my brother's first pet

[lute]

my parents are thinking of lettin my brother get a bird. he wants to learn as much as he can before choosing what kind of bird to get.

he wants a bird that he can hang out with.
it can't be too loud because we live in an apartment.
i have a tiel so we have bird experiance.

okie PTers please help my brother find out what bird is good for him.

[aly]

Browse around on the Bird Talk forum : http://www.birdtalkmagazine.com/anforum/

They have lots of threads started by people with the same question and you'll find a lot of good advice!

[lute]

cool...thanks!

[flamepony12]

I know that most parrots make A LOT of noise. Budgies are small, but they sure can shreak. I have a female cockatiel, who does not make ANY sound at all, except for whistling an occasional tune and chirping a hello I've heard that boy cockatiels are sometimes more noisy than females, because of the courting. but males can talk. Whatever kind you think is right for your family! good luck!

[lute]

thanks flamepony12, i have a male cockatiel and he talks and is loud at times.

i was thinking he would like a budgie,but he likes lucy(my tiel) so they are an option. he also likes the way finches sing. i was wondering if sun conures were too loud for apartments because he saw one and he likes them too.

[Giselle]

Hehehe...Have you joined BirdTalk? I'm GreenleafGreyhound on there. I'm also on DogFancy, if you want to drop in with a canine issue

Word to the wise...Aratinga Conures (this includes Suns, Jendays, Nandays, etc.) are loud by nature. It's just natural for them to scream, I guess. Maybe you'll get lucky and end up with a quieter one, but Aratingas are generally LOUD. I doubt this will work for an apartment situation. I second the notion for a pet budgie. They're great little birds and are extremely easy to tame even if parent-raised. I also recommend a parrotlet. However, these guys are quite active and have loads of personality stuffed into a tiny body. Think---Tiny Macaw I also recommend a Lovebird. Don't have too much experience with them, but if raised properly, a lovie will make a great birdie friend.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

Cockatiels and budgies of corse are great first birds, but if he's looking for something a bit bigger I love and would recommend an Indian ringneck parakeet. I have one and he is great. He can get vocal, but compared to other birds they really aren't too loud. My Oscar is a pretty good talker and a wonderful eater, and he loves to be with us. They come in several different colors- green, blue, yellow, white.
Here is a picture of Oscar after a shower: