What kind of bird should I buy?

Question

I'm looking for a parrot that is quieter (some screeches are OK), gets along with children (I have a ten year old brother), and won't live for a hundred years like most parrots do. I've been thinking about a conure, but most of them are a little too small for me. I'm also trying not to spend too much, $1300 is about my limit. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Answer 1

What kind of experience do you have with birds? There are alot of birds that you should not purchase as a first time bird owner, for example African Greys, Amazons, Macaws, and Cockatoos. A Quaker might be a good bird for you, they are a little bigger than Conures, not much, and are known to be talkers and good with kids. Keep in mind though a particular species is known for being good with kids in general and talking, doesn't mean it will hold true to each individual bird. I have never personally owned a Quaker so I cannot testify to the noise level. I will tell you that many types of Conures are really loud, for example, the Sun Conure. You might also check into Red Bellied Parrots and the Meyer's Parrot. In general, they are quieter birds, they can talk, and are usually very sweet birds. You might look at Cockatiels, I am not sure if you are even interested in them though. Pionus are also good birds, but I am not sure how well they interact with kids.