Greetings and salutations from Cloverdale CA

[Glenn Dalton]

Greetings and salutations to everyone from the small town of Cloverdale CA. My name is Glenn Dalton, I am 44, male and own 5 cockatiels. Two were hand raised and the remaining three were raised by captive cockatiels. (eggs showed up and I incubated them at 72 degrees for 19 days if I remember correctly). The hand raised ones have gone wild and the other ones bite really hard. Still I'm trying to work with them and since they are such sensitive and intelligent creatures I let them out to climb on top of their cage during TV time when I pet my cats and do everything I can to enrich their environment. I even bought a VD of piccolo music for them. All have their wings clipped. I was wanting all of your opinions on which kind of parrot is the most affectionate? I ask this because I once met a sulfur crested cockatoo who was a complete love. I miss her dearly. My cats live for about 20 years if I'm lucky and it kills me every time one of them passes away. I'd like to get a companion animal who will live about as long as I do.

Any thoughts?

Glenn

[Wolf]

Actually, the 5 that you already have are probably the most affectionate parrots that you can find. You just need to devote some time to them.

[Pajarita]

Hmmmmm, I don't know if I agree with that statement, Wolf, but, in all honesty, I don't know if I actually disagree. I think affection means different things to different people and, personally, I've never had a single tiel that I considered 'affectionate'. I had a few hand-fed ones that were lone pets and very used to been handled and they were sweet little things (would step up, ride my shoulder, even eat apple from my fingers) but none could ever be compared to, say, Freddie (LSC), Tobita (female Senegal RIP) or BabyBoyd (female Lesser Jardine). These birds would proactively look for caresses, kisses, hugs, etc while none of the hand-raised tiels ever did but, then, my tiels have always (and always will) live with other tiels so I guess it is possible that one can have a single very affectionate tiel while, if you keep them in a small flock (as Glenn does -btw, welcome to the forum, Glenn!), they will be tame and friendly but not really affectionate.

In my personal opinion (and in Nature's opinion, too ) tiels do much, much, much better when in a small flock so I think you have almost the ideal situation as far as the birds are concerned (the 'almost' comes from the fact that you clip, something I do NOT agree with no matter what the situation) and I would just let them be tiels and don't worry too much about 'working' with them.

Now, yes, cockatoos are, most definitely, VERY affectionate birds. But in order for the situation to work for them, you need to be a stay-at-home person. I don't think there are two ways about this when it comes to toos because all the ones I've known that are single birds and have humans who work outside the house scream (and most barber or pluck once they got to a certain age). And, when I say scream, I mean LOUD pterodactyl-like calls that feel as if your eardrum is going to split and which can go on for looooooooong. I took in a screamer some time back, Freddie is a 21 male Lesser Sulfur Cockatoo and he is a sweetheart (kisses, hugs, tickles, the works!) but he was also a screamer -his folks worked outside the house and he was by himself all day long, interacting with them in the evening and night so he was overly hormonal, lonely and frustrated -thus the screams. It took me 10 months to get him to do his calls only at twilight (and let me tell you that the first 5 months were murder!) but, every now and then, when I am in the birdroom and he gets excited, he still screams - no biggie because all I have to do is put my hand in front of his face to distract him and he stops. But, two or three days ago, he was perching on my shoulder and screamed -something that had never happened before- and I was blown away by the sheer potency of the sound! I could actually feel the sound as a vibration in my head! Like thunder when the lighting falls very near you! That's how powerful and loud their screams are. So, if you are thinking about getting a too, please consider that, if you work full time outside the house, you will have to make arrangements for him/her to have company during the day.

[Wolf]

Actually, after considering what you said I am not sure either and since I don't have any cockatiels of my own I was going by they few that I have met and by the statements of other people. Cockatoos, seem to have the reputation of being the most lovable, but they also seem to be very fickle as if things are not just right they may turn on you. Again this is from others as I don't have any. I really think that it all depends on the relationship that you build with the bird that you have in conjunction with the birds overall personality. And it would also depend on your own ideas as to what is considered affection.
My Senegal and my Grey are very affectionate to me and I love them both dearly. Their affection for me plays out differently from the other but I honestly can't say that one or the other is more or less affectionate with me given their differences. Both of them are totally devoted to me and try their best to please me and to show me that they love me too. With the simple fact that they are both totally devoted to me, how could I say that one is more affectionate than the other? They are both as affectionate as they can be, and with that what criteria could you apply fairly to choose one or the other? I know that I can't.

[Pajarita]

I hear you loud and clear - and I agree. To me, all my animals are affectionate, they just show it in different ways but I was using a more 'generalized' version of 'affection' meaning a bird that actively seeks closeness -like a GCC, for example, that cuddles as if stuck with glue to you, rubs his/her little head, head and body against your face and neck and kisses you and kisses you and kisses you... I've never had a single tiel do anything remotely similar to that.

Now, cockatoos are not really fickle, not in my opinion. The problem with them is that people don't take into consideration their needs (and they are VERY needy!) and shortchange them. They are naturally affectionate birds and show it all the time so people get used to it and take it for granted. And, because they are large, they take years to mature; this, added to the fact that they are patient as all parrots are, it takes them years to finally show how dissatisfied they are with their living conditions so one day, they snap. And because of this people say they are fickle, that their bird changed from one day to the next but it's not true, it's that they just could not take it anymore and, as a last resort, they turn against their human. But, given all they need on a constant basis, they are very sweet and even tempered.

[Wolf]

Thank you !

[marie83]

I did have one cockatiel who used to shove her head in my hand and then start hissing at me if I stopped scratching her, if I started again then the hissing would stop. Tico was with Jack and Magic (also 'tiels, both male) but were all caged separately at night, she would hang out with the others but always come and pester me for attention a lot. I honestly didn't think a bird could be more affectionate than that until my GCC. I hand raised and weaned Tico from fledging as her parents abandoned her-she never went wild though.

[Pajarita]

Yes, there are many people who tell stories about affectionate tiels so I am sure there is the possibility of it (given the right circumstances - like, in your case, that she was handfed from day one) but I don't think it's the norm.

[Harpmaker]

Welcome to the forum Glenn and 'tiels! How are things in Sonoma County these days?

Enjoy your stay!

[marie83]

She wasnt handfed from day 1. She was an aviary bird