Thinking of Cockatiel or Pionus; have parrotlet

[nerdybird]

It seems like Red bellied have a more laid back temperament on average, from what I've heard. But that's at least a couple years from now before I actually try to get one. And if I decide it would be too much, I can always get another parrotlet or cockatiel Right now there is an adorable little blue parrotlet at the pet shop, and it is so tempting....but one bird at a time.

I know some people with single cockatiels that seem to do well, and he will be out a lot, almost all the time when I'm at home. Not for the first month of course, because I am going to take it very slow with introducing them...I talked to a bird behavioralist and the owner of a local reputable bird store, and they think the cockatiel and female parrotlet will be ok as housemates, if I'm careful when I introduce them, and they don't dislike each other for some individual reason (which is always possible...).

My studio apartment is turning into one big bird room. I have a window seat which is becoming the central birdie play area, with a boing and soon some wood perches hanging from the ceiling.

[Pajarita]

Please take into consideration that petstores are part of the industry so they will always tell you what you want to hear. As to behaviorists... well, for one thing, they are also part of the industry and although there are a very few good ones (Barbara Heidenreich, Lara Joseph, etc) the rest's credentials are highly doubtful (anybody can call themselves a behaviorist, I could, too, if I wanted to). Pet parrots are a very recent fad, historically speaking, and there are no real protocols or formal curricula to study or any standardized tests so people who used to train animals for, say, a circus, call themselves 'behaviorists' (sounds much better than trainer, doesn't it?).