What kind of parrot should I get? that will b able to speak (parrot level) ? and come cheap? :P?

Question

I want to buy a parrot. I know it is a lot of responsibility... I am already aware of that.

1) I want a parrot that will be able to learn/speak (parrot level)

2) who's friendly

3) comes cheap

WHAT KIND OF PARROT WOULD THAT BE? AND HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST ME IN USA? AND WHERE COULD I BUY THE PARROT IF I LIVE IN NEW YORK...

and I was wondering... can you teach or more like "GAIN TRUST" with the parrot so the parrot could fly around the house, with the windows/doors closed, yet come back for food in it's cage?... because I really don't feel like keeping the poor thing in a cage all the time...

THANKS... hoping to hear some good answers...

Answer 1

Your question's make it clear you have never owned a bird before and there fore you should use the internet to read and learn Before you buy any species of bird - for your sake and for the birds proper care, diet, training, housing and safety.

Not all birds talk..of any species, so buying a bird so it talks is not a good reason to own a bird.

Birds are Nothing like Dogs! Dogs are Domestic, not Exotic.

Another here suggested a Cockatoo, OMG No.

Cockatoo's need experienced bird owner's.

Most people start with a Budgie. They are not expensive, they are smart and playful and can be taught to be super talker's - -not as loud as say Amazons, or Greys, but talk, sing, they certainly can be taught to do and do well.

Cockatiel's are nice birds too and can talk.

Please learn about birds and care in general, then learn about species you may be interested in.

Do some google searches for Budgie and Cockateil.

You can read and learn here also- http://www.birdchannel.com/

http://www.birdsnways.com/        Type in a species when you get there

Answer 2

The cheapest of all parrots.....parrotkeet. That is right, a parakeet. They hold the record for the largest vocabulary. They will live up to 25 years. They are a perfect beginner bird.

Answer 3

sun conure's are about 100$ they'r realy smart and can talk if trained.

Answer 4

Please make sure you do your research and don't just trust everything you read here.  While individual parrots personalities and actions vary, specific breeds have different tendencies and traits.  Some you will absolutely love, others not so much.  You must ask yourself questions about your lifestyle and home life.  Start with a parrakeet (budgie) or other beginner breeds.  Many mentions above.  Some Parrots can live 45 or more years, so it's really important to pick the right breed for you and what you want in a parrot.  I have owned and taken care of many different birds, and read mucho material.  Cockatoos (not all, some individuals vary) for example are typically very affectionate, wonderful, smart and can talk to a point.  They also are very loud at certain times of the day (as most parrots can be).  They can be very needy and when your tired of playing... they can be very persistant... loud or more.   Conures (not all, some individuals vary) are playful, intelligent, loud screechers and relatively inexpensive... not great talkers compared to say an Eclectus, Amazon or African Grey(not all, some individuals vary or may never talk).  My only permenant pet and companion is a male, Eclectus.  He is fully flighted.  I have him out of the cage at least 12 hours a day.  He flies all throughout the house, upstairs and down.  His main cage, where he spends most of his time,  is downstairs, but he has 3 perches.  2 downstairs, one upstairs.  He is trained to land only on perches... 90% of the time he does.  He comes to me when I call and give him a hand signal... 90% of the time.   He only poops on the base of perch or cage.  He has a vocabulary of 30 or 40 things, but many other sounds, noises and actions.  He's a quiet parrot... if there is such a thing.  He can be very loud if he sees a cat across the street or at sunset, a crow in the tree outside, a nieghborhood kid, postman or other distraction that intersts him... but generally Eclectus are quiet.  I recommend a male... others would no doubt recommend a female.  He cost me $900, cage online for $600, get the largest you can affford.  Make sure you buy from a quality, reliable breder who hand-raised the chick.  If you opt cheap, you may get more problems than can imagine.  Take your time.  Once trust is gained and you learn to communicate with each other the relationship will take off.  They will learn what you want them to do, they will love doing it and you will have a freaking blast!  Parrots are very smart and that can be both a blessing and a curse, but if you are consistant and understand that they do not react like dogs or other domesticated animals.  They do not learn from negative training or punishment.  They DO react to positive re-inforsement.  Be very slow and calm.  They are stubborn, smart and some have a beak that can take a finger off... or at least to the bone.  A tough combination.  If you do your research, get the right bird for you for the price you can afford.... it's awesome.  I now am geting ready to take my parrot to a local, large gymnasium and work on more free flight.  Since he returns on call, it opens up a whole new opportunity.  He also has a 25 ft. harness as well that he loves to spend time outside in.  Many bird owners prefer to clip feather, many do not.  It's a choice you will have to make.  There are risks with every choice.    You can read online about how many people actually free flight thier parrots outside, completely free.  They are... in my obviously slanted opinion the most challenging and rewarding companion pet, if you have the patience needed.  Good Luck! (Sorry for rambling.  Excellent advice from all the above as well.)

Answer 5

this is hard to answer...

we will get great parrot from great inherite from it parents...hehe

Answer 6

Pigeonboy is correct.  The best known talker, shown in Guinness Book of World Records, was a budgie named Puck.  Parakeets are also the most inexpensive of all parrots.

However, what you get depends on how hard you are willing to work.    If you want a smart well-trained bird, you'll need to know how to train it.  And if you want it to be tame, you'll need to work with it every day.

Leaving a bird loose in a house, unsupervised, is a crazy idea.  It's not about trust, it's about protection.  Birds are not dogs or cats, and your house is filled with danger.  The list is so long...  Hitting windows, falling in toilets, ceiling fans, getting tangled in fabric, stuck behind furniture, electrocuted, poisoned, burned on light bulbs or appliances.  One surprise opened door - and your bird is gone.  Birds should never be loose, without close supervision.  

Please...if you can't deal with a caged bird - don't get one.  Get a dog, or a cat.   Really.

Answer 7

cockatoos r kinda expensive, get a conure or a cockatiel, both r about 100$$

but cockatoos r really loud and if u live in a condo or somethin in new york, it'd b really bad. my friend has a cockatoos and people actually call the police about it. ☺

Answer 8

Get a cockatoo! My mum had one and we had a dog called Sheila, it learnt the word Sheila because we always called our dog. So our cheeky cockatoo would say shout "Sheila!" and the poor dog would come running look for us. But anyway I'll answer your question now =). Cockatoo's are one of the smartest birds, being smart they are easy to train. You can buy them from pet stores, averys, and some breeders. Before you buy one make sure you have a cage set up, cockatoos love shell-fish to sharpen their becks on, they love little mirrors and twigs that they can hang on. But when you buy it make sure the breeder is interested in the sale, not just give-me-the-money-and-bye type of guy. You can usually buy trained cockatoos so that they will not fly away, or if you can't seem to train it you can get its wings clipped. Wings clipped doesn't hurt the bird, its just like getting your nails clipped. Really gaining the trust is all up to you, if you treat the bird badly and let it out it won't want to come back in. You have got to make it want to come back in. If you have any questions about this magnificent bird don't hesitate to contact me =)

Answer 9

Cockatiel.  Cheap, friendly and the males can be good talkers if worked with on a daily basis, my male was saying 15 phrases by the time he was 5 months old, we just repeated what we wanted him to say in a interesting tone of voice and he'd pick it up.  

Females can talk, but are much less likely to than males.  Not all males will talk, but the same rings true for even African Greys who are known for their talking abilities and intelligence.  A lot of times it just depends on their personalities.  Don't get a parrot for the sole purpose of having a pet that will talk to you, because there are never guarantees.

Cockatiels really love to be near their humans and can be left out of their cages for long periods.  They'll return to it for food, naps, toys and most just like hanging out on top of their cage, so get a cage with a flat top or a play pen on top (not a curved roof).  

Large birds (African Greys, Cockatoos etc) are extremely loud when they get in the mood to.  A cockatiel can also be loud, but nowhere near the pitch of a larger bird.

Buy from a breeder (just google cockatiel breeder in NY), you'll find a healthier pet that is hand fed and socialized.  

You could also look into Quakers but they are more expensive (about 5X more) than a cockatiel.  Or Parrotlets which are smaller, have talking ability but a lower pitch than a cockatiel.  They're great for apartments.  

Really research the species you're thinking about, there are a lot of factors to consider when choosing to adopt a parrot.  Time you have to spend with interaction, how much noise you can tolerate (or your neighbors), how much of a bite you think you can handle, because no matter the bird, there will be days when you will get bit, lol.

Answer 10

You got some good answers.  Conures are small parrots, you probably know what a parakeet or cockatiel are.  

If you're thinking of a typical parrot, you're probably thinking of an Amazon, Cockatoo, African Grey, or Macaw.  The Greys are excellent talkers, Amazons can talk but LOVE to whistle and sing, Cockatoos love to play and act incredibly silly, and Macaws are stunningly beautiful and seem to know it.  They have an attitude.

NONE of those birds are cheap by any stretch of the imagination.  Amazons and Greys run $1200-$1500, Macaws and Cockatoos anywhere from $1800 on up (there is a pure blue macaw called a Hyacinth, and a pure black cockatoo called a Palm; each runs well over $10,000).

So probably you want to start with a parakeet (~$20) or a cockatiel (~$50-100), or a conure.    Most conures run $400-$800.  All of these birds have wonderful personalities without the big ticket price tag.

Answer 11

some Conures learn how to speak, but not all, but that can be said for many birds. What exactly qualifies as cheap? It is very unlikely that you will be able to get any kind of Conure for $100.00. Quaker Parrots can talk and depending on their color mutations cost about $300-450. Different Conures have different prices. Sun Conures cost around $300 or so, some have been known to become excellent talkers. You can buy playstands for the bird to be on out of the cage that usually come with two bowls on them, one for water and one for food. However, if your bird plays on the top of the cage like mine do, you can a cage that has a playtop already on it (which also has the bowls) then you don't have to worry about it. I have a cage with a playtop on it, but whenever my bird gets hungry or thirsty she just climbs in the cage and helps her self. The playstand works well if you want to have her out in another room where her cage isn't in. I have a Blue Fronted Amazon, they are great birds, but it might be out of your price range. African Greys are good too. You might look at Senegals or Meyers Parrots, they are not so big, you can get them anywhere from $300-600. They have the ability to talk. Please know that even though a particular species is known for talking, not all do. There are plenty of Greys and Amazons who don't talk. I don't know exactly where in NY you are located, but go to www.birdbreeders.com, look on the right hand side of the page, toward the bottom a little, click on your state and it will bring up breeders in NY and you can find one in your area. Cockatiels are sweet birds and I know the can whistle, but I don't personally know how good they can speak. They are reasonably priced though, less than $150. Oh, you can also check out the different birds I mentioned on birdbreeders.com and see the prices.