Info/Where to Get a Bird?

[areias]

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.

[Giselle]

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!

[Alysser]

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!

[Alysser]

Petfinder.com should find you a great bird.

[tikeyas_mom]

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

[areias]

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

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.

[crazy_caique]

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

[areias]

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...