Help deciding please? (senegal/caique/hahns)

[Crimson_Falcon]

Hello,

I am currently looking to buy my first parrot but deciding which one is proving difficult. I have interacted with a few different types of parrots before and have read in many different places for information and ideas. I am trying to gather as much as I can, and any advice you can give here would be fantastic - thankyou!

The types I am looking at:
Hahns macaw
Senegal
Caique


things I am looking for in the bird~

I need a bird that doesn't mind change as I will be moving house and also going away about once a month for a couple of days. I plan to socialize the bird with friends and visits to a parrot club in the hope it will be more settled with this.

I am looking for one that will learn tricks and like cuddles. I would like the ability to talk to, but it is not essential. I am already aware that the medium sized ones I am looking at are not fantastic talkers like the larger species.

I am willing to buy loads of toys to keep the parrot entertained, and so that we can play together. But I cannot guarantee the time I will have each day so I need the bird not to be too demanding but still happy to play when the time is there.

The likelyhood is that in the future I will be getting more parrots. there are so many that I love but right now I need to get a good starter so I can move on to others a few years down the road.

oh. I am also planning to keep the bird flighted. It doesn't need to be a fancy flyer but it would be great to know how these 3 (senegal / hahns / caique) react to being flighted in a house. do they fly around alot or just a bit when they feel like it?

Feel free to suggest other parrots to look into (appart from quakers and rainbow lorikeets)

[Michael]

I think Senegal Parrots suit all your desires well except for getting along with future parrots. I cannot specifically compare to the other species you mentioned but Senegals can get very jealous and aggressive about competition. On the other hand they handle alone time and changes very well it seems.

[GlassOnion]

Have you possibly considered a green cheek conure?
They are known to be very playful, a lot quieter than a caique or a hahn's macaw and are quite cuddly.

[Crimson_Falcon]

thankyou michael for your comment about senegals. I am glad to hear that it will suit well into the plans I have. As I am not sure if I will buy more parrots I will have to keep this type in mind. I have heard of others who keep them with other birds so perhaps with the correct introductions, and time, it may work. I am glad to hear that it suits well with the rest

Glassonion, to be honest I really like the appearance of conures, but I haven't fully researched into this kind yet. i've not seen much of them doing tricks and such and I have only really heard that they are very very energetic.

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I thought of some questions to ask, as these seem to be my main problems. I cannot seem to define what makes each of these parrots different as so many places say different things.

Will a hahns macaw be as playful as the other two? I love how they roll on their backs.
I have heard hahns macaws are quite cuddly, but are the other two?
A senegal seems to be the best at tricks, but could the other two be just as good with training?
Could you tell me their talking abilities? As far as I know, the hahns seems to be best, with the other two learning a small amount.
Will all three of these birds accept a second bird into the home at a later date, if properly introduced?
How well do they react to change?

[Michael]

The generalizations you hear are not guaranteed and subtle. First of all there are exceptions to all of the generalizations. Secondly, good training and upbringing can overcome many of these. However, the generalizations may hint at what the bird is better or worse at and what will take more work. So for instance, if you get a bird known for being quiet, doesn't mean it cannot ever talk but it may be a lot more work. A bird known for being aggressive doesn't mean it can't be cuddly but it may be more work than the naturally cuddly ones, etc. It all depends on how much effort you are ready to put in and which features appeal most. However, even then nothing is guaranteed and personality will play a large role. Just don't go for a bird with generally known traits that are unacceptable to you; finding the exception is not all that likely.

[Crimson_Falcon]

mhmm good point. I will be sure to take that into account. I have heard people say similar things before. Every bird will have it's own personality its just looking to the common traits that appear with each species. It's why I am asking to get an overall opinion of these little feathery friends. I've also made sure to ask friends I know that own parrots, as well as visiting breeders to see their birds. It's been great to see them in person and have a chance to interact with them too. Maybe i'm just stuck because I'd love to look after so many but I would never have the time xD at least not right now.

[footfoot]

I love my Senegal, but he only has eyes for me and a beak for everyone else.
I bought him 'used' so maybe more early socialization would help.

[sidech]

It's really hard to decide what you want based on what you read. I read a lot about Jardines, really wanted one, but when I went to see one, I changed my mind. In person, the parrot didn't appeal to me.

If I were you, after doing all my reading, I would go to a pet store and actually pet and handle a few different species. You might fall in love with a specific individual whose specie you had never even thought about ! I once bought a Quaker after going to the pet store for a Lovebird. I had no interest in Quakers, but this particular one was so sweet, I just wanted her in my life, and never regretted it.

No matter what you decide, that is still a good problem to have !

[Roger P]

To add to Sidech's idea of frequenting the local pet stores (which is a great idea), if there are any parrot clubs in your area you may want also to attend a meeting to talk to them about their birds. That would also give you another chance to interact with different birds to see what they are like and ask questions. Just a thought.

[Crimson_Falcon]

uhhuh. One of the club members said I could go even if I do not own my own parrot, so it certainly seems like a good idea especially as I need to wait until around April anyway for the new hatchlings to arrive.

I held some Caiques just a couple of days ago. I am in fact extremely happy that one of them decided to bite quite a lot. I was previously curious as to what a parrot bite was like and what to expect but now I don't need to worry any more. It was just being playful, i'll add. I've petted a hahns in the pet store too. it was so tame and cuddly. I think I may have also met and fed some senegals but they were wild at a bird zoo. I'm keeping an eye out for them as thats the only one I haven't seen at breeders / pet stores yet.

I guess the general idea would be to see which bird I get on with most when they are in stock if I still can't decide which breed I like most. All three seem to be great birds.

thankyou for all the comments! they are all very useful ^_^