Brown-headed parrot vs. Linnie vs. Green-cheeked conure?

[k9shrink]

Hi guys,

When living in Istanbul from 2007-2012, I was active on this site, and had a parent-raised CAG who performed on TV and went camping with me, etc. I had to rehome her (with fellow clicker trainers who have another CAG) when I left Turkey and moved back to America last year.

I've enjoyed the peace and quiet for a year, but really miss having a parrot and would like to get another. However, I was mismatched with this CAG and am trying to do more research this time. She was quite bitey (drew blood weekly), despite my very respectful handling and constant use of positive reinforcement. And the noise was unrelenting--both talking and screeching/honking/whistling/contact-calling. For my next bird, I'm looking for:

- quiet - aiming for the "lowest 10-15th percentile of all parrots for noise"
- too small to draw blood if/when it does bite.
- 10-25 year lifespan.
- non-aggressive when handled respectfully.
- a cuddler who will happily sit on my shoulder or lap while I work online.

So far, the leader in all these categories is a Bourke's parakeet, followed by a regular budgie... However, neither of these is ideal for the final item on the list:

- ability to learn lots of tricks, like roll-over, fetch, hang upside down, etc.

From my online research, it looks like the three candidates that fit all of these "wants" are three parrots that I've never seen in my life (except for one, and that was only today!):

Brown-headed parrot (Poicephalus sp.): nobody seems to breed or own them within 2,000 miles of me, but everybody claims that "their friend has one and loves it." This is currently my top pick, based ONLY on what I've read.

Linnie: Ditto, can't find a single breeder or owner in the Midwest, though many websites recommend them as a good "starter bird"--quiet and non-aggressive. However, on this forum, many report they are tame at first, then become hand-shy for the rest of their lives, starting at age 1. For this reason, most people keep them solely as aviary birds. The only one I've found for sale is 2,000 miles away and being sold because it screams non-stop.

Green-cheeked conure: These seem easy to find, and are said to be "very quiet" and non-aggressive.

I've been waiting for months for the local bird fair in hopes of meeting all three breeds. There weren't any Poicephalus at all, and no Linnies, but there was a single green-cheek breeder (among other species). He had hand-fed babies: one newly-weaned baby, and three that are a week away from being weaned.

After I told him what I'd read, the guy warned me that green-cheeks were not one of the quieter parrots, but only "the quietest of the conures." That said, his birds were vocalizing when in their cage, and seemed pretty quiet compared to my CAG.

His birds would step up for anybody and did not seem particularly stressed. But when I and the breeder took turns holding each of the 4 perched on our fingers, they bit both of us CONSTANTLY. These were hard bites that each would have drawn blood if they'd come from a slightly larger parrot. They'd only let go of biting and twisting my skin if they saw another fold of skin that needed their "biting attention." (Only 1 of the 4 was relatively non-bitey and gave me only a single pinch during five minutes on my hand--but it wasn't weaned, and so not available).

The breeder claimed that the biting and twisting of my skin was normal "baby parrot" behavior and only lasts a few weeks, right after weaning. He said it wasn't "biting," but "experimenting." Every time one bit him, he'd gently tap it on the head and say no, but it would immediately go back to biting. When I left the booth, I was covered with tiny little blood-blisters.

I don't know if I should believe him that the biting was temporary, or if he's breeding especially aggressive green-cheeks, or if everything I've read about green-cheeks is wrong.

They're still on the list, but I thought I'd ask for input comparing any of the three birds on my list. I'm hoping there are people on this forum who have owned at least one or two of the three species. Any recommendations for a relatively non-bitey, quiet, cuddly, trick-learning parrot?

Thanks!

Sharon in Wisconsin

[marie83]

I cant tell you about the other two species but I can tell you a bit about my green cheek.

Quiet- he doesn't make a lot of noise and when he is making noise it is mainly background chatter, however when he does decide to be loud he is loud (not as loud as a grey but it can still really grate on you). His loud spells can also go on a while at times.

Too small to draw blood- he can and does draw blood, again probably not as bad as a bite from a grey but it certainly can hurt a lot even if it doesn't draw blood if he catches you right. He also sometimes chomps right down and you have to physically remove his beak. His body language is hard to read as well, its so subtle, thus harder to prevent bites.

Lifespan- I think this would fit however I've never seen any accurate figures on average lifespan, ant source you look at seems to give a different idea.


Cuddler- mine definitely is, too much so at times. We had to teach him to be independent as he was a hand raised/co-parented who wanted literally constant attention. However they can go from cuddly to bitey in less than a second at times so you need to be aware of body language constantly.


Tricks- mine learned basic tricks such as wave in less than one session, these guys are very smart.

Anyway the beaking stage is normal, however with Ollie is wasn't a phase that only lasted a few weeks, a few months was more like it and I hate to say I really thought I had made the wrong choice getting him at one point. I was in tears over him regularly because he was relentlessly nipping and nipping hard at that despite me doing everything "right". These days I hardly ever get bitten, my ex-boyfriend still gets bitten on a regular basis (that sounds odd I know but we only just broke up) but I believe that's because he reacts to Ollies bites, nor does he attempt to read his body language. Whilst I don't get bitten much anymore I still have to pay close attention, the last bite I got was on my finger tip just over a week ago, it was hard and it bled but it was my fault as I got distracted. I couldn't be without him now, he is amazing, fun, a quick learner, cuddly, independent but also very stubborn when he wants to be.

[k9shrink]

Marie,

Great--thanks so much for the helpful information about what it's like living with a green-cheeked conure!

Sharon

[Nir]

as far as i know, a brown headed can surely draw blood.not sure about the other 2. also look into cockatiel. i think they also fit everything your asking for. also, pretty sure both a brown head and gcc are bad talkers usually and arent known for there talking ability.

[deshud]

I have 2 out of the 3. I have a 2 year old linnie (hand fed) she was my first parrot. She's my smallest, but biggest attitiude! She doesn't talk, some males can say some words, she will chirp in response to house hold noise ( microwave beeps, phone, ect...) She doesn't need A LOT of attention, she's a good apartment bird. She does get moody and nippy, but won't draw blood. If I had more time with her, I can train her more. My 12 year old nephew can handle her without getting bit.

I got my brown head just 3 weeks ago, so just learning about her. Previous owner thinks she's about 7 years ago, not hand tamed anymore. She's quiet, and we're just getting used to each other. She does chew A lot, going through a lot of toys already. I think once she trusts me, she will be trainable, she doesn't attempt to bite me.

I don't have a conure, but when you look at kiji here in canada, there are a lot of conures for re-homing. Linnies and brown heads are difficult to find. Linnies are especially in demand here. Another species are parrotlets, they're similar to linnies, a little more common.

Good luck in finding your perfect parrot friend. Another species ( I have been researching a lot as well) is meyer's. They're suppose to be quieter, friendly, and good apartment birds. They're on my wishlist as well.

I think are you doing great research, it's very important to get a parrot that is compatible with you. There is one out there just for you

It's wierd you picked 2 birds that I have. I almost bought conures, ( I was thinking of breeding them), then heard they were a little noisy, and seen how many are available.

I have 2 other parrots, kakarikis ( both males), you may not have heard of them, they're not that common here. They're from new zealand, originally aviary birds, but starting to become more popular as pet birds. They're similar to the linnies and parrotlets. They are quiet, and males do talk a little. They can draw blood if need be though. If they are hand tamed, they are great apartment birds as well. They're difficult to find, but quite reasonably priced if you can find them.

Best of luck on finding your new friend.

Debbie

[Sean]

A GCC are quiet. But if your feeding them the wrong diet, always in the cage, etc they are really loud

GCC can draw blood but some don't

GCC can for 20-40 years

GCC can be cuddly, playful, or both