free living bird

[Shelby]

Steen, please read Michael's:
Taming Article
Caging article
Bad Rewarding article
Good Behavior article
Potty Training article

Then read the rest of Michael's blog. Also check out Barbara Heidenreich's website. She explains training terminology (very important to know and understand!) and has some other helpful stuff. Some people don't like BirdTricks, but their blog has lots of helpful articles too. Read a lot about what it takes to have a tame, trained, and well-behaved parrot. Also read about parrot-proofing your house, which you will need to do whether it is out of the cage most of the time or not. You will either be fascinated by parrots and want to learn more, or you will decide that owning a parrot is not right for you.

If you decide that a larger parrot is really what you want, put lots of work into the budgie you have now. Train him, play with him a lot, and try the things in articles. Then go to a pet store, breeder, shelter, or rescue and handle as many different types of birds as you can. A pretty macaw may sound good until you see the beak up close. Some rescues can also match you to a species that you will best be able to handle and connect with. Then, research that species as much as you can. Research temperament, common issues, and the dietary needs of that species. Calculate how much it will cost for you to care for that species every year, including toys, cage accessories and vet check ups. If everyone did this, there would be way fewer abandoned birds!

As far as cockatiels and budgies being compatible: it's never a guarantee. Each bird has its own personality. Even if you get a cockatiel and it gets along with your budgie, they shouldn't share a cage. Some people have both and they are best friends. Others have both and the budgie bullies the cockatiel or vice versa. Proper socialization is very important!

[Grey_Moon]

Coming from someone who had a cockatiel, if a budgie is too loud and the lifespan is a problem due to your lifestyle you're heading in the wrong direction.
Cockatiels are the small cousins of cockatoos, and act very much like them, though due to being much smaller don't pack as much of a punch or noise.
However, they're dusty, quick to spook and can be extremely needy and persistently noisy. Very sweet, gentle birds however, but they're prone to a shrill flock/contact call and want to be with their people a lot. They're very intelligent and are easy to train to recall however and live 15-30 years.

Being the pacifists of the bird world, they're the first to be bullied and there are numerous reports of smaller more assertive budgies bullying them and stressing them.

[steenmillinder]

Shelby: thanks a lot, I'll read all of it I'd very much like to potty train him(her actually, but i named him Oscar before we could determine sex), I also like the shoot-the-bird trick where he plays dead, otherwise id just like him to be social and cuddly. I let him out this morning and he's still out, but potty training whould be very nice!!

Gray_moon: About the lifespan, this whould be my girlfriends bird but it was more speculation then anything that is going to happen in any foreseeable future, if anything we'd buy a boy companion for our little friend.
Nice to hear that they are inteligent, what really cougt my attention in bird keeping is the training ability, I knew about Alex but i dident know they can be so social and cuddly!

[Pomlover2586]

Glass Onion- My Caique will be 2 in June. According to the bird store where i got him he has reached maturity. Could be wrong about this but he does display mating behavior.

[RedDragon1288]

The place where you got him could be wrong but if you notice mating displaying than he could be hit puberty. Ruby started displaying mating behavior when he was two years old. I've talked to other parrot owners and my behaviorist and they all agree that he is trying to get sexy with his favorite person. So, some parrots mature at different ages and is not always universal.

[Michael]

Not necessarily. Baby parrots will attempt some of the mature displays as play. In retrospect I know that Kili was displaying mating displays as a baby from time to time. Same with Truman although I'm still figuring out what exactly they are for him. But he has regurgitate for me a few times before even hitting one year old.

[RedDragon1288]

There is a difference from "play" display to wanting to breed displays. With any parrot and breeding season usually transforms some fids into horny monsters.

[cml]

Not necessarily. Baby parrots will attempt some of the mature displays as play. In retrospect I know that Kili was displaying mating displays as a baby from time to time. Same with Truman although I'm still figuring out what exactly they are for him. But he has regurgitate for me a few times before even hitting one year old.

Stitch does this sometimes as well towards both me and my wife, we ignore it when we see it, as to not encourage him.

A different, but related question; can a bird that hasnt hit maturity, still be hormonal this time a year?

[Michael]

I think so. Just not to the same or complete extent.

[Adze]

Finally went cageless