What Kind of Parrot Should I Get?

[SparkLeAnn]

Hi, I'm 13 years old and I want to get a parrot for my birthday. I know a lot about parrots and the care they need. I know they need a LOT of attention. Right now I have a Budgerigar I got from Petsmart. I should of got one from a breeder because she was really hard to tame, but she is tame now after a couple of months and we are working on talking. My mom has a double yellow headed amazon named Bucky. He is sooooooooooo cute. He has a giant bell he can barely hold and whenever he drops it he makes the funniest noises. He likes me and my mom but does not like my dad or brother but, a lot of amazons are like that. I will not put my future bird with the ones I have now. I know they might hurt each other. I am looking for a bird that is small or medium. Parakeets, conures, lories, lorikeets, rosellas, lovebirds, parrotlets, or any other medium sized birds you can think of. I want a bird that has a cute personality and likes to cuddle and be outgoing. I dont care if it talks and i dont care about colors i just want a personality. I can spend up to 500 dollars. I prefer less exspensive birds but it does not matter that much. I will spend a lot of time with the bird. With school i will spend a little time before i leave. I'm an early bird. When i get home I will spend the rest of my time with it while i do my homework but i also have to give my budgie attention. On the weekends I do hang out with freinds and what not, but most of my freinds like birds so we can give them attention then too. My budgie likes my freinds to at first she was shy to people but then she started to warm up a little still not quite the greatest around other people but pretty good. I will let my birds fly around. we live in a big home so plenty of room to fly. for those who think i cant handle it i know that I'm young but I can still handle it i know they need a lot of attention and care and they live a long time. Thank you soooooooooo much. And just sharing this my grandparents are getting an african gray male named rambler he is so cute. Bye

[pennyandrocky]

seams like even though you're only 13 you and your mom know what you're in for. I would say a is very cuddly. does it have to be a breeder? you could find one at a rescue for a small adoption fee and have plenty left over for everything else the bird will need cage, toys, food and treats. some rescues will include the cage. benefits of rescue over baby are you know the personality, it's already tame in most cases, and the bird can choose you which has always worked better for me. and you would be saving the life of a bird who needs a home.

[SparkLeAnn]

Thank you pennyandrocky the idea about the shelter is very smart i appreciate your advice. My mom got her amazon from a rescue place and he is doing great. the people before us who had him i dont think weaned him right becaus he cant fly we have a lot of room for him but he only walks on the floor. sometimes he looks like hes about to fly but does'nt. i never thought about a rescue because i just never thought they would have small ones but i guess they do thank you.

[deshud]

I know this is a late reply, haven't been on the forum for awhile. I have a linnie, and she's awesome. My 12 year old nephew loves her. She does nave an attitiude, but loves to be cuddled on her own terms. Parrotlets are similar to linnies as well, I heard they may be a little more aggressive, but trainable.
Good luck in finding your perfect friend.

Debboe

[SparkLeAnn]

Thank you linnies look really cute. I love the colors on them

[Strawfrawg]

Hi, SparkLeAnn (love your screen name).

I agree with Pennyandrocky that a GCC would be a nice choice for cuddles. I've known a few and only met one who wasn't a sweetiepie. I have a wonderfully cuddly and easygoing Senegal, myself, but it sounds like a GCC would be better for your situation. They're such monkeys. Very cute.

[Pajarita]

Yes, they are but they become extremely nippy when not kept to a good schedule and handled for hours every day and I don't know how consistently a child can do that.... I've taken in four GCCs that were deemed aggressive by their owners and the common denominator was young owners who did not do these things every day. And, it becomes kind of like a vicious cycle with parrots: you don't do it for a couple of days, the parrot is upset with you and nips you instead of stepping up so you don't do it for another couple of days (to teach the bird a 'lesson') and the bird bites harder which makes the owner fear the bird and handle it even less until the bird becomes aggressive. I've seen this happen over and over and over...

[SparkLeAnn]

Thanks everyone I appreciate the advice I'm still looking into it but I'm really considering the GCC. They are really adorable I'm kind of torn on the GCC and the parrotlet. I like the GCC because it is cute and everybody said that its a cuddle bug, but I also like the parrotlet because they are really playful and adorable. Any advice on what I should get. Thanks.

[Yarrow]

I thought that I'd just put a word in for parrotlets since you're considering them. I own a pair of celestials which I allow to breed a couple of times a year. I then co-parent the chicks.

I assume that in a few years when you have to leave home, your parents will be fine looking after your bird until you get a place where you can keep a pet. However once you have somewhere, an apartment maybe, you'll have noise issues and neighbours to consider. Parrotlets tend not to be very loud and are quiet compared with GCCs so that might be worth considering.

I find parrotlets to be very engaging little birds, I've taught my 8 week old babies to do simple tricks like 'wave' and 'turn around' so they seem quite intelligent. They don't hold food with their feet in the way that bigger parrots do but in other ways they are quite similar. Mine are happy to sit on a finger and have their head scritched and will snuggle in under my hair as it starts to get dark.

They can have issues with nipping but a lot of that comes from people not bringing them up properly, they need to be trained just like bigger parrots. Hand reared parrotlets (and many other species) can be prone to issues like plucking so if you do decide to get one, I'd suggest going for a co-parented bird or a young parent reared bird if you have the patience to tame it.

I hope that was helpful. Have fun deciding

[Pajarita]

Yarrow is correct. All the plets I know that are kept as single birds pluck.