Want parrot but don't want to leave it alone
ChinnoDog
8 hours a day and I live alone and I would feel bad leaving it home alone
for most of the day. Are birds okay left home alone? Any idea what else I
can do with it during the day? I want an African Grey so I can talk to
it... teach it tricks... teach it to post on Usenet... well, maybe not. :-)
Any suggestions or helpful advice would be appreciated.
Stephen
NaDeana
contact some local breeders, be aware of what you are getting yourself
into.Cockatiels are really great little birds to start off with but they do
need lots of attention! Good luck.
"ChinnoDog" <Chin...@lonesheep.net> wrote in message
news:Q2lpa.36131$ey1.3...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
Loewen-Roberts
to live with someone else in the furure? Your future partner may not
appericate a bird, and then what?
Also, getting a bird for its talking abality should be the bottom of your
list. As not all birds will talk, and you must look at the needs. Think of
talking abality as a bonus, not the be all and end all.
"Tara J. Ballance" <tj...@videotronSPAMFREE.ca> wrote in message
news:3eaee4ba.5728019@localhost...
> On Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:24:16 GMT, "ChinnoDog"
> <Chin...@lonesheep.net> discoursed thusly:
>
> >So I've been thinking a parrot would be a cool pet to have. However, I
work
> >8 hours a day and I live alone and I would feel bad leaving it home alone
> >for most of the day. Are birds okay left home alone? Any idea what else
I
> >can do with it during the day? I want an African Grey so I can talk to
> >it... teach it tricks... teach it to post on Usenet... well, maybe not.
:-)
>
> If you ask me, it's not about leaving the bird alone all day. My bird
> stays alone much of the day, but he has his radio on, and his cage is
> full of toys. No, it's about the kind of commitment you can make to
> the bird, and I hope my story will illustrate why.
>
> I fell in love with a little cockatoo in a pet store one day. I spent
> the next six months researching birds, parrots, cockatoos on the net.
> Then I decided I knew enough about birds to adopt this little guy, and
> I went in and bought him. (Just an aside. If the original cockatoo had
> not still been in the store, I would never have considered buying a
> different bird.)
>
> Within a week, I realized that I had made a very serious mistake.
> Parrots are intelligent animals, and cockatoos in particular are
> extremely emotionally demanding. I didn't know nearly as much about
> parrots and their care as I should have. It was very hard work.
>
> I kept Jester, and I learned through experience how to be a reasonably
> good bird owner. I've made mistakes along the way, but we live near
> the region's top avian vet, so I drop in regularly to get information,
> help, and feedback.
>
> Above all, in dealing with my birdy, I found it to be of immeasurable
> help that I am also the mother of a 20-year-old. I find my parenting
> skills work very well to help me cope with Jester's emotional needs.
>
> Sure, a parrot is a cool pet. But the truth is, it's almost as
> demanding to care for a parrot as it is to care for a child. The
> difference is, a child grows up, matures, and after 20 years or so,
> they move out. Parrots don't, and they can live 40, 50, 60 years.
>
> If you figure you don't have it in you to commit to bringing a child
> from infancy to adulthood, take a long, hard second look at owning a
> parrot.
>
> Tara J. Ballance
> Montreal, Canada
>
> PS If you're in love with a particular bird, and it seems to love you,
> then I say go for it. But learn as much as you can first. And make it
> a lifetime commitment.
Louis Boyd
Get a talking toy parrot. It will carry on more interesting
conversations than a real one. It won't poop all over your house and
won't chew the woodwork. And after five years of listening to it you
can throw it in the trash. That's something which isn't nice to do to a
live bird though many people do exactly that. Ok, they sell or give it
away even if it has bonded to them. That can devistate the bird.
Birds do bond to humans not unlike the way a human baby bonds to it's
mother. Bonding doesn't necessarily make them pleasant to be around.
They still squawk, nip, scratch, molt, throw food, and leave droppings.
Bonding does make them very dependent on you, both emotionally and
physically. If a bond doesn't form a bird will just be a scared biting
beast and very unpleasant. Most of the work of forming a bond is having
lots of patience and accepting the bird just for what it is naturally,
not because it performs for you. Almost all of the reasons you give for
wanting a bird are not in the best interest of you or the bird.
Leaving the bird alone for 8 hours a day isn't really the problem if you
can assure the bird's safety while you're away. The question is do you
have several hours a day to be with the bird and pay attention to it.
Many people hold jobs and successfully interact with their bird or
birds, but it is restrictive to many activities you may want to do.
Just my opinion. I'm an reluctant bird owner. My wife likes birds
thought raising birds would be a good business venture. Then she became
ill and can't tend them. I decided it was better to love them than hate
them. Most of our birds now cuddle me and ignore her. Taking on a bird
is somewhat like having a child except children grow up and leave home
after about 20 years. Would you have a child because it's cool?
Because you can teach it tricks? I suppose some people do just that.
--
Lou Boyd
Crysanna
> Also, getting a bird for its talking abality should be the bottom of your
> list. As not all birds will talk, and you must look at the needs. Think of
> talking abality as a bonus, not the be all and end all.
Great point you've made here. Just because a species of bird is known
for talking, it does not mean that they will talk. In most
circumstances, a lot of time and energy has to be devoted to teaching a
bird how to talk.
If you are lucky and get a bird that likes to yap you may have another
problem... a bird who never shuts up. I have a budgie that talks and
sometimes he just goes on and on. I cannot count the amount of times I
hear "Whatchya doin?", "Whose cute?", "Spooky-bird cute" or "beak beak"
in a day. Most of the time it's cute, but sometimes you just want a
little peace and quiet or you have a little bird saying his name over
and over constantly through half of a movie you are trying to watch. It
can get annoying, especially for visitors who are not used to it.
I knew that was a possibility whenever I started trying to teach Spooky
to talk and it's a consequence I am willing to live with. Birds are like
children, they are often a source of great joy but sometimes you just
want to freak out. I don't think I'd be able to handle a larger bird
(with a louder and stronger voice), which is why I'll never own anything
larger than a budgie. I know my tolerance level and I'm sticking with
it.
There are pros and cons with owning any type of pet, people just need to
take a look at both sides and figure out if they are willing to take the
negative with the positive.
Crysanna
--
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E-mail me at: crysanna at sympatico dot ca
mdfloyd
Louis Boyd <bo...@apt0.sao.arizona.edu> wrote in message news:<3EA5F567...@apt0.sao.arizona.edu>...
oldmolly
"Loewen-Roberts" <loeb...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:d6mpa.6070$ya.2...@news1.calgary.shaw.ca...
> Looka t how long you will b eliving alone, is this permant, or do you plan
> to live with someone else in the furure? Your future partner may not
> appericate a bird, and then what?
>
> Also, getting a bird for its talking abality should be the bottom of your
> list. As not all birds will talk, and you must look at the needs. Think
of
> talking abality as a bonus, not the be all and end all.
I agree with that. My african grey ('Piper')doesn't say a word.He is over 7
years old, and does odd whistles but not one word.
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David G Fisher
Excellent post. Parrotts are complex creatures that require a serious, long
term committment. They take a lot of work, care, patience, and tolerance.
Their ability to talk or do tricks are so far down on the list of reasons to
get a parrot that they are irrelevent.
Dave
NewsUser
karen
"ChinnoDog" <Chin...@lonesheep.net> wrote in message
news:Q2lpa.36131$ey1.3...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
Loewen-Roberts
And work your way up to more complex life forms.
"NaDeana" <nad...@NOSPAMshaw.ca> wrote in message
news:fMlpa.181376$vs.18...@news3.calgary.shaw.ca...
ChinnoDog
original post. I'm not trying to say I want a bird just because it sounds
like a good idea. I have wanted a pet for awhile that I can interact with.
I mentioned the African Grey more because my research indicates that it is
intelligent than any expectation for it to talk or do otherwise. I was
concerned that leaving it home all day would make it lonely or unfriendly.
I want a pet, not just an ornament for my living room.
"oldmolly" <oldm...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:b86lnk$6s1jk$1...@ID-165698.news.dfncis.de...
ChinnoDog
is about my future partner! If she doesn't like it she can sleep in the
garage. Just kidding. Anyhow, I replied to the talking thing further down
this thread.
"Loewen-Roberts" <loeb...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:d6mpa.6070$ya.2...@news1.calgary.shaw.ca...
Ray Smith
If you have never owned a bird before an African Grey is probably not the
first bird you should buy. They do take a huge amount of effort and require
a huge amount of attention.
As other people have mentioned the talking "feature" of a bird is really the
last characteristic you should be looking at. I prefer birds you like being
touched and scracted. (LORIKEETS FOR ME!!!)
I'm in your situation - live alone work all day (I wasn't when I first got my
pet bird ... but that's another story) and in the end I ended up getting a mate
for my pet (well I actually breed birds so I just hand reared one and kept
him).
It made me sad to think I had a bird who sat at home most of day with nothing
to do (I even go home for lunch most days but still the time in between is
quite long).
I guess it comes down to how much time you want spend with your bird when you
are home. 10-20 minutes a day isn't enough if you have a single pet bird you
really should put 1-2 hours a day in miniumum (not including the constant
grind of feeding and cleaning!!). If your happy to dedicate this much time
with a bird, I say good luck and go for it. If not, I'd suggest getting 2
birds so they will keep each company. Note though that they won't bond to you
as much and won't be as good pets. But if you get one bird first, train it and
bond to it, then get another bird a few months later it can still work. Make
sure they don't kill each other when you introduce the birds though!
Regards,
Ray Smith
"ChinnoDog" <Chin...@lonesheep.net> wrote in message news:<Q2lpa.36131$ey1.3...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net>...
Alex Clayton
> My future partner? Forgive me if this seems selfish, but I don't think
this
> is about my future partner! If she doesn't like it she can sleep in the
> garage. Just kidding. Anyhow, I replied to the talking thing further
down
> this thread.
>
If your sure you want to make a life commitment, then by all means get a
bird. As long as the bird has a LARGE cage, and plenty of toys, and most
importantly, plenty of time with you when you are home, there is no problem.
Many, many, people have birds, and jobs. The problem with Parrots going bad
from being ignored comes from birds that are relegated to a garage or such
and ignored. The bird will get used to you having to work, and will look
forward to your return. A Grey or a Macaw, will normally talk to some
extent. Some are better than others, but as long as they are raised right
they make a great pet. Since your new at this I would get a young bird, from
a reputable dealer. Be careful about buying a bird from another owner,
unless you can get someone knowledgeable to look it over. Often people who
do not know what they are doing buy a Parrot, then after it has serious
behavior problems they try to get rid of it by selling it. While they can
often be turned back into great pets, they are not for the novice.
Louis Boyd
> Forgive me for not elaborating. I was trying not to be too wordy in my
> original post. I'm not trying to say I want a bird just because it sounds
> like a good idea. I have wanted a pet for awhile that I can interact with.
> I mentioned the African Grey more because my research indicates that it is
> intelligent than any expectation for it to talk or do otherwise. I was
> concerned that leaving it home all day would make it lonely or unfriendly.
> I want a pet, not just an ornament for my living room.
A problem with Usenet posts is that all we can know about each other is
what is in the posts. Often that gives wrong impressions, and perhaps
wrong answers to well intended questoions.
A better word for a bird is companion rather than pet. Some birds,
particularly parrots, are flock animals and have a strong instinct to be
a member of a flock. Given the choice, most birds would prefer other
birds of their same "species" to humans, but a human which behaves
enough like another bird of their species will do as a subsitute. Think
about it. Why in the world would a 2 to 20 oz delicate creature want to
be the companion of a 100-200lb mammal who's species is know to be a
predator on birds. (Col Sanders anyone?). A parrot's natural desire for
companionship is very strong, but it's a desire which can be stamped out
be repeated disappointment in the bird's relationships with humans or
even other birds.
Most birds don't naturally try to bond other birds of different species.
(I use the term species loosly). The old saying "birds of a feather
flock together" is certainly true. But if put together in the right
circumstances birds of different species may consider each other
flockmate though not sexual mates. What do birds do with flockmates
not thier sexual mates. Only a few simple things. They just sit
together a lot which gives some physical security in warning each other
of danger. They chatter to each other, though I'm not of the opinion
parrots exchange significant amounts of information beyond danger
warnings. The groom each other. This is an important social activity
always done with the beak, not the claws. Some but not all cuddle each
other while sleeping. They sometimes share food, either found food held
in the beak or partly digested food which is regurgitated. So what does
a human need to do to get along with a parrot? The answer is simple,
behave like a flockmate. Your fingers make an adequate substitue for a
beak. Flock birds don't pick up other birds, only predators do that.
It's likely to scare the hell out of bird to grab it by the body and
lift it. Almost always "first contact" between two birds is "beak to
beak". This scares humans as they think they're being attacked.
Unfortuantely the beak is used for attack too, so you you have to make
sure the bird isn't intimidated on first contact. Many birds seem to
accept a human nose as a beak, and will sometimes grab it as a friendly
gesture. Few humans respond well to that. Many people think the first
step of getting along with a bird is to try to get it to sit on their
finger or arm, but a bird would never sit on another bird which is it's
flockmate. Only a raptor will sit on anoter bird, and that's right
before it rips it apart. Offering titbits of food held in the thumb
and forefinger come about the best a human can do as friendly "get
acquainted gesture".
I've found that birds need some interaction daily to remain your
flockmate. If you miss a few days and you'll get a "cold shoulder"
treament for perhaps a few hours if you don't do it often. But frequent
extended absence will cause a bird to "give up" on you as a flock mate
and each time that happens reestablishing a relationship gets harder.
If that happens enough times a bird may reject your or even all humans
for the rest of it's life. I have two "rescue" birds that are in that
state. They aren't mean but just want no human contact. One gets along
with other birds, the other just wants to be by himself.
Surprisingly (it was to me), I've found the sleeping near a bird while
it sleeps too is quality companionship time as far as the bird is
concerned. Birds generally don't crave contact, just being close. Of my
nine birds only one wants to actually cuddle, but a distance of an inch
to a foot or so seems to be preferred by most birds. THat's why parrots
like shoulders so much, they're a couple of inches from "you", which I
belive most birds perceive as just your head.
Some birds don't mind being handled but many hate it. That mostly
depends on how they were handled when they were babies. Lots of gentle
play with a baby bird seem to make them at least tolerant of handling as
adults.
Bird intellegence is mixed. Birds are certainly well adaped for being
birds and doing bird things. They readily recognize individuals,
whether other birds, humans, or other animals. They easily learn to
recognize various sounds or actions, though they are much less willing
to obey commands than dogs. They can work out some practical problems
such as how to lift the latch on a cage, either to get out or to let
their friends out. Their dexterity with beak and toungue can be amazing.
But they can be really dumb on other things which a dog would handle
with no problem. Getting a parrot not to chew woodwork and furniture is
a difficult if not impossible task. They are more like cats than dogs in
their willingness to do things just to please their companion. The
concept being a birds "master" is simply silly.
To sum it up, a bird or several birds can be good companions if you can
provide and maintain the conditions which will allow them to accept you
as a flockmate. Once a bird bonds to you it is likely to be jealous and
demanding of your time. If you want that kind of relation a bird can be
a loyal, entertaining, and cuddly companion. If you ignore the bird
it will break the bond and you will likely have a biting confused beast
that neither you nor anyone else wants. So give a lot of thought before
you acquire a bird and allow it bond to you. Knowing what I know now
and given the chance to start over, I would not acquire a bird for my
household, but I'd no more break the bond with one of the birds I have
now than I would give up a child for adoption.
--
Lou Boyd
Toucanldy
David G Fisher
Dave
"Louis Boyd" <bo...@apt0.sao.arizona.edu> wrote in message
news:3EA78DD3...@apt0.sao.arizona.edu...
Loewen-Roberts
An I am un impressed with your lack of responsibility.
I am sure you will go on to to get a pet for yourself. And I am sure you
will justify it in some way to yourself. I am also sure that one day you
will tire of the pet, and it wil have a sad ending, which you will no doubt
also justify.
The point that you are single and live alone for NOW. You should take into
consederation that you life will change, and that one day you will give up
your pet.
"ChinnoDog" <Chin...@lonesheep.net> wrote in message
news:Q8Fpa.38967$4P1.3...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
Starlight
wrote:
>
>The point that you are single and live alone for NOW. You should take into
>consederation that you life will change, and that one day you will give up
>your pet.
Do you know this poster personally?
How do you know his life will change?
Becky
oldmolly
"Starlight" <homehe...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:emhhavk6q2dfh8tn2...@4ax.com...
It is a fair bet that his life will change at some point. I don't know
anyone who's life has stayed the same throughout their adult life.
Loewen-Roberts
to have an animal companion in your life, you must think of the changes that
may occur in your future. It is part of the responsibility of having
animals.
"Starlight" <homehe...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:emhhavk6q2dfh8tn2...@4ax.com...
Lollie
> > >The point that you are single and live alone for NOW. You should take
> into
> > >consederation that you life will change, and that one day you will give
> up
> > >your pet.
I've had a cat for 17 years, went through TONS of changes, but never gave up
my pet. If what you say was true, nobody should EVER get a pet, not even
you. Change happens.
Starlight
wrote:
>Give me a break. Think ofr a minute. A fact of life is change. If you want
>to have an animal companion in your life, you must think of the changes that
>may occur in your future. It is part of the responsibility of having
>animals.
>
>
>"Starlight" <homehe...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:emhhavk6q2dfh8tn2...@4ax.com...
>> On Fri, 25 Apr 2003 03:19:23 GMT, "Loewen-Roberts" <loeb...@shaw.ca>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >The point that you are single and live alone for NOW. You should take
>into
>> >consederation that you life will change, and that one day you will give
>up
>> >your pet.
I still want to know how that person came to the conclusion that the
poster's life would change and he would have to "give up your pet".
If we had to fear changes in our lives because we would have to "give
up our pet" , we'd be too paralyzed to do anything. All single
people who buy pets don't have to give them up when their life
changes. If a future companion expects that, then maybe it's a sign
of future problems concerning compromise. ;)
Becky
Loewen-Roberts
The original poster, was not thinking about the rest of his life, hence, me
making this point.
I am not looking for a fight, but trying to help someone make a good choice.
If you want to see animals going to good permant homes, then by all means
help out.
Lollie" <spam...@anywhere.com> wrote in message
news:FCZqa.44792$4P1.4...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
Loewen-Roberts
Which person is *that person*? me?
I came to the onclusion, that becasue the origninal poster was looking for a
bird. Not everyone likes birds. In fact alot of people can't stand the
noise, mess, expense, and dust.
Some birds become quite jealous of their owners, and see them as a mate.
Picture the scene as follows
Single guy get a bird. Single guy and bird get laong great, enjoy a few
years together, thensingle guy becomes married. Married guy's wife, likes
to sleep in. SHe takes up more of his time. Bird becomes destructive. Birds
screams when left alone. Single guy, gives in to wife's pressure, and gets
rid of bird. While the bird can make alot of noise, the bird CAN NOT SPEAK
FOR HIMSELF! So the bird gets pased around with no one looking out for its
interest.
I was not attacking anyone, or looking for a problem. I was merely trying
to help someone make a good choice for themsleves and any futrue animal
companions.
oldmolly
<onew...@netscape.com> wrote in message
news:ugoravgl331qhn4mo...@4ax.com...
> When the ancient war dogs did battle on Wed, 23 Apr 2003 19:29:54
> +0100, "oldmolly" <oldm...@ntlworld.com> did speak the following bit
> of wisdom:
>
> > I agree with that. My african grey ('Piper')doesn't say a word.He is
over 7
> >years old, and does odd whistles but not one word.
> I'll second that. Our Grey (Timneh) is a wonderful little bird. But
> she hasn't said anything in the 10 years we've had her. She imitates
> many household sounds, including a dead-on imitation of our dogs when
> they are barking outside in the yard. But not one, single, solitary
> word. Doesn't matter a bit! ;)
>
I don't mind either. Piper is a recent visitor to my home. Before he came
here, he was in an aviary in a barn with his mate, before that who knows for
sure. I only know he was originally imported. Piper is learning that we can
communicate. If I am up here in my study I do his most frequent sequence of
whistles and he will repeat them. Maybe one day he might say something. He
did surprise me the other day though with a long drawn out cats miow. Now
although I have 6 cats, they are not vocal, and the chap who had him last
has no cats either. All very interesting.
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ChinnoDog
partner tell me to get rid of my pet... my friend.... any more than I am to
let my pet cause me to get rid of my future partner. I'm not planning on
getting rid of the bird. Neither can I say I will be able to keep the bird
forever. I would of course want to keep the bird but I can't expect
everything to work out perfect.
Do lonely birds really scream when left alone? Sorry for the long delay to
a reply. I was in downtown Chicago cat-sitting for a relative for the past
week.
"Loewen-Roberts" <loeb...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:mm1ra.50706$ya.15...@news1.calgary.shaw.ca...
Alex Clayton
> LOL! All I was trying to say is that I'm not prepared to let a future
> partner tell me to get rid of my pet... my friend.... any more than I am
to
> let my pet cause me to get rid of my future partner. I'm not planning on
> getting rid of the bird. Neither can I say I will be able to keep the
bird
> forever. I would of course want to keep the bird but I can't expect
> everything to work out perfect.
>
> Do lonely birds really scream when left alone? Sorry for the long delay
to
> a reply. I was in downtown Chicago cat-sitting for a relative for the
past
> week.
>
Screaming is probably one of the most common "problems" bird can develop. It
can come from a number of things, but normally it's because people "teach"
the bird to scream without realizing what they are doing. The bird screams,
so they try to get it to stop by rewarding it. Soon the bird learns, "when I
scream I get what I want". Plucking is often something that can result from
being ignored, although there are many other causes. All birds can be noisy
to some extent, but it can be controlled to some extent by not reinforcing
it.
Loewen-Roberts
> Neither can I say I will be able to keep the bird
> forever. I would of course want to keep the bird but I can't expect
> everything to work out perfect.
Then I would say to nto get an animal. But people might get upset by that.
So I would say then, make plans now (before you even bring the animal home),
in the event that you may not be able to take care of the animal.
If youa re making a commitment to this animal, then you need to make it a
responsible, lifetime commitment.
tequilatamm
I've owned birds my whole life. When I was a kid, it was a parrakeet
(budgie).
When I was a bit older, it was a cockatiel.
When I was out on my own, it was a mini-McCaw called a Hahn's McCaw.
When I moved to Australia (and sadly had to give up my mccaw), it was
a long-billed Corrella (bare-eyed cockatoo).
A few tips from my experience:
1. Don't think that just because the bird is a larger bird that it
will be more intelligent or a better talker. Yes, African Greys are
known to be smart and good talkers. However, the reason we got a
corella was because they are renowned for being the best talkers in
the cockatoo world, and in the 8 years we've had him, he's never
uttered a word of human talk. He doesn't have to. His humans have
been trained well by him to cater to his every whim, human speak or no
human speak. Ultimately, his ability to talk or not will depend more
on your behaviour and ability to train him than on his intelligence or
aptitude.
2. From my experience, the bigger the bird, the bigger the effort to
care for him and deal with him. Also, the longer the term of the
commitment. My budgie lived 5 years. My cockatiel, 12 years. My
corella is a lifetime commitment (40-80 years) and will probably
outlive me. I am already stressing about what will happen to him when
I'm no longer around. Perhaps a really large donation to a zoo will
ensure his well-being, but it's a tough question.
3. Owning a bird is not like owning a dog. It is more like owning a
toddler with wings. They tend to take you in as one of their flock
and act as you do and want to do the things you are doing when you're
at home. The can also get into anything and everything and destroy it
and sometimes themselves! (Our bird is rarely in his cage when we are
home. He is sitting with us, eating with us, watching TV with us,
etc.)
Keep this in mind because it is a much bigger commitment than any
other animal, and leaving the bird alone will tug at your heartstrings
a lot more than leaving a dog alone during the day....and I won't even
mention the guilt you will feel when going away on vacations! (Right
now my mother-in-law watches our "baby" when we go on vacation, but
someday when she's not around, I don't know what I'll do for a
bird-sitter!)
4. Obviously, as you've probably gathered from the replies to your
post, the type of bird which is right for you will depend a lot on
your personality, the sort of place you live and a lot of other
factors. However, having owned 4 very different types of birds, I can
say in a very generic sense that in my opinion the best "starter" bird
is definitely a cockatiel. Like small dogs which have "big dog"
syndrome, cockatiels think they are and tend to act like larger
parrots, but they are low maintenance and can seem to entertain
themselves well enough in your absence, unlike many larger parrots.
Larger parrots get into bigger, more serious screaming habits and
psychological problems like feather picking than smaller birds. For
smaller birds, from what I've seen parrakeets (budgies) can be the
best talkers. I've seen one that could recite whole passages from
Shakespeare! However, they live usually less than 10 years, which
makes it kind of tough. One advantage Cockatiels have over budgies is
that they live longer, so have a better chance to become your
companion and best friend.
Keep in mind also that while African Greys are great birds, they tend
to be much more sensitive to household influences. They can get zinc
poisoning quite easily and are somewhat more inclined to get certain
diseases, one whose name I can't remember can kill them quite
suddenly, leaving the owner very sad, depressed and guilt-ridden.
Having to ensure that you are not using things like teflon pans in the
home or have any poisonous plants around your house can be a big drain
on your time and resources. Greys definitely fall into this "high
maintenance" category and, as I said before, won't necessarily be any
better talker than a smaller bird. I really think their ability to
talk and do tricks depends more on the strength of the individual who
owns them to control them and train them properly (And by the way I
don't fall into this category, unfortunately!)
Let's see, I haven't gotten into the subject of cage space. Your grey
will need quite a large cage to be comfortable, especially if he's in
it for a large portion of the day while you're at work. My mini-mccaw
was in a 2 foot by 1 foot cage. My corella requires a 5 foot by 2
foot cage to be happy! We've had to devote a whole room in our house
to him, because of both the cage size and the mess he makes. (Parrots
have a certain talent for being able to power-poo upwards and to the
side...it's the darndest thing!)
Speaking of mess, the larger the bird, the larger the mess. (The
exception to this is lorikeets - because they eat a liquid nectar type
diet, they are smelly and very messy - I'd love to own one, but have
rehabilitated wild ones here in Sydney and that experience was enough
to let me know, beautiful larrikins that they are, they are too messy
and smelly to consider).
Noise? Cockatiels are smaller so CAN'T make as much noise as your
average parrot. Another plus, especially if you have questionable
neighbors who might not appreciate the noise, or live in an apartment.
Partners? Cockatiels will still favor and try to bond with one
person, but are not quite as finnicky and insistent about it as larger
birds. And any partner you may someday have is more likely to put up
with the demands of a cockatiel than some larger parrot. This is a
VERY important point. I know if I had to choose between my corella
and my husband, the husband would have to go. No question about it.
So in an effort not to really ruin your life (and I can't emphasize
this enough), go for a smallish bird at least initially.
In short, my suggestion to you would be twofold. First, offer to
bird-sit for someone who already owns a bird. This will give you a
good indication of what owning a bird is like. If you can possibly
manage it, try to sit for both a small type and a large type bird.
You will see the contrast and what I'm talking about immediately.
(And do yourself a favor...if you have the good fortune to sit for a
large bird, don't just look at how cute the bird is...try to note that
if you had to deal with this behaviour and cleaning and attention
paying for decades, would you still be so excited to own such a bird?)
Secondly, unless you're ABSOLUTELY SURE that you can deal with a large
bird, start with something small, again my recommendation being a
cockatiel. If you get a large bird, you will ultimately want to get
it a companion at some point, and in my opinion, the cockatiel is also
the ultimate companion bird for any other type of bird, because it is
so accommodating and reasonable. So if things go well with the
cockatiel, you can add a larger bird to your collection at a later
date.
Anyway, that's my two cents. Feel free to post back if you have any
specific questions or you actually buy a bird and want to know
anything or need some help!
Best of luck.
kfred
different demands of the larger birds. Frankly, if I WAS thinking of
another, you gently persuaded me in the right direction. Thanks for making
all that effort to lay it out. I worry enough now that I'll outlive my bird,
and taking on a bird is a huge responsibility if we take it seriously. I
don't have room in my heart now for another, but back when I had canaries in
aviaries, span of life wasn't something to really have to worry about, in
terms of my outliving them.
My li'll guy has shed most of his baby feathers in about two weeks flat.
Strangest places we find those tiny ones-like in the just-delivered pizza.
Seems fussier now also...oh-oh...maybe it's a li'l gal,,,
Kate
Rick
[..]
> 4. Obviously, as you've probably gathered from the replies to your
> post, the type of bird which is right for you will depend a lot on
> your personality, the sort of place you live and a lot of other
> factors. However, having owned 4 very different types of birds, I can
> say in a very generic sense that in my opinion the best "starter" bird
> is definitely a cockatiel. Like small dogs which have "big dog"
> syndrome, cockatiels think they are and tend to act like larger
> parrots, but they are low maintenance and can seem to entertain
> themselves well enough in your absence, unlike many larger parrots.
That's far more true for standard tiels than others. We have one
green cheek conure and two whiteface tiels, and the tiels are NOT
low maintenance. They poop whenever and wherever they want,
shed dander like crazy (even with daily baths), are very nervous
and prone to night frights, have daily screeching rituals when they
wake up and at sunset, and scream bloody murder whenever a vet
gets within ten feet of them.
Meanwhile our conure is pretty much potty trained, has virtually no
dander, squawks only when she wants something, and is generally
a much more pleasant pet. In spite of the quirks the tiels are still
adorable and we're very much bonded to them, but if we had it
to do over again we'd choose standard tiels, no question about it.
Rick
tequilatamm
It's true that it depends on the particular bird as well as on the
person training it.
Our tiel WAS potty trained and never had much desire to squawk.
And I know you think your tiels are loud and shed a lot, but all I can
say is try owning a cockatoo if you want bird dander and noise and big
poos! There is without a doubt no comparison to the amount of dust
noise and poo they make! Not even the loudest, dustiest, pooiest tiel
could compare.
Still, I hear what you're saying. I think that owning a bird is sort
of one of those things like getting married or having kids--you can't
possibly know what it is really like until you do it yourself, and
there are some things you won't like about it, but in the end most of
us tend to think it's worth it.
Louis Boyd
> Still, I hear what you're saying. I think that owning a bird is sort
> of one of those things like getting married or having kids--you can't
> possibly know what it is really like until you do it yourself, and
> there are some things you won't like about it, but in the end most of
> us tend to think it's worth it.
Note the use of the word "tend" in the last line ;-)
--
Lou Boyd