im looking to get a bird

[cml]

I can confirm all of the above fits our bronze winged pionus as well. He is supersweet, intelligent and a great parrot all in all. To me it seems "the general consensus" and generalisations about pionus are quite true, at least from my personal experience with one, and having read about dozens and talked to breeders and owners.
They are very good natured, calm, intelligent and quiet parrots!

There's a thread in which biting and agression is a huge deal atm, and this is my personal experience with this and our bronze winged pionus:
He has only bitten me ONCE when he got stuck in a lamp, and that was from being very very frightened. Thats once in 7 months. He is very easy to read, and you know what he thinks ^^.
Its a world of a difference in comparision to our amazon, even though we work on aggression with him everyday.

This is a quote of myself from a thread recently posted about Pionuses.http://theparrotforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=8725&p=59628&hilit=pionus#p59628

Pionuses, are as I wrote there, generally thought to be kind, calm, and intelligent birds. They are also quiet, at least for being a parrot .
My pionus, Leroy, is a bit shy and careful, but Ive come to believe that he might not have had an easy time before coming to me. He's also an aviary bird and was never around people until we got him when he was 7-8 months old.

Despite that, he is a marvel, and he is making progress everyday. Trusting us didnt come as easily as it did for Stitch, but after half a year, he now trusts us and want to be with us. He's also very intelligent, and picked up target training very quickly, even when being shy towards us. We have since learned him to step up, do flight recalls, turn around, and most recently (today ) wave!

He's never aggressive, and if he's not interested in attention, will show it by shaking his head, it couldnt be clearer. Very easily read body language overall. Ive only had a single bite from him, whereas my lovely amazon Stitch bite me, if not everyday, very often (less and less though and not as often drawing blood now , maybe only once every 2 weeks or so).

I know that's just my experience with MY bird, but I generally believe Pionuses to be very sweet birds. At least from my own interaction with them, and listening to a lot of different people.

They might not be the most clownish parrot, but are more laid back, but I believe they are an excellent species to look into and see if its a fit for you. Remember to try and visit a breeder or rescue to interact with one if possible =)!

[pionus]

thanks for the insight!

one more (but probably not the last ) question. do you know if it is better to get a pionus as a weened baby, or adult?

thanks!

[Jenny]

that's a tough question to give a definitive answer to. It boils down to a personal preference, & the pros & cons are the same as w/any other other animal, in my opinion.

Do you want the experience of owning a weened baby & developing that deep bond w/it as it matures? Being the person responsible for it's training and mental & emotional health? Insuring that whatever comes your new baby's way, you prepare it to handle the good times & possibly not so good times?

Or do you want the experience of adopting a mature bird, who's had who-knows-what kind of history (you can never completely trust what you're initially told), but needs a stable & loving forever home?

Do you know of a breeder you want to support by purchasing one of their babies, or do feel there are already plenty of adult birds out there who need a good home?

I didn't personally know a breeder, but even if I did, I'm one of those who lean toward adopting from rescue organizations (hopefully my questions above weren't too leading in that direction!). I like the thought of providing love & structure in the life of an animal who maybe hasn't had the easiest time so far, even though there are often challenges to overcome, & even though I may not end up w/the perfect pet. I'm willing to accept the animal for what it can become, instead of the ideal.

Keep sharing as you get closer to making a choice!! It's fun to be involved in your process

[pionus]

thanks jenny, your post was really helpful. i know of a breeder near me, so i think i will purchase a weened baby from her.
maybe when i have more experience i will adopt a rescue. i want to make sure that i would have enough knowledge/experience with birds before i get a bird that might need "special care". like if i go to a rescue and find i bird that is just love at first sight, but has a feather picking problem etc. i want to be able to care for it properly. i know that not all birds in a rescue have health problems, i just want to have the experience to care for a bird that was not bonded with me from the start. i can be paranoid about stuff like that, but hey, better safe than sorry.

i really appreciate all your guy's answers!
i will make sure to keep you posted.

thanks!

[pionus]

hey all!
i am still researching bronze wing pionus, and i was hoping that anyone with experience with this type of bird could answer some questions about them.

one thing I am wondering is if they usually like sleeping tents, or having those plush thingy's that you hang on the side of the cage (don't know what their called).

another one is what kind of treats do the tend to enjoy?

i need knowledge!

thank you for all your help!

[cml]

one thing I am wondering is if they usually like sleeping tents, or having those plush thingy's that you hang on the side of the cage (don't know what their called).

No, and generally tents are a bad idea for any bird, as it increases nesting behaviour which you dont want. They are also hard to keep clean.

another one is what kind of treats do the tend to enjoy?

Leroy's favorite is almonds, but he enjoys sunflower seeds, safflower seeds for treats, but loves to eat anything from pellets to veggies and fruit.

[Jenny]

[quote="cml"] generally tents are a bad idea for any bird, as it increases nesting behaviour which you dont want.

ditto on the sleeping tents. Bella loves almonds & her pellets, & goes crazy for edamame.

[Eurycerus]

Bella loves almonds & her pellets, & goes crazy for edamame.

Oh hey good idea! I bet Nika would love edamame.

Also Nika loves almonds (ditto), banana chips, and nutriberry chunks.

[pionus]

thanks guys!
I did wonder about the nesting behavior with the tents, just wondered if they liked them.
it seems like almonds are popular!

also, do parrots really need a full spectrum light near them? i live in Washington, and it's usually cloudy and cold. and wet. and dark. any way...

thanks for all your advice!

[Polarn]

I've noticed, might just be in my head though, differences in both behavior and coloration of all my birds after I started using the bird lights inside... However I bought one just a few days after Polarn got here and already had it in when the others arrived. So it might be the healthier food or interaction as well. But the tubes you get is only due to be replaced once a year and their not that expensive tbh. The only thing that might cost you a chunk is a fixture you like at the first purchase. So I really see no excuse not to use proper lighting especially if your not in a sunny area where the birds can be outside quite a lot. Even rolling the cage up to a window isn't really enough in my opinion since the glass filters away a lot of the much needed light. The opportunity to have both would probably be the best having a proper light in the room and beeing at a window, even if it can never substitute for real sunlight outside.