I'm new to bird owning

[Jaxoul]

I don't know if this is in the right place for this topic but if it isn't then move it please. Anyways i'm new to bird owning and i have been trying to decide on a parrot. I'm liking the quiet conures and the poicephalus but i can't decide on one of them. i just want a bird that is good for beginners, and likes to be handled and cuddled but i'm not home all the time as i have school. Please help me decide and thank you.

[pennyandrocky]

find a bird rescue to volunteer at. there aren't really any birds for beginners if you decide to get any bird even a is a long time commitment.

[Pajarita]

"Quiet conures"? Which species would that be? Because I don't know of a single one.

For a beginner, I would suggest a bonded pair of cockatiels. They are the sweetest-tempered of all the parrots, beautiful, smart and all around lovely birds. And, if you get a pair and put them in a flight cage, they do great on their own even if you can only interact and let them out for a couple of hours a day.

[Jaxoul]

What i meant by quiet conures is the pyrrhura conures because they are known to be generally quieter than the aratinga conures from what i've heard.

[JaydeParrot]

Pionus, especially the maxis are good if you want a medium sized 'very' quiet parrot. I've also heard Vasas are meant to be quiet too.

Personally I'd choose a pair of Senegals over a pair of Cockatiels, Senegals can have the occasional screech, but from what I've heard Cockatiels near constantly make little chirping sounds and such, I'd much rather an ocasional scream than a water torture like chirping sound.

...That's my personal opinon anyway, I'd agree with the others though, there's no such thing as a quiet conure, .

[Aphios]

I am a beginning bird owner and went for the conures. I have 2 and they are the most sweet, loving, and even quiet little creatures. The green cheeks are even more quiet, I have one of them. Really the only reason your bird should have to be loud is if you are not supplying his needs. That said, all birds are different and one bird may be louder than another but as I beginning bird I would go for conures.

Hope that helps!

[Pajarita]

Sorry, Aphios, but I disagree. Some species of conures (sun, jendays, quakers) screech just to hear themselves screech. My birds don't live in cages, they have bird companions, they are kept at a strict natural daylight schedule so they are never 'hormonal', they get fresh food, good light, etc so one would think the conures would not need to scream but they do. Not all the time and not too much but, in truth, the only screeches you hear out of the birdroom during the day it's from them and nobody else.

As to senegals been quiet, Jaydeparrot, I had one that was given up because the lady who owned her was afraid of getting evicted because of her constant screams... but, I have to say that she never did scream with me after the first two weeks. I don't know what it was with the lady (and she loved that bird and took very good care of her) but she screamed all day long when she was with her and I know because after she had been with me for almost two years, the lady (who had kept in touch and came to visit her all the time) moved to a house and wanted her back so I agreed as long as she also took her mate (which she had bonded with in my house), which she did. 48 hours later, the woman calls me and tells me she is bringing the birds back because she had not stop screaming since the minute she got there...

[Aphios]

Hey Pajarita!

I understand what you are saying about the volume of conures. In my opinion it doesn't have to be that way but, as I have heard said before, peoples idea of loud may be different. That may mean that my opinion of loud is what would be way to loud for other people. I guess in deciding to get a bird you have to use your own judgment. I know that my conures do not bother me, but that may be an issue for others. I am very sorry if I came across forceful in my opinion, I most certainly did not mean to be.

Thanks Pajarita for your correction and good luck to you with becoming a new bird owner! Hope you have fun!

[JaydeParrot]

Pajarita, I understand what you mean about the screaming, my Sennies (especially the female) used to scream alot. I found it was more to do with attention seeking and because she could. I stopped giving into her as often and although it sounds very unorthodox I did end up screaming loudly back at her at one point- Strangely enough it worked, sounds mean but everyone was beginning to complain so it was either scream back or find them a new home.

[Pajarita]

Yes, even quiet parrots can be noisy. It's a lottery, one never knows what one is going to get or how things are going to turn out with them... As to tiels chirping (this goes back to an older posting of yours), in my personal experience, it's only males that can be become a bit tiresome with their calls and then only when they don't have a mate (because they call for one incessantly). If you have a pair that is well bonded (and tiels are very easy to please when it comes to mates, not like other species), you don't hear a peep out of them during the summer, fall and winter, it's only in the spring (breeding season) that you might hear a few peeps but nothing to write home about, either.