Apartment Parrot

[Percival]

Hello all! I don't own a parrot yet, but I am planning on finding a feathered companion. I just wanted a little bit of advice regarding my situation. I don't really live in an apartment, but I live in a duplex so I have immediate neighbors. I also have two roommates, both of whom are alright with my purchasing a bird.

I am a full time student, but live very close to the university and when I am not at school I will be at home so I feel I will have sufficient time to play with the bird every day. However I would need a parrot that can entertain itself while I am in class. Also a bird that is social and loving, but not prone to loud noises. I understand that this depends on the individual bird and the owners willingness to put in the time to train good behaviors.

I have been researching for more than a month now, and will e waiting until August before I make my final decision, but I wanted to know what species are recommended for this situation. I gather that Caiques, Meyers, Senegals and Quakers are a good choice, as well as Pionus parrots. I've even told GCC are also a safe bet, but can be loud. The ability to talk is not mandatory for me, just a pleasant, cuddly bird that will play and act as a lifelong friend.

Any advice or guidance in which is the ideal choice would be appreciated.

[Bobioden]

I have a Gcc and would recommend them for a quiet bird. Quackers are LOUD.

[marie83]

I'm living in a flat and have to be careful of the noise too. We get along just fine with Cockatiels and a green cheek. We are currently researching into other species that may be appropriate.

I have a green cheek, he has his loud moments but those are pretty rare, he likes to chatter and chirp quietly to himself but I don't really notice that it is so unobtrusive. Hand rears are also cuddly to the point of being extremely annoying at times, all they want is to be with a person so it's important you teach independance from day one. They can also be quite nippy.

Cockatiels are also pretty quiet, hand rears can be cuddly, they have the sweetest natures and are pretty forgiving of mistakes. Females are said to be quieter than males but I've never noticed much in it, slightly yes but not enough thats ever caused me noise problems and I've had several.

The others Ive looked into are caiques, quakers and senegals. The breeder my green cheek came from also breeds all 3 of these. I have e-mailed him for advice on many occasions. He thinks I'm better of with another green cheek or a senegal, I don't think he is trying to sway my descision as he currently has quaker available but not green cheeks or senegals so I do trust his advice.

Caiques are playful, mischeivious and often described a handful but are also prone to being nippy. They are big characters in little bodies and also love a cuddle. My breeder told me not to bother,in his words 'they are by far the loudest of the species you are considering'

Quakers are less of a handful that the caiques but are still a little bird with big bird personality. I'm told their natures are similar to the green cheek, bold, cuddly, quick to learn with a tendancy to nip if they are not dealt with properly. The also learn quickly and are considered good talkers. Noise can be a problem but there are quieter birds, unfortunately it's not something that can be known until after they are home and have settled down. Don't forget lots of people make noisy birds worse by reacting to the noise but I think I've almost decided they are not worth the risk. Shame though as I had my heart set on one but I must be sensible, any noise complaints will get us kicked out cuz I simply couldn't rehome.

Senegals- I don't know much about these but I know several on here have them. I'm told they can be stubborn without training and are also prone to becoming one person birds. My breeder said these are quietest out of the three and rarely cause noise problems. They learn fast and can talk reletively well. They are not as cuddly as some of the other species but still like lots attention.

Hope this helps.

[liz]

My Cockatiels are a joy. They all chirp pretty. My males sing beautifully and can say some phrases.
Although they are in a flock they have differnt personalities that shine through. There is nothing sweeter than a cockatiel.

My Amazons talk and whistle. Rambo sings Ole McDonald and Happy Birthday. Myrtle sings her happy song of La La La. The only time they are loud is when they are in different rooms. That is when they call to each other. I love them dearly but they are destructive. Rambo picked a hole in the wall behind a toilet. Myrtle chews anything she lands on. (they are not caged) Other than that they are loving, cuddling and kissers.

We had a Quaker. The only noise he ever made was talking. He was quite smart and loved to cuddle.

[cml]

I live in an appartment as well, and I have one amazon and one pionus. Both are pretty quiet unless they are agitated. Stitch only scream when he is angry, and Leroy only screams when he misses Stitch. Other than that we have taught Stitch to whistle instead of his normal bird sounds, and Leroy is mostly quiet.

It works great, its down to the individual parrot I think.

That being said, there are a few parrots that are considered "apartment parrots"

Budgies, obviously, because of their size and noise level
Cockatiels, although their screams are high pitched.
Pionuses, they are very calm and are considered quiet
Meyer's parrot, I was recommended this species when we started looking for a parrot

[paper_lantern]

I would suggest a well tamed GCC, or a Cockateil, Budgie, or Pionus...those are usually pretty quiet as well and they are a bit larger than the others.

[animal_lover]

My Meyer's is pretty quiet....love him to death

[Percival]

Thank you so much for your advice! It seems there is some disagreement on the volume of Quakers, which is fine. Also that a Senegal would not be a good choice as they are a one person bird. If I can obtain a Meyers I will likely get one, but other wise I think I will purchase a GCC.

Again, thank you all!

[Pomlover2586]

I currently have a male Caique and I live in an apartment. Iago definitely has his moments of being loud, but I would say he is considerable less loud than a Sun Conure. He likes to make a fire alarm sound that can be annoying, but he is by no means a "screamer". As for the nippiness- he is "beaky". he likes to touch things with his beak and will occasionally squeeze but the hardes I have ever felt was a firm pinch- in the time I have owned him not once has he ever bitten, or even attempted to do so- and this goes for every individual who has ever held/petted or played with this bird. He is very accepting of new people, new toys, and new environments. Definitely a big bird personality in a little body- very curious and confident. He loves to be held and kissed. As an apartment dweller myself I wouldn't count the Caique out yet from your search. If you are looking for a loving bird who enjoys playing and being mischivious then a Caique may be for you

[marie83]

Yes lots of debte on the noise levels of quakers, if you search previous questions on other forums then you will almost every answer under the sun. Some say they are fine for apartments, others say they are having to get rid of their bird because of the noise level. Believe me I must have spent over 10 hours in total reading different opinions, I couldn't make my mind up hence why I e-mailed the breeder.
The thing is what counts as excessive noise is different things to different people, birds are kept differently, owner unintentionally reinforce noise, the company of other birds or being kept alone makes a difference.

With the senegals if you get a baby you will be able to socialise it if you know enough people willing to help, by that I mean let as many people play with it, fuss over it and give it treats as possible before it gets attached to anyone, to start with you will need to do it often, with time you can reduce the frequency. This will not stop one person becoming favoured but will mean other people can handle it too, be careful who you pick for training you don't want someone who is scared of getting bitten otherwise their reaction might make the senegal do it again.
I'm not sure about the others really but all my cockatiels (past and present), my peach front and my green cheek are 'whoever is doing the most interesting thing/has food/wants to scratch my head' birds, they still have a favorite person though. Obviously you still need to work on socialisation though but I would say the easiest/most social of the lot is the green cheek.