Hello from Missouri

[faeclarinet]

Hello everyone! My name is Katelynn. I've owned birds when I was younger and for the last 6 years have been unable to have birds. I'm moving out soon to my own place and am super excited to be able to have a feathered family member once more!

In the past I've owned a parakeet, 2 lovebirds, and 2 cockatiels.

I look forward to meeting everyone and learning information about conures! I'm thinking about getting a green cheek after I move. I have been researching birds and couldn't decide between a lovebird or a cockatiel but I think I've decided on a conure!

Now I just have to figure out how/where to find a breeder.

[liz]

Welcome to the forum.

[Wolf]

Welcome to the forum! Glad to have you here, but would really like it more if you would consider expanding your horizons a bit to include a rescue bird as a potential bird companion. There are a huge number of birds in these rescues that need a good home. Some of them are from abusive homes and have been or are currently in need of rehabilitation, but there are also many birds that the only reason for their being in a rescue is that the people either no longer wanted them or could not care for them. Some are only in a rescue because they grew up and went through puberty. These are the birds that you are after anyway.
Many times a young bird is purchased by a new or inexperienced person who has heard of the bond that occurs between human and bird and want this, and so they buy a just weaned bird and they get to experience this bond for about a year or two or even a little longer depending on the species of parrot and then the bird goes through puberty and this bond disappears and may or may not be reestablished depending on circumstances. This is what happens in the wild as well the bird grows up, reaches puberty and releases it parental bonding and seeks out its mate, the bird that will bond with it in most cases for its lifetime. This is the bond that the human is also looking for in their bird but it doesn't happen for at least a year or two when the bird goes through puberty.
With a bird from a breeder or pet store you might end up getting this bond or not, but with a reasonably socialized bird of two years old or longer in terms of personality what you see is pretty much what you get and if you allow the bird of the species you are looking for choose you instead of the other way then the bond is pretty much assured.
So these are my reasons to ask you to reconsider your choice in sources of a bird and possibly the age of the bird. Please at least think about this.

[Harpmaker]

Welcome to the forum!

[faeclarinet]

Thank you, I am also considering adopting. it just depends on what any local adoption agencies might have.

[liz]

www.rescueme.org then a slash /name of state

They send you a list of what is available in your state. I am listed in 3 states. They give you a picture with info from the previous owner.

If you are braver you can go on craigslist.

[faeclarinet]

Thank you so much for that link! I'm sure it will be very useful.

[Pajarita]

Welcome to the forum and thank you for considering adoption instead of buying one! A word of caution about GCCs, they are very needy so unless you can spend hours with the bird on you (which you can't do if you work full time), you might want to reconsider because they can get VERY bitey if they don't get what they need.

[faeclarinet]

Welcome to the forum and thank you for considering adoption instead of buying one! A word of caution about GCCs, they are very needy so unless you can spend hours with the bird on you (which you can't do if you work full time), you might want to reconsider because they can get VERY bitey if they don't get what they need.

Thank you! Can't that be said for many birds? I won't be working full time. I'm a student and a little anti social with people so I'll be home a lot and spending lots if play and cuddle time with my bird. After they bond with me, I'd like to start taking them with me places, weather permitting of course. I plan on spoiling my bird haha. I am definitely wanting to research all I can first however.

I've been looking around my state and could only fine 2 GCC for adoption in the whole state!

[Pajarita]

Yes, it can be said of most parrots that belong to companion species (meaning, not aviary ones if they have companions of their own species) but some are more independent than others - for example, an amazon or a pionus and even some grays and macaws are OK for a number of hours as long as you are there with them but not GCCs, they want to be ON you all the time.