Looking for new parrot

[ridmaster]

This is a little bit of a repeat from my intro posting but....

We're looking for a new parrot. Our Love Bird died unexpectedly (see introduction forum) and we are trying to figure out what kind of parrot to get next. We want the personality of our Love Bird in a medium-large bird body. I've gone round and round reading various sites about birds and all I've been able to do is rule out certain species because of behavior issues or cost. I'm hoping the good people here can help me interpret the dry descriptions and point me in the right direction.

Here is what we liked about Pip (our love bird):
-liked everyone, he seemed to like me and my son the most, but he was happy to get attention from anyone
-he was a clown, he was fun just to watch
-he told us what he wanted. He made it clear when it was time to feed him or cover his cage.
-He was clean. Food mostly stayed in his cage. He didn't leave feathers everywhere. When he did poop on you it was a small amount
-He loved to ride on your shoulder or hang out on your desk.

What we didn't like:
-He was trusting of all other animals. He bonded with the cat through the cage wire, I don't think he realized the cat would have eaten him if given the chance.
-He could make your ear ring if he was on your shoulder when decided to start chirping.

About us:
-We own a home in a neighborhood surrounded by a state forrest about 10 miles outside of Seattle.
-My wife and I have been married for 12 years, we have an 8 year old boy, and 5 year old girl.
-We have a 2 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback dog, a long hair mostly indoor cat, 2 guinea pigs, and a tank of glowfish.
-My wife stays home but is planning on going back to work when my daughter hits 1st grade next school year.

My wife is currently stuck on a green wing macaw, my dad thinks a parrolet is they way to go since he had one way back when. I've been looking at amazon parrots or maybe a quaker. I know I don't want a cockatiel because of their feathers they seem to leave everywhere. The most important thing is we want a bird that is strong and sturdy, that we know will be able to handle living in our zoo.

Any advice will be most appreciated.

Thank you

[Polarn]

the amazon is quite sturdy for their size, however their known to be moody. I have a blue fronted one and so far hasn't experienced any moodiness but he is not yet sexually mature... so i guess time will tell. However there are quite a big variety of amazons, so putting them all under the same sterotypic view of moodiness might be all wrong. As an example ive only heard good/possitive things about the gentle giants of the amazon world the Mealy Amazons. These are a little bit bigger than the bluefronted or yellow headed... also the Cuban Amazon that is slightly smaller instead i've only heard possitive things about. CML got a whitefronted, also one of the smaller ones, he might have something to add about these.

But i notised one of your "things we didnt like" was that he could make your ears ring, generally the birds size can be somewhat compared to the birds voice, even if some are more known to make big noices more often, like cockatoos.

[FutureDVM]

I would suggest looking at the Pyrrhura conures (although I must admit I'm pretty biased). In general, they are relatively quiet, very goofy and cuddly, and they don't produce very much dander. They are definitely smaller than amazons, but they are probably about twice the size of a lovebird. The mostly commonly available Pyrrhura conure is the green cheek but there are also many others and you can probably find one that fits your budget. I own a crimson bellied conure and I cant say enough good things about her.

You could also look into pionus parrots. I dont have any personal experience with them but I've heard lots of good things about them.

[GlassOnion]

I would consider a Timneh Grey or a Pyrhurra Conure.. Conures can be nippy though, keep in mind.

[sidech]

Eclectus parrots generally don't have favorites. They are polygamous birds and do not bond exclusively. They love everyone in the family who take a bit of time with them.

They have a very specific diet, and their scream is very loud, although they don't sçream that much usually.

Just an idea you might want to look into.

[ridmaster]

Thank you for the suggestions so far. My wife and I are checking them out.

Can anyone comment on the Poicephalus genius of parrots?

They all sound interesting. The shop where I plan to get our bird is the same shop our love bird came from. They hand raise all there birds and have a good reputation

here is what they "currently" have. It hasn't been updated in a while but it gives and idea of what they will have.
http://www.nwscape.com/cgi-bin/nwscape/ ... ont?pn=896

The Cape Parrots sound intriguing but pricy. But if I'm going to have it 3 or 4 times longer than the dog, i guess I can pay as least as much as I did for him.

POICEPHALUS: As of Fall 2011, we do not have any Senegals, Meyers and other Poicephalus babies available. We do expect those species will be going to nest soon, and anticipate babies in 2012. Last year we had two rare and beautiful Cape Parrots, and we are hopeful that in 2011 we will have more Cape babies. This is one bird you must see and observe to truly appreciate. Not only are they very unusual, and rare to the pet bird industry, but they are a wonderful mid-sized African species that is loving, talks, are colorful, and have interesting personalities. If you are interested in owning one, I recommend you contact us and place an order. We do not always have Capes available if we do not have any orders.

[GlassOnion]

Pois are very different from lovebirds, I thought you wanted a bird similar to your lovie? Pois are a lot more determined and cautious, similar to a cat IMO.

[cml]

-He could make your ear ring if he was on your shoulder when decided to start chirping.

I think this is true for most any species of parrots.

As Polarn pointed out, I have a white fronted amazon. They are extremely intelligent, sociable, active, love you to bits and can be cuddle bugs. But on the flip side, Stitch can be moody, he nips when he gets angry (and amazon nips hurt, let me tell you that) and he can scream my ears out. I love Stitch, he is an amazing bird, but I wouldnt say he is an EASY bird. He takes time and understanding to live with, but the rewards are great.
I think most things here correlates to all amazons, with variations from bird to bird. I too have heard good things about the gentle giants, the mealy amazons.

I also have a bronze winged pionus, a breed known for being very calm and nice birds (but which is very rare on these forums for some reason), but I havnt had him for long so I cant give you a good opionon about the species yet, but I can offer my observations.
Leroy has been living in a big aviary with other pionuses since he was born and was not tame at all when he arrived here. He was seven months old and was parentfed, thus has had minimal interactions with humans so far in his life. Despite all that, we have gotten him hand tame in less than 2 weeks, we can now do step up, flight recall, touch him and grab him. And he hasnt bitten either me or my wife once. From my so far limited experience, I would definatly say that pionus is a much "easier" bird than amazons. They are also the same size, and thus robust as you asked for.

My own experience with the poi-breed reccomended earlier in this thread is that they are a bit moody at times and really doesnt stretch further than that. The cockatiels I have met have all been very nice and well behaved birds so dont miss out just because they dust alot, unless you are prone to allergies of course (this is a factor for greys as well, the dust is everywhere from my understanding).

Hope this helped somewhat ^^-

[liz]

My DYH Amazon, Rambo, is 20 years old and a real character. Myrtle, BF Amazon, is a prissy little 2 year old. Both are very social and have never bit me although they can hold on tight. They talk alot and can get really noisy especially when they are having an argument. Myrtle back talks when I tell her no but Rambo is okay.

I guess I am predjudis.

My tiels are little angels but one of my lovies is a trouble maker. He opens his cage and does a little happy dance until I tell him to get back in.

Are there any parrot rescues near you that you can visit to see personalities?

[Zanizaila]

I think you (everyone who are to live under the same roof as the parrot/s) should visit a rescue and get a first-hand look at the different species.

And unlike breeders, people from a good rescue won't make money from telling you lies (something breeders to all the time, believe me), and are much more likely to care about the birds. So they can tell you what bird is better fitting for your situation, and you can probably also do volunteer work there, and you might find a bird who takes a liking to you.