Info/Where to Get a Bird?

I will probably be moving back in with my parents in December (college just isn't working out). I told my mom I'd like to get a bird, particularly a Sun Conure, and surprisingly she agreed.

First question-does anyone have experience in living with one? Are they particularly loud, squaking, etc? I know they don't talk much. I plan on getting an apartment in about a year, and I really can't have it if its going to start carrying on at all hours. There was one at the Petsmart I worked at, he was really awesome. Tame and fairly quiet as far as I can tell. How messy are they? I know birds in general can be messy, but I don't really want everything everywhere.

Second Question-Where is the best place to get one? Like I said, I believe they still have the one at Petsmart, for $600 or so, he's about 6 months old. They also have a bird specialty store that has one, although I haven't seen it, all I know is that they have it. And then there's an option of finding a breeder. I would really prefer the cheapest one, or the cheapest one in the long run. Do you think the Petsmart birds would have more health problems? Is it the same in general? :confused:

If not a Sun Conure, I would probably get a Cockatiel from a breeder. I'm open to other suggestions on types of birds, but I have at least a little bit of experience with the two. It must be no bigger than the Conure, or smaller than a Cockatiel. And very friendly, I'm not looking for something just to look pretty in a cage. Any tips are appreciated.

Sun conures
they do have a medium to loud squawk I have heard there squawk at pet stores
i hear they are great birds loving,playful,funny.ect..
Have you thought about a rescue?You could find a great bird at a bird rescue and the people there could match you with the perfect bird
you could get one form a breeder i bet it would be a 100 or two more then if you get one at a respectable pet store
do some research on the perfect bird for you
hear are some i think you sould look into if you want:

green-cheeked conures
senegals
peach-fronted conures
maroon-bellied conures

I've never owned a conure, but I almost bought a Jenday Conure last year.

Like any other animal, all birds have their own personality. I met one conure (the one I almost bought) he was sweet, playful, and had learned to say a few words. But, he was so loud.

Now I can't imagine having a conure. Buttons (my tiel) can be very loud when he wants to. He has woken me up in the morning to let me know he wants out! His cage is in my room, so that might be part of the problem. Buttons is a real sweet bird though, he loves to play and just to sit on your shoulder.

If you're looking for a quiter conure, I've heard Green Cheek Conures are your best bet. I've been told by people on a bird forum I was part of that her three Green Cheeks were quiter then her one tiel!

Good luck finding a bird! Which ever one you get you'll love. :)

Well talk to the employees at that PetCo and asked if he was hand fed. Hand fed birds are usually more affectionate and friendly to humans than ones that aren't. Try bird specialty stores and ask if they hand fed as babies, too.

We had a Sun Conure at PetCo that we got as a BABY, I mean this guy was so tiny. The one we had before him was mean, and actually bit me once lmao. But this little guy was so sweet, we let him out of his cage when I'd clean the bird room and he'd just walk around and play with his toys and sit there and talk and talk adn talk!! :) He was so sweet adn would give you kisses, it was adorable! :)

PetCo prices are usually a bit steeper than bird specialty shops, so just lok around and see what you can find!

Thanks for the tips. I'm going to have to look into the Green-Cheek. Maybe I will stop in to the specialty tomorrow and see what they have.

The one at Petsmart is incredibly smart and friendly, he knows a few tricks already, and loves to lay in your shirt. He was hand fed-I did it a few times when I was closing. I know he's off hand feeding now. I'm just hesitant to go with that one, because I'm sure they're not going to offer me a lot of support after I buy it, not the way the specialty store would or a breeder. Maybe I'm just going to have to go around and see what I can find.

I enjoy tiels, I'm just slightly hesitant to get one because the one me and my ex boyfriend had, was very nervous and never really got tame, and I did get her from a friend/coworker that had hand raised her. I have met really sweet ones too, so I'm not totally sure. And yes, I know they can be loud.

Green-Cheeks are an excellent "next step up" bird. I recommend them to anyone looking for a slight challenge and aren't quite into Tiels. It sounds like you've already chosen a species, but I LOVE the whole group of poicephalus parrots: Jardine's, Meyer's, Senegal, and Red Bellied Parrot:
Jardines:
http://www.petbirdpage.com/breed.asp?breed=jardine

Meyers:
http://www.petbirdpage.com/breed.asp?breed=meyers

Senegal:
http://www.petbirdpage.com/breed.asp?breed=senegal

And the less popular, Red Bellied:
http://www.petbirdpage.com/breed.asp?breed=redbelly

You might also want to look into the whole Pionus group:

Maximilian:
http://www.petbirdpage.com/breed.asp?breed=scalface

Blue Headed:
http://www.petbirdpage.com/breed.asp?breed=bhpionus

Bronze Wing:
http://www.petbirdpage.com/breed.asp?breed=bronzwng

Dusky:
http://www.petbirdpage.com/breed.asp?breed=dusky

White Capped:
http://www.petbirdpage.com/breed.asp?breed=wcpionus

If you're looking for a fantastic, quiet companion, I highly recommend you look into the Pionus parrots. They rarely scream and make soft, bleating noises. I would compare their noise level to that of a budgerigar. On the other hand, I am not a fan of the Aratinga conures (Sun, Jenday, Dusky, etc.). These birds tend to scream just (or as little) as much as other species, but their screams are EAR-SPLITTING. I'll tell you one thing. You do not want an aggravated Sun on your shoulder because these guys have high-pitched calls that can deafen you.

As for where you should acquire your bird, the best option is to visit a bird fair/show or find a breeder online. Birds are unique in the sense that it does take a lot of calculation and care to successfully encourage two exotic parrots to mate and it takes even greater care to hand-rear chicks. For these reasons, there is a smaller risk of unreputable breeders, unlike dogs. I would suggest you look on birdbreeders.com and ask the heck out of the breeder. He or she should readily give you a detailed account of what your bird's life will be like prior to the sale. To avoid nervousness and jealousy, the breeder should expose your future bird to a wide variety of animals, humans, and normal noises around the house. If he or she doesn't, run the other way. Socialization during birth up till the point the bird leaves for its new home is a crucial period. Finding a good breeder is very important ;) Good Luck and share lots of pictures!

Well, I have expirence with parakeets. They are VERY sweet birds if tamed properly. Are you a first time bird owner? If so, I would suggest a parakeet. They make noise but not at night.They only need about one to two hour exsercise sessions a day. Most can't talk but they CAN if you really try. They are very affectionate to. They are pretty cheap at Petco. About 20 dollars each. But I suggest you get two because they like company. Good luck with finding your bird!:)

Petfinder.com should find you a great bird.

out of experience sun conures are the loudest of all the conures lol..
i woulnt reccomend one for a beginner or for apartment living..
if you want a quieter conure get a green cheeked conure.. they still scream if lonely, or if they want somthing.. but generally they are pretty quiet conures.. i love them, i have wanted one for over a year now, but i just dont have the time :). good luck :D

Sorry for not replying, I forgot I had posted this. :o

I really like the senegals! They seem like a pretty good bird. The pionus species are interesting...I'm going to have to see whats in my area. I don't really want to have a bird shipped to me, it would just be easier to pick it up around here.

So many options.

pionus are said not to be as cuddlily as the senegals but all birds are differnt :D

Well, I finally went into my bird specialty store-I love the people in there, they're awesome. They won't have Senegals until the Summer, and we were talking about different bird breeds. I've come to the conclusion that I most likely will not be able to afford a $500 bird, plus all the stuff for it. They used to not have cockatiels, but they do now...I believe there were 8 or so, and of those only one actually tried to evade me, the rest were curious about me, and absolutely none of them hissed at me. They have several different colors of them, and the highest priced was only $100, being an albino. They looked healthy and happy, and the guy gets them directly from a breeder friend of his. When I get the money up and go for it, I will probably get a cockatiel from him.

Now, I just need to get up the money to make all my purchases..cage, toys, food, supplements...the list goes on. I did see a really nice cage for only $50, with a seed protector, and it was a decent size. Hmm, choices choices...