Cockatiel or Pionus

[Morten]

Hey everybody

My girlfriend and I lost our cockatiel two months ago, and we are thinking that we might now be ready to add a new winged member to our little family. We have researched on different species, and we are beginning to fall in love with the pionus.

The fact that it often bonds to the whole family rather than just person, that it is a relatively calm and friendly bird that is capeable of learning some tricks and maybe a few words is a big plus. But we are still in doubt and sometimes consider if we should get a cockatiel again. At one hand we would like to "try something new" but on the other hand the cockatiel is still a loveable bird.

Any input would be greatly appreciated, especially what the big difference is between these two birds.

[captwest]

Hey welcome to the forum, i notice that the traits you are looking for and the fact that you are comparing it to a cockatiel, maybe you should get another cockatiel. They do well as a second bird if you decide you want another bird later. It's hard to go wrong with a tiel.Maybe try for a male, they seem to be more outgoing and animated than the hens. just my 2 cents worth

[a.susz]

just dont go into ownership of a pionus expecting a cockatiel personality but seriously I have 2 pis and they are AWESOME. If I had known about them years ago they would have been my choice bird!

[Morten]

Thanks for the replies so far

We are leaning more and more towards a pionus. There is just something about them that is so hard to resist. We also like that it is more "parrot-like" i.e. it looks more like a parrot than the cockatiel and it seems that the behaviour of a pionus is more comparable to that of a big parrot (for example the amazon which I often see it compared to)?

[zazanomore]

I have a cockatiel and two budgies right now, but I'd really like to have a white caped pionus. Their colors may seem dull in comparison to some birds, but when you put them in the right, they look like a rainbow.

Their personalities seem great too. My cockatiel is really just a tiny cuddle bug. I think it would be nice to also have a bird that's more playful.

[Roger P]

I love the White Capped and Bronze Wing! If I ever get to the point where a second bird could come into our house, I would be going for one of these. I love their look and their personalities.