First Bird

[GlassOnion]

Honestly, you quickly learn how to avoid bites by reading their body language. Also, neither of these birds will take out a finger

[zazanomore]

Every bird is going to bite you. From a parrotlet, to a macaw.

But, after the first bite, you really lose your fear of it.

And over time, you will learn your parrot's body language and behaviors, and you will become better and better at avoiding bites.

[parrotsareyay]

hmmmm.... i once met a poi, and like how it was said, they were more reserved, but i met a sun conure and it was the most cuddly bird i have ever met (and it would not stop giving me those weird love nips ) I think i will look into these cuddly birds, and possibly even meet that special once.

once again, thanks to all of you for being the first people to help me

[Mum2rory]

parrotsareyay, you will have to keep us informed which way you go, I wanted a Green cheek conure but met 2 absolutely delightful suns and it has changed my mind about them. I want a conure and thought the GCC cos they are smaller and quieter. Can any GCC and/or sun owners help me/us here? I know it depends on the individual bird (and owner) but any imput would be appreciated. I currently have 2 budgies and 1 tiel and wouldnt be looking to get my next bird for quite a few months - if I can hold out, gotta stop going to pet shops an interacting with these amazing birds. Lynne

[Giantmoa]

honestly, my gcc is nippy but it isn't that bad. She uses her beak a lot in play and such but not hard. She hasn't broken the skin while biting/nipping in a long time. They aren't aggressive bites either, it's kinda like a puppy chewing I guess and there are ways to discourage it/avoid it. What I've noticed is she's more ready to use her beak than a larger bird would be but they're not "take a chunk of skin out" sorta bites. I was pretty hesitant at handling her in the first week because she wasn't really tame at that point and did use her beak a lot and much harder than she does now but I got better at handling her and she got used to us. my green cheek is extremely cuddly and loves to snuggle up, she also loves explore and play and be handled all over. I'd recomend meeting a couple bird species if you can, often what you read is different from meeting the actual bird (or at least that has been my experience more than once!)
another thing to keep in mind is even a gcc can get pretty loud! Suns are even louder. Spend some time around them and listen to them screech. If you think it's not that bad, then you could probably handle living with one, but some people can just not stand the pitch they can get to...
good luck!

[sidech]

I'm a bit concerned about your fear of bites. Any bird will bite and we all get bitten sometimes by our parrots. This is just something you have to live with when you own a bird. Just like a cat will sometimes scratch furniture and a dog will whine.

Animals sense fear, and birds are no different. If your bird senses your fear, it will be more likely to take advantage of it and bite you to get what it wants.

My advice to you is to pick the bird you are not afraid of. If it's a budgie, so be it, they are fine companions too.

[Julsiebean]

If you don't want to be bitten, I wouldn't get a parrot at all. Also, not all use of the beak is biting. My GCC uses his beak like another hand and very much like a puppy uses his mouth. He isn't mean, biting, or being agressive, he is being playful and affectionate. I get really irked when people read a bird is nippy and then give it no more thought. Let alone people who don't own one and have only seen one in a store doll out the advice that one is nippy. I can't think of a parrot I have read about that wasn't called nippy by someone.

Lovebirds ARE in fact very nippy. Those bites hurt and seemingly come out of the blue (I'm sure the bird has a reason!). Yes they are cute, and fiesty, and full of spunk. Even *most* hand raised babies are still in fact nippy. I am sure there are several lovebird owners that have non-nippy lovebirds but they are by far the exception and not the rule.

[Mum2rory]

I have a cockatiel approx 16wks old and he was "nippy" in the way that he had his wings clipped before I purchased him and he would bite a little harder at first because he didnt know us and he used his beak to get around. Now, it is kinda cute, cos he nibbles rather than bites, it even tickles but never hurts and I have read that some people say a tiel can give a nasty bite. He has never really hurt us and never drawn blood. My son is nearly 8 and he reckons Rory has never bit him hard enough to hurt, even in the early days. I really do think it depends on the bird and the owner. If Rory is busy and we go to pick him up and he puts his head forward as if to bite, we leave him. Why would we actively encourage him to bite? If a dog was snarling at me, do you think I would go pat it? Same as people, if you knew someone didnt want to engage in conversation etc, why push it. Birds (all pets) deserve the same, they have moods as well, learn to read your bird and dont push but do expect that your bird may, at times bite, just dont react to it. Lynne

[viki]

im new to the world of parrots but from wht iv learned is u should not get a sene as a first bird. i think need to know alot about training and even more about about body language. but then i got a cockatiel and hes so cudly he chews on my fingers in a gentle way. he doesnt talk yet and doesnt tweet much when he does its very low and u know he wants something. so hes quiet. he also loves to just sit on my hand or should and just sit there. he never snaps when i pet him unless its close to bed time. so i tink hes a perfect first pet. he has patients with me as i learn about him, which is great. hope u make a good choice for urself at the end of the day

[parrotsareyay]

well after my small journey through space and time (aka researching parrots) I seem to have gotten.... even more stuck and lost

Crimson bellied conures seem so nice and have a smaller beak, but their relation to amazons could mean strong seasonal aggression. Also, most meyer's parrot owners have described their pet to be a bit moody.

can anyone tell me more about pyrrhura and small poicephalus species?