Possibly aquiring a parrot... Reccomendations?

[zazanomore]

Cockatiels are dust factories. I'm so glad I don't have any allergies.

[Saerphe]

Mom wants to get me tested for asthma now, so an Eclectus may just be the best option. I don't typically have problems with dust, but we'll see how that works out.

[greymatter]

I suggest you look into the poicephalus, such as the Senegal, meyers, red belied etc. They are comparable to the gcc's I believe, and are relatively quiet. Many pois learn tons of tricks, and can be potty trained easily. The biggest reason for why I would suggestion to you is that they are quite independent, and can keep themselves occupied all day long without needing a companion- as long as you give them attention in the evening. I hear they really are perfect for the working person.

Pois rock - they really have great personalities, and from my experience tend to be a quieter parrot.

If I hadn't fallen in love with our Caique while babysitting for my breeder friend, a Meyer's would have finished up our flock *sigh*

[GlassOnion]

But I LOVE caiques! I WANT a caique!

[drif]

I have an ekkie and a gcc. They are both great but there are definately differences. The gcc will play all day long, back and forth all over the cage. When he gets excited he runs from toy to toy and get's all the bells ringing. The eckie is very laid back. She just sits there or hangs upside down for most of the day. I actually caught her playing with a toy the other day; she looked at me like I interrupted her and went over and sat on her perch.

Noise. If the gcc is Loud then the ekkie is LOUD!!!! It's not all the time but I normally hear an ekkie call once every few days unless a guest comes over and we are talking in a different room then it's about once every twenty minutes for an hour or two. Everyone who has been over jumps the first time they hear it. It definately pauses any conversation going on every time. She will call to me if I'm in the room for awhile (which happens a lot since it's my home office) and go out of her line of sight, for example into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. The gcc calls about twice a day for a minute each. His calls are loud enough that it would wake you up but not to bad.

Mess. They both like to throw and dip food. Multiple perches with the food on the other side of the cage will not change this. It's just how they eat. A seed guard helps a lot.

Personallity. At two years old the gcc has become very cage territorial and nippy. He is fine with me when he is out of the cage but I wouldn't ask anyone else to touch him for fear of bloddy fingers. I hope he grows out of this. The ekkie is the sweetest bird I have ever seen. Even if she is tired or cranky she will just push your fingers away from her.

[coral]

i have a blue headed pionus parrot named marty he is quiet most of the day and hes a very good bird, but he is territorial and he does scream about 3 -5 times a day but it only lasts a few seconds and isnt horrible. he can play independaltly or with me he isnt clingy but he is loveable he tolerates other people but has a problem with some women because he was rehomed and his last owners ex wife was very mean to him. anyways hes a great bird, hes messy, doesnt produce powder that ive noticed he does dunk his food and he potty trained himself, he talks not a few vocabulary but knows a few words and with some work he could learn more, he knows a few tricks but i dont like to teach him tricks, he does funny stuff all on his own, hes good with my other animals except when they steel his peanuts hes a great bird quiet and not dusty are what your looking for and he fits those qualities and more there are a few types of pionus' but i think the white capped and blue head are the prettiest.

[Saerphe]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

As of right now I've got a pair of budgies, but I'd still like to get a larger species when I finish university. I think I've got it narrowed down to a Poi, Eclectus, or Pionus, but I'm going to continue researching.

I'm also really interested in the Vasa parrot, but there's not a huge amount of information out there. I've heard that they make excellent pets, but can anyone tell me about what kind of housing and care needs they have? I've heard they're fairly quiet for their size, but how loud are they really? Are they dusty like a cockatoo or do they produce a minimal amount of dust? I've also heard that they sometimes enjoy more meat in their diet than most parrots, is that true? Does anyone know of any Vasa breeders in Canada or would I have to import from the States?

They're such fascinating and unique birds. Any information you can give me is greatly appreciated.

[PapayaTheConure]

Vasa parrots are incredibly rare and expensive. In my opinion, only experienced parrot keepers can keep them. Eclectus have special diets which you should consider.

Papaya-