What type of bird should I get?

Question

I am thinking about getting a pet bird. I've never had one before. I would like a bird that was "cuddly" and liked being held by people. I read that cockatiels usually don't like to be held. I want a social, loveable breed that is good for new bird owners.

Thanks!

Answer 1

I would suggest a Green Cheek Conure. They are known for being truely affectionate, not too much work, but more than a budgie. I got my green cheek not having much experience with birds (I owned a budgie when I was about 7) and he is doing much better than I expected in only about 5 months. They are very very smart birds, with lots of personality but in a smaller package. My conure gets really snuggly and will sit on your chest, in your hand on his back, and he'll crawl right in between my boyfriend and I to snuggle down. They are almost dog like, in the sense that they want to please you. They have a life span of about 20-35 years, so much longer than a dog or cat. The green cheeks are one of the smallest out of the conures, and so not a lot of noise comes with them. I live in a condo, and my neighbors don't know that I even have a bird. My conure does take quite a bit of time, and is not a bird that I would just leave in a cage all day and night. He needs social interaction. He can be like a 3 year old, and will get into anything that you might leave out, but he's really good and very easy to train. My conure loves to get kisses and to be rubbed all over. He likes to take his baths when we do, and does not want to be left out of anything. We have lots of areas in our house specially for him, which is just as much for us as it is for him. Another bonus, is that because the green cheeks are so sociable they are great with lots of people. My conure doesn't take to just one person, he loves both my boyfriend and I equally and spends time with both of us. He is great with our 3 year old niece (after only 5 months of having him) and will not bite. He did take training, but nothing that couldn't be done by pretty much anyone.

Mainly, you just have to have the time and dedication to a conure, but the green cheeks are definately a great choice if you do have the time.

Answer 2

cockatiels

Answer 3

parakeets and sun canard's and parrots it depends on how you treat them I've had many experience's with birds and they are really lovable  animals i'm sure you will love having birds good luck!!!!

Answer 4

Most birds that have been hand fed are very tame. If you buy one that is a second hand bird, hopefully they have been treated right and they will be tame.  Birds have minds of there own, they may decide they don't like you, this occurs more in the larger parrots. Do your research, Birds are fun but they are messy, noisy, need their cages and water changed on a regular basis. Some parrots are louder than others. Sun Conure can be very screechy birds. Cockatiels are good first birds as are parakeets.  If they are treated right they can be loving birds, it depends on how much patience and time you have to spend with them.  Good Luck I hope you find just the right one for you.

Answer 5

What you've heard about cockatiels is not totally true, i've had 4 of them and they all loved to be held.

For one if you want the bird to be holdable you need to find a BREEDER who HAND-FEEDS the baby birds.

Then usually the babybirds are more friendlier towards humans, and want to be held and cuddled.

Cockatiels make excellent first time pets, they can learn to talk real easy, they're friendly, and i've even had one pick up from my maximillion piounus how to eat with its feet, meaning they're smart.

But if you're not up to a cockatiel, or a small little budgie, but the bird you're describing is a lovebird to be honest. even though their the size of a budgie they're basically what you're wanting. but you should get only one, because then they'll become attached to you and not the other bird.

otherwise i'm thinking and a conure aren't that bad either, they can be total clowns just to get your attention, but they can scream a lot, and can be very loud birds too.

I hope these couple of suggestions/facts help, also when you get your bird NEVER put a mirror in its cage, it makes them aggressive and mean. and do some research on bird toys and stuff, cause certain type of bird toys can injure birds.

If you get a bird you can no longer use scented candles it kills birds, and they can't be by drafts either, make sure ceiling fans are off when getting them out, along with doors not being open.

If you plan to clip your birds wings, take it to a petshop or something that knows how to do it, and can teach you how to clip its wings, because with our first bird we clipped the wings too short and it flew into a window and broke its neck, cause the wing feathers were too short.

Anymore questions E-Mail me [e-mail]

Answer 6

I'm not much into keep birds in cages, I have in the region of 25 birds kept in a large outdoor aviaryy.

Not many birds would sit on your arm and be cuddly unless you get a hand-reared parrot and those are costly and time consuming and last for around 70years.

Start with a budgie if you have too, but have a large cage, read up on them and make sure they always have everything they need.

Answer 7

Well, it depends. If you want a small bird I recommend getting a Pacific Parrotlets. The site where I got my parrotlet was called http://www.parrotletworld.com/. A medium one, I would consider getting a conure or cockatiel. A large bird, hmmm maybe a macaw or parrot or an african gray parrot.

I hope this helps!

Noel K

Answer 8

If you have never had a bird before, it is best to start with a smaller bird. I suggest a sun conure (or other type of conure). You can also consider a Quaker, but they are very loud. Both birds love being cuddled and petted. If you get a hand fed, baby bird that has been handled and steps onto your hand,  you can tell that this is a social bird. Both breeds are very sweet, and love it when you talk to them.

After you take him home, let him adjust to his surrounding for a few days. Then introduce him to your family. After your family is aquainted with him you can bring one friend over (only one), preferably one that has held birds before. If that is not possible, bring a friend that you know for sure will not freak out at the bird (if they do, it will influence the bird not to like people).

Hold the bird and let the new person talk to the bird, then let them pet him. After a while have the person hold out their hand under the bird's belly to get the bird to step up. IMPORTANT: They CANNOT flinch or pull their hands away. Often the birds will put their beak on a finger to see if it is sturdy. Have them hold the bird for a while, then put the bird back into his cage and have the person leave or go into another room.

One new person will be enough trauma for one day. You can tell the person to come over the next day and hold the bird again. After becoming friendly with this person, you can continue introducing new people to the bird, but they must not make quick movements that will frighten the bird.

Only get a bird if you know for sure that you can take care of it: they reguire daily attention or else they will become unruly. Best of luck with your new pet!

Answer 9

this is really difficult to answer because just like

people birds have their own personality.

I have a cockatiel and he's really a spoiled.

Maybe a parrakeet ( I had 2 ) but they're really

messy. Empty shells that the slightest breeze

will blow them on the floor really hard to get out

of carpeting.

Answer 10

i had a cockatiel and i always held it

and they are pretty<3

Answer 11

budgie.

I had a budgie and he loved people and cuddling. every time id leave the room he'd scream my name "JACQUALINE!". Budgies, like dogs, get very lonely. You have to keep them in a room where there will be people around. Budgies love hearing the sounds of peoples voices and the sound of the Tv. My budgie used to kiss my nose and sit on my shoulder everywhere i went in the house. The average age of a budge is 7. mine lived 'til he was 15!

RIP tweety-pie =[