Hi everyone! I'm new to the world of parrots and thought this would be a great place to go...I'm looking into getting my first bird fairly soon and I've been doing a lot of research and post reading. Debating between a and a as this will be my first feathered friend and they seem like good fits for my lifestyle (I work full time and am an apartment dweller, but I spend 90% of my free time at/near home). I get that birds are a huge investment of time and money, and now that I've got a stable job and living situation, I'm ready to commit to a long term companion. I have a couple questions tho...
Can parrots travel well with proper training? I don't travel a lot in my work but once in a blue moon I have to fly out for a week...not something I'd ever do while the parrot is still adjusting to all the newness...but it does come up sometimes. Is it better to board a bird or take it along?
Any opinions on getting pet insurance (namely, VPI)?
Is a senegal too much bird for a first time owner to handle?
I like to think I know what I'm getting into, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong
You bird would be fine to travel without training but It would be a lot better if your bird got use to a carrier so when your cleaning out there cage or going for a drive put then in it so that when the time comes your bird won't get stressed out because they can die that way
If you have patience, a positive attitude, and the willingness to learn I think you'll do fine. Nika, my Senegal, traveled on weekend trips with me shortly after getting her, but not all parrots are as assured as she is. You'll just see how your parrot handles change. Diggy my foster is not very self assured and gets anxious easily so I'm not as inclined to cart him around as quickly.
Welcome to the forums Glad to see your doing your research first. There are quite a few of us on here with green cheeks and senegals so if you have any questions just ask. Regarding the flying on your trips it may be more hassle than its worth for the sake of a week and it depends on your airlines as to how easy it will be. I would try to get a friend/family member to pop in first, followed by a pet sitter rather than boarding. Your pet will do fine travelling but you will need to do a small amount of training, carrier training and maybe get it familiar with visiting friends that are a short distance away first.
I am so glad you're doing your research first. Birds are one of the most demanding (if not the most demanding) companion animals and many people don't realize how much work they are. Please read this (if you have not):
Magoda wrote:Debating between a and a as this will be my first feathered friend and they seem like good fits for my lifestyle (I work full time and am an apartment dweller, but I spend 90% of my free time at/near home).
In all honesty I think that unless you work from home and/or are in another situation where you or other members of your household will be home during the day a parrot is not the best choice for a companion animal. That being said I know some people will disagree and a lot of people have full-time jobs away from home and still keep parrots. Just be aware that sometimes a bird that spends ~8 hours a day in a cage ~5 days a week will develop issues such as screaming or feather plucking.
Also a GCC is probably okay for an apartment (I lived in an apartment for a year with mine) but I did see one person on this forum say they or someone they knew (I can't recall which) living in an apartment had to re-home their GCC due to complaints from neighbors.
Magoda wrote:Can parrots travel well with proper training?
Many can but some cannot. My GCC gets violently car sick and it's a huge ordeal whenever I have to take him anywhere. I have tried several things to address this including prescription medication but nothing has worked.
Baring motion sickness generally a bird can be trained using positive reinforcement to accept or enjoy travel but birds are also prone to stress and some find travel too stressful.
Magoda wrote:Is a senegal too much bird for a first time owner to handle?
I don't think so but be prepared to spend a lot of time working with your bird on tameness and handling. This is true of any bird but mistakes you can "get away with" on smaller birds like budgies and lovebirds will not fly with a slightly larger bird like a conure or a Poi.
You mentioned you were also considering a GCC. I have one and he is my best friend in the world and I love him to pieces but as many GCC owners here will tell you they are a handful to say the least. Don't get me wrong, they have many great qualities but they are clingy and demanding and if not handled properly can be really nippy.
Also they do this:
Now mine does not do that very often because I ignore him when he does (whereas the bird in this video has learned to scream for long periods of time) but even a GCC who is not a "screamer" will make this call sometimes.
Magoda wrote:I like to think I know what I'm getting into, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong
Unless you have owned a bird you have no idea what you are getting into! You can read about it and research it and please do but once you own one you see how high-maintenance they really are.
Please consider a adoption as opposed to a breeder. There are so, so many birds that are in need of a home and yes, some are "special needs" or have behavioral problems but many do not and just need to be with someone who understands that a bird is a big commitment.
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as this will be my first feathered friend and they seem like good fits for my lifestyle (I work full time and am an apartment dweller, but I spend 90% of my free time at/near home). 
