Aspiring parrot companion

[Nerdy One]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to this site and not yet a bird owner, but I am looking to bring a parrot into my home some day soon. I'm doing my research before I make my decision and this forum looks like a great place to gather information and chat with knowledgable parrot owners. I don't want to purchase/adopt a parrot on impulse, as that could end up being very damaging for the poor parrot. I have been researching my decision for about a year now, and although I'm being accused of acting too slow, I wouldn't feel right rushing this decision.

I own no other pets, and have never owned a bird but have always been interested in parrots. I'm in my twenties, and I have dealt mainly with horses in the past, so this is quite a change for me! I would love to own an African Grey as most of them that I have met and handled are lovely, and intelligent with quirky personalities, but I hear they are difficult for first time bird owners. I am a patient person with a Mon-Fri, 8 am to 5 pm job. I do no travelling, and I'm a bit of a loner looking for a companion bird. I'm up for the lifetime commitment, and I'm aware of all of the expenses and space requirements. I have been visiting breeders in order to interact with a variety of birds, and I have even been reading up on parrot health and handling. As I work from 8 am - 5 pm I am a little worried that 5:30 pm - 11 pm would not be enough time to give a high maintenance parrot like the African grey the attention it deserves during the week.

I am also considering a quaker, a conure, or a love bird - they may be a more plausible "first parrot" than an African grey. I'm interested more in personality and suitablity than in beauty and speech skills when it comes to choosing a parrot.

I would love, and truly appreciate any input or advice on choosing a parrot.

[Michael]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to this site and not yet a bird owner, but I am looking to bring a parrot into my home some day soon. I'm doing my research before I make my decision and this forum looks like a great place to gather information and chat with knowledgable parrot owners. I don't want to purchase/adopt a parrot on impulse, as that could end up being very damaging for the poor parrot. I have been researching my decision for about a year now, and although I'm being accused of acting too slow, I wouldn't feel right rushing this decision.

Absolutely brilliant thinking!

I wish everyone would do the same before acquiring a first bird and of course never buy on impulse.

I own no other pets, and have never owned a bird but have always been interested in parrots. I'm in my twenties, and I have dealt mainly with horses in the past, so this is quite a change for me! I would love to own an African Grey as most of them that I have met and handled are lovely, and intelligent with quirky personalities, but I hear they are difficult for first time bird owners. I am a patient person with a Mon-Fri, 8 am to 5 pm job. I do no travelling, and I'm a bit of a loner looking for a companion bird. I'm up for the lifetime commitment, and I'm aware of all of the expenses and space requirements. I have been visiting breeders in order to interact with a variety of birds, and I have even been reading up on parrot health and handling. As I work from 8 am - 5 pm I am a little worried that 5:30 pm - 11 pm would not be enough time to give a high maintenance parrot like the African grey the attention it deserves during the week.

I am also considering a quaker, a conure, or a love bird - they may be a more plausible "first parrot" than an African grey. I'm interested more in personality and suitablity than in beauty and speech skills when it comes to choosing a parrot.

I would love, and truly appreciate any input or advice on choosing a parrot.

These are some very good considerations but at this time, rather than address some of the points you made, I'd like to ask you some further questions:

A) Do you intend to leave the parrot flighted?
B) What are your space and noise considerations?
C) What do you predict your future living situation might be in 5, 10 and 30 years?
D) What do you want to get from the parrot? What kind of things do you like about them? What are you criteria for choosing?
E) How much of a concern is budget and do you have a yearly budget that can continue supporting that? Many people don't realize that you can easily end up spending the price of the parrot on a yearly maintenance budget alone.

[tacotaco]

I think that you are a very intelligent person and I agree that more people should be like you before buying a parrot! I also agree that an is a difficult bird for a first time bird owner, and sometimes for experienced ones as well. But if you are really prepared like you seem to be getting there, and really know what you are getting into, it might not be such a terrible thing.
I personally, have a conure (this is my 2nd one) and my parents have had a which was more on the messy side from all the dander they shed (same with cockatiels). I will probably stick with conures most of my life because they tend to be my favorite. I think they are a perfect size for me, not too big not too small but are definitely on the more loud side (which personally I do not mind.)
Also, I work from 830 to 530 and I live 1 hour away. I change food and water in the morning and let him out of his cage while I get ready for work. As soon as I get home, I let him out and we have dinner together (fresh fruits, potatoes, chicken, etc) with a change of water, etc - and we also spend the rest of the night playing, or just hanging out, out of his cage. I think he is okay with that, as any bird would be. He does get a lot more attention on weekends

Whatever you choose, I'm sure you will do great as an owner and of course, we are all here willing to help you along the way. Good luck to you.

[MandyG]

Welcome! It's refreshing to see someone who is more concerned about making an informed decision rather than focusing on instant gratification. Sounds like you're well on your way to finding the perfect feathered companion

Good luck with your search!

[Nerdy One]

Hello Michael,

Thank you for the reply, and I really appreciate the help! I'm glad you think it's a good idea to research as much as possible before purchasing. I have spoken to a few breeders about choosing a parrot, but naturally many of them want to sell their birds, and as such they aren't always as forthcoming about the challenges involved in owning a parrot. I have answered your questions (in detail) below:


A) Do you intend to leave the parrot flighted?

Yes. I know there are pros and cons for both flighted and non-flighted, and it really is a personal decision for each bird owner, but I feel better about allowing my bird to fly. Plus we have tons of roomy areas we can easily bird-proof for flight.

B) What are your space and noise considerations?

Noise: I live at home currently, and we're in a mid-sized house, not a semi or an apartment. The only people I need to consider regarding noise are my family, and considering my sibling and I both play musical instruments they are quite accustomed to a bit of noise - they don't complain even when we play at night (though I at least try and keep the noise to a minimum after 11 pm).

Space: I've been told that although my family doesn't mind me getting a parrot, I would need to keep my feathered friend's cage in my room (they know birds are quite messy). I’m a little worried about this, as my room is mid-sized, but quite cluttered, though I plan to clean out all of the junk and clear a space for the appropriately sized cage using any means necessary (we have plenty of storage space in our basement, and it IS garage sale season here in Canada). That being said, I definitely don’t have room for a cage that would house an extremely large bird, such as a macaw.

C) What do you predict your future living situation might be in 5, 10 and 30 years?

In 5 years, I hope to have saved enough money to purchase my own small bungalow (I'm living at home to save for a house). If I don't have my own home by 5 years, then I'll have one in 10 years for sure. By 30 years I hope to either be living in the same bungalow, or (ideally) out in the country. Whether or not I will still be with my current significant other is not known, though he is supportive of my parrot ownership. I do plan to continue working a stable job in the IT industry, though we're never sure 100% how things will turn out!

D) What do you want to get from the parrot? What kind of things do you like about them? What are you criteria for choosing?

I like the intelligence and the vibrant personalities of parrots. I like a pet that is a bit of a challenge, and I like the fact that most parrots enjoy interacting with people and playing. I guess what really and truly appeals to me is how deeply parrots form bonds with people. I understand that a parrot is technically still a wild animal, and there have been cases where a parrot hasn’t bonded well with its owner, but the general consensus seems to be that parrots form an attachment with their owners and I like that. Talking is pretty cool, but not a necessity – I’ll love my parrot regardless of whether s/he talks or not. I don’t want a parrot to perform tricks solely for my entertainment, or breed, or be a fancy decoration – I want one that I’m going to spend time with and share a happy bond with. I know I’ll have to work really hard at forming and maintaining that bond, but I believe it will be fun and rewarding. Sorry if that sounds super cheesy, but that’s what I’d like! Aggression is not a problem for me personally, as I’m quite accustomed to dealing with aggressive animals 10 times my size peacefully, and non-violently, but I live with other people who aren’t as savvy with animal aggression so (as I’ve mentioned before) something large, and known for aggression like a macaw would be a bad choice for me.
My criteria for choosing a parrot, regardless of its species would be an intelligent, and playful, yet kind disposition, and the ability to form a deep bond.


E) How much of a concern is budget and do you have a yearly budget that can continue supporting that? Many people don't realize that you can easily end up spending the price of the parrot on a yearly maintenance budget alone.

Oh – absolutely! Parrots are expensive, and I’ve worked about $3,000 CDN - $5,000 CDN per year into my budget and that works with plenty of room to grow even with saving for a home. I make a decent salary at a stable, 8-5 job, and I have a stable home with a supportive family.

Phew! So now that you have my live story, hopefully that gives you some idea into what I’m looking for and how much thought I’ve put into this decision. I brought up a macaw twice, because I did consider a macaw, as I feel more comfortable with larger animals, but I found my living situation just wouldn’t be fair to any macaw.
Again, thank you so much for your help!

[pchela]

I know that many people would consider an African Grey a bad first parrot but I think you are the kind of person who could handle one. By that I mean you are doing tons of research and seem to know what you are getting into. I personally love African Greys.. they are so intelligent and sweet! Anyway, I wonder if you have looked at Timneh African Greys? They are smaller than their Congo cousins so can get by with a smaller cage and are a bit easier to handle. They are every bit as smart as the Congo. The main difference is the size, the tail color and the thought that Timnehs are a bit more social with other people than Congos.

Senegals are also well loved around here if you haven't noticed!

I'm so glad that you are researching and making a budget etc. Sounds like you'll be an excellent parrot caretaker and friend.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I also think you've done a great job of doing research and preparing yourself for having a parrot in your life. Not that I'm the most experienced person here -- far from it! But I'll pitch in my two cents anyway -- now that you're well on the way to being extremely well educated, don't be afraid to make the leap when you think you've found the right bird! I'm a scientist by training so I tend toward "analysis paralysis" myself, but when making these kinds of decisions, sometimes letting your heart get a vote is OK.

[BirdbrainJan]

Analysis paralysis is a great term! I'm completely there now, and this is where I think the research and meeting lots of birds has almost been a detriment to my scientific personality.

Kudos to you for doing the research, it sounds like you really do know what you're getting yourself into. I hope you find just the right bird

[Nerdy One]

Thanks for all of the replies and support!

Pchela – I have met a few Timneh and Congo African Greys and they were all wonderful birds. I think I would go for the Timneh over the Congo simply because they’re a little smaller and they might be more comfortable for a first time handler. I actually haven’t seen many Senegals where I live but they are gorgeous! I would like to look more into them too.

I definitely experience the “analysis paralysis” – fantastic phrase by the way! It makes taking that leap really difficult.

BirdBrainJan – it’s nice to see someone else in the same boat! I’m glad you’re also researching this decision. Good luck finding a bird, if you haven’t already found one!

[Rue]

I agree...you sound like you'd do fine with an African Grey to start with...esp. if that's the bird that 'calls' to you the most.