Senegal's are good pets?

[Jessica M]

Hello everyone my Parrotlet died a year ago October 18th and i think it's time for a new bird,i have been looking and doing my research on many different types of birds,Conures,Lorie's,Quakers,Pionus,Ringnecks,as you can see i prefer a bird around that size.But i think i finally found the right bird for me a Senegal,i really like their talking ability and their not as loud as a Sun Conure.I have done a lot of research if this is the bird for me i plan on perching a book about Senegal's. Over the years i have liked many types of birds it all started when i was in second grade their where wild Quaker parrots that flew around my Elementary school all the time,so since i was in second grade i had wanted a Quaker and i never got one my mom knows people who have bred them and they gave my mom some information or "opinions" so my mom said no to a Quaker Parrot.Then began the start for a new bird although i loved my Parrotlets, i can handle something bigger and hopefully a little more hardier,with more of a talking capacity.

So i think it's finally time to really decide and stop switching from bird to bird,if you can answer my question then i will make a decision and the next step is to get a book about them.

Here's my question i have read that they tend to be "one person birds"
Their are many birds out their like this but from what i have personally seen with other birds even larger ones like Cockatoos,and Macaws they have their favorite person,but if you where to ask them to step up they would do it without biting.That is what i want to have happen with my Senegal,even with socialization it really does depend on the bird.

So how do your Senegal's react to strangers,and new people they meet?
Do they get along with your other pets?

and some general information would be helpful,i like to see both sides a pros & cons to owning them some things i all ready know the answers to, im not really concerned to much with behavior issues like screaming & biting i mean everything takes time and effort believe me when i first got my Parrotlets they where not nice my fingers bled,but i worked with them to where they would fly back to me on command,and i could preen their feathers we where bonded the good thing was they didn't bite any of my friends.

Thanks everyone for the love and support i can't wait to hear from you please write as much as you want and no im not being sarcastic,information and stories are very much appreciated after all when i finally decide im going to stick to it no matter what i have $380 dollars saved up although i plan to get a rescue or re-home then purchase one from a breeder,i have found it is a lot of work either way and i just feel that i should give a bird a second chance.

Remember "birds are not born with bad habits they are learned"

[guybo]

I had a Senegal about 10 years ago that I had to re-home because it would not get along with my wife (now ex). That bird was very possessive of me and was very much a one-person bird. In retrospect if I knkew better what I was doing I could have better socialized the bird, but in the end that bird would not get along with my wife (and vice-versa...) and so the bird had to go. It bit her very badly once and drew blood. It bit hard and didn't nip then go- it'd bite and clamp down.

That bird was very cuddly, wanted to be with me all the time and was lovable. It was not a big talker (at dawn it'd talk and say things while it was in its cage and that was it). I don't remember it being particularly loud but it had its moments! It'd step up for me and would spend all day on my shoulder if I let it. If this sort of thing is what you can live with for the next 30 years- then go for it.

[Natacha]

I have a Senegal who will be turning 5 years old in March.

She is my one Poicephalus I had as a baby (once weaned of course). The way she turned out is what made me get more than one poi.

She is simply awesome. I did do everything I could to get her properly socialized very early on - I brought her to parrot club meetings where she met strangers and other parrots, I had every member of my family handle her, I had my friends who didn't mind birds handle her, I brought her with me when some of my friends from the "parrot world" do presentations with kinds (scouts/brownies) and she did very very well with kids - just recently another friend of mine asked if I could bring one of my guys to a parrot themed birthday party she was throwing for some kids and Shade was great.

She will go to anyone, step up with no issue. I remember one of those brownie meeting where, instead of listening to my request of coming forward one by one, the kids kinda rushed in and all wanted Shade at the same time, instead of biting the more insistent fingers, Shade looked at me for what to do, came up my shoulder and once I had the little girls lined up, she quite willingly stepped up for them.

Out of my guys, she's the quietest. My lovebird and Meyer's got her beat on that level.
She is also NOT a picky eater - she'll eat anything.
She loves to play on her own but also has her very cuddly moment (where she will be on my shoulder and cuddle as close as she can to my neck). She has moments where she is less cuddly, but I let her be and when the phase goes by, she becomes "herself" again - and during those phases, she won't have a tendency to bite - and I don't believe she's ever drew blood out of anyone but has given very few warning nips if her body language wasn't read right or just plainly ignored by others.

She's pretty good with my other birds, but when I first got her, my mom already had quite a few birds so she lived with other birds early on. However, I do believe that this does depend on each individual bird because if I look at her brother, which belongs to my mom, he does not particularly like any other birds and will try to attack my mom's Meyer's, African Greys and even her Cockatoos.
He's also been less socialized than Shade and you can see he has preferred people and will not step up for others, although he does step up for quite a few people. But it's clear that my mom and myself are his chosen people.

[lzver]

I have a 4 year old Senegal and unfortunately, he's a very typical one-person and phobic bird ... but know that I know more about birds I realize that is my fault. He wasn't properly socialized as a baby and I've always been his primary care giver. He's an amazing bird with me. He's my little cuddle monkey .... he loves his cuddle time with me and I can do anything with him.

Natacha gives a perfect example with her Senegal Shade. If well socialized a Senegal makes a great companion and pet.

[Natacha]

I have a 4 year old Senegal and unfortunately, he's a very typical one-person and phobic bird ... but know that I know more about birds I realize that is my fault. He wasn't properly socialized as a baby and I've always been his primary care giver. He's an amazing bird with me. He's my little cuddle monkey .... he loves his cuddle time with me and I can do anything with him.

Natacha gives a perfect example with her Senegal Shade. If well socialized a Senegal makes a great companion and pet.

I still managed to give Jessie head scritches withing half an hour or so

[lzver]

I have a 4 year old Senegal and unfortunately, he's a very typical one-person and phobic bird ... but know that I know more about birds I realize that is my fault. He wasn't properly socialized as a baby and I've always been his primary care giver. He's an amazing bird with me. He's my little cuddle monkey .... he loves his cuddle time with me and I can do anything with him.

Natacha gives a perfect example with her Senegal Shade. If well socialized a Senegal makes a great companion and pet.

I still managed to give Jessie head scritches withing half an hour or so

I think that has a lot to do with being a bird person and actually giving him time to warm up to you. I can't get my husband or step kids to give them the time of day.

[footfoot]

My senegal just chomped my wife's arm badly and then wouldn't let go. She was flailing around until she managed to fling the bird off. Can't seem to break it's mean streak with others.
Rather discouraging. Not sure what I'm going to do now.

[Jessica M]

Try this
Watch past the person getting bit then they'll show you how to stop it from happening,you don't have to use a clicker you could just say like good boy or girl or something like that.If you want a clicker you can get them at petsmart and petco mainly they use them in dog training but it makes the same noise hope this will help you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbXHrqqEIp4

[kathis]

My husband and I had a Senegal (OG) who recently passed away. Everyone told us she would be a one-person bird, but she really wasn't. She loved my husband and me equally. She was shy around strangers, but never bit anyone. She liked one of my daughters and tolerated the other.

The only other pet OG was ever around was our guinea pig (Philbert). For a long time OG and Philbert seemed to be infatuated with each other. OG would hang out on Philbert's cage and Philbert would go to her. She would stick her beak into his cage to give him "kisses" and he would "kiss" her back. It was the most bizarre thing, but a real joy to watch.

We were told by several people that when OG was 2-3 years old she would go through a mean streak. OG once again proved everyone wrong and never had a single mean moment. She was simply an amazing little bird. We miss her terribly.

I hope you are as lucky with your Senegal as we were.

[Jessica M]

Yea i hope so too when the time comes that i can finally get a bird i hope everything turns out well.