im looking to get a bird

[pionus]

hello, I'm looking to get another bird after my wonderful budgie past away a few months ago. he was the only bird i have owned, and i am trying to find a parrot that would suit my level of experience.

some species i am considering are the pionus, cockatiel, senegal, and green cheek conure.

i would appreciate your opinions on these birds and any other suggestions species-wise

thank you!

Oh, and by the way, i have a cat who likes to hunt, but would keep them separate when the bird is out.

[Eurycerus]

Cats can and will terrorize birds even in cages and i believe can sometimes cause harm or fatalities. Keep that in mind. Is really that important for you to have both animals? Just weigh the consequences. A critter's life and well being is at stake! However there are people on here that make it work.

A very rough summary from what i know follows. Obviously it varies bird to bird and depending on circumstances.

Cocktails can be sweet and charming. Mine was cranky but quiet and smart. They are a great species.

Pionus seem wonderful. Quiet. Intelligent. And not super aggressive. Seem to be thinkers.

Senegals from what I've read and experience are very intelligent. Busy. Aggressive and moderate noise level. Mine chatters quite a bit. Thus far she is not cuddly and it seems in general they aren't super cuddly parrots.

Conures are also quite intelligent and playful but louder. Seems they might be more cuddly from what I've read. They are cute as a button though.

[pionus]

thanks for your reply.
i do love both cats and birds, kind of inhibiting when considering pets, but i will do everything i can to make sure that my cat does not harm the bird.

i think so far i have ruled out the senegal, because i don't know if i could handle their general aggressiveness.

a pionus might be my best bet, they don't sound to hyper, but do they mind being handled? i read somewhere that they are not big cuddle-rs. i will do more research.
also, does any one know if there are variations in temperament in the different sub-species of pionus?

thanks in advance.

[Eurycerus]

http://www.pionusparrot.com/PionusParrots.htm

I read this when researching and they probably know what they're talking about. I've met four different subtypes but didn't spend a ton of time with them so I'm not sure. I spent the most time with a Maximilian and he was gentle, shy, big, and quiet. Read the page though. Pretty good info.

[cml]

http://www.pionusparrot.com/PionusParrots.htm

I read this when researching and they probably know what they're talking about. I've met four different subtypes but didn't spend a ton of time with them so I'm not sure. I spent the most time with a Maximilian and he was gentle, shy, big, and quiet. Read the page though. Pretty good info.

Some of that info is good yes, but that breeder also recommend clipping parrots, something I would advise against !

[pennyandrocky]

you should talk to people like cml and rescues with experiance with this type before you purchase any bird.keep in mind breeders are selling a product and might not give you all the information you need to make a long term decision.when i researched mya i went on a breeder website to see pictures and the only things true on there were color and size.fortunatly i was speaking to the rescue and the man fostering her daily so i knew what i was in for.

[pionus]

thanks for all the info! that site was very helpful.
i do agree with you, cml, birds should not be clipped.
i think a pionus would be a good bird for me.
anyway, thanks again!

one more thing. is there any one here who could post a pic of a pionus (any type) on a hand or shoulder so i can get a good picture of the size?
thanks!

[pionus]

you should talk to people like cml and rescues with experiance with this type before you purchase any bird.keep in mind breeders are selling a product and might not give you all the information you need to make a long term decision.when i researched mya i went on a breeder website to see pictures and the only things true on there were color and size.fortunatly i was speaking to the rescue and the man fostering her daily so i knew what i was in for.

i will definitively try to do that, thanks.

[Eurycerus]

Some of that info is good yes, but that breeder also recommend clipping parrots, something I would advise against !

Oh I just meant for the personality types! That's all I read it for/paid attention to. ^_^ Considering they interacted with all of the available subspecies.

[cml]

one more thing. is there any one here who could post a pic of a pionus (any type) on a hand or shoulder so i can get a good picture of the size?
thanks!

Leroy doing turn around!


Bronze-winged pionuses are smaller than the Blue heads and Maximilians, and a tiny bit bigger than white crowned pionuses.