto my shoulder. When I put him under the table in my living room (It has decorative wires that are convenient for him to perch on. It's like a playgym) while I watch TV or go on the computer, he always waddles out from under the table and tries to climb up my leg to get near me. After a while, he'll even fall asleep while I'm holding him on my shoulder.. so cute.

Sometimes Monty gives little testing nibbles to investigate unfamiliar things, or he tries to gently grab your finger with his beak to push it away. Neither of these nibbles are painful. When Monty does bite, he always gives warning by scooting away from whatever the problem may be, hunching over, and sometimes growling or hissing.

Monty can get somewhat loud during the day when there isn't anyone to play with him, but not half as loud as an indian ringneck we used to own.

The only problem with my sennie is that he doesn't like males. This is my fault because when we first got him, only girls played with him. The one man in the house didn't really want anything to do with a pet bird and left it to the girls. Now Monty will let girls handle him, but whenever a male gets too close he starts hissing and backing away. This problem won't happen if you introduce your bird to new people early on.

I don't know about the other pois, but a senegal sounds like it would fit you well. Mine is the most lovable thing that ever walked the face of the planet. :) Good luck.

[tracieerin]

Originally Posted by Poicephalus girl

I wish I could say that.."were" interested.
I know I want more one day. I do want a Cape parrot (will have to wait until I have a house now that I found a breeder who is not too far away!) and I would also like a female Red-bellied.

TBH I would love another but I'm not sure if I want to change the dynamic I have now. I think my income needs to increase too.

[ejsturm]

I posted this over in my Bird Discussion thread, but I wanted to post it here to in case you don't visit the other...

Monday Morning Update:

My wife and I went out to meet birds on Saturday morning. Before we left, I let her know which species would most likely be a good fit for us (Poi's, GCC's, & 'Tiels), but that we shouldn't exclude any birds...which she loved because to her that meant visit and play with every bird in the store, regardless of size, noise level, or other practicalities.

After visiting a small, local pet store with a few birds, fish, a reptiles, we headed over to a birds-only shop. It was fun to get to see all the birds I have been researching in real life. I pointed out the birds of interest that they had to my wife. There was a Meyers, three GCC's, and a pair of 'Tiels. We watched them play in their cages, and we held them on our fingers. When I was finally able to pry her away from their toucan, we headed over to another bird store...The Perfect Parrot in North Hollywood.

This place was amazing compared to the other stores. All their birds are displayed on play stands, so we could go right up and easily interact with them. When we first walked in, our attention was grabbed by a little baby Meyers that they are still hand feeding, and getting ready to wean. After that, my wife visited with the Macaws and African Greys. I was excited because they had lots of Poicephalus (brown heads, red bellied, and Meyers), as well as green cheek conures and tons of cockatiels. My wife and I went around and visited with them all. Turns out, we both fell in love with their 3-and-half-month-old Meyers. He was a cute little guy with a quiet chirp that loved scritches and beak strokes.

Somehow, we managed to leave the store without buying him. Once home, we ate lunch while I refreshed myself on the research I had done on Poicephalus, and looked a little more into the Meyers specifically. Meanwhile, my wife is sitting by me with a huge smile on her face trying not to say anything. Needless to say, we went back later that afternoon and we are now owned by a Meyers parrot named Cygnus.

Thanks to everyone here for your suggestions and help. I'll post some pictures here sometime soon so you can all see him. Plus, it'll be good to have a face to go with the name that I will undoubtedly be asking questions about it the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

Thanks again,
~Erick