Eep!

[Harpmaker]

This would normally be where I would throw in a plug for the Meyer's fan club. However, Pois in general are not well known for talking. (Mine says a few words. And yells at the dog, by name, for being noisy.) And Meyer's in particular are one of the least flashy birds around.

Still, Corsair is a friendly bird. She plays with my husband almost as much as she does with me, and she greets new visitors by landing on their heads.

Since I have only the one bird, I leave comments on other to people who know them.

[EmberSanja]

I've read that most of the ones I've listed aren't super great at talking, but I'm realizing that maybe not everyone is going to be happy here. My father just said he didn't want a budgie because he's had them his whole life, and did mention wanting a talking bird, but, as I'm always hearing, there's not a "perfect bird". I'd like to choose based on temperament and manageability, and consider what my parents want after that. They'll have to learn that there are more important things than "pretty" and talking.

That being said, I'm still dreading the conversation where I tell them these things, hehheh. I'm open to any suggestions to help pleas my case at this point!

Also as for calling about the legality of the quakers.. My house is being partially remodeled and the phone lines arent always hooked up. They have been for a couple hours now but I only just woke up from a nap (I have to avoid the construction due to delicate lungs and sleep helps pass the time) and they close at 4:30 (and it's 4:37 or so right now) so I'll have to wake up before 8 tomorrow and call (just realizing I could have used the cell phone... Ahhhhhh)

[Wolf]

Even among the better talking species there in no way of knowing if any given bird will choose to talk or not.

[EmberSanja]

Yes, I'm aware. It's slightly scary because I don't know if my father will want us to keep the bird if it doesn't talk. I would never let him give it away or anything - the bird isn't for him so he has no right to even suggest it, and he's lucky I'm trying so hard to please him when he will be doing almost nothing to keep it except be an entertainer when I'm in school.

The biggest reason he's a deciding factor is because I gave him most of my money to help with bills due to the expenses of remodeling and he won't pay me back because he's saying it goes toward the laptop he bought me... Four years ago, which I paid off previously with the money that was supposed to go toward my college fund. If he would give me what I gave him, even in installments, I'd be able to afford the bird and all necessities within a couple months, but now I'm forced to rely on him and my mother for the expenses because school is starting too soon for me to get a job, and I'm an honors student with multiple extra curriculars (only two go outside school hours, and only occasionally, with all outside school activities being optional) who will not have the time for a job or a schedule flexible enough for varying work hours.

I suppose I can wait for my birthday, Christmas, and the garage sale we'll be having after remodeling so I can afford a bird myself, but then I'd have to wait until at earliest spring because I don't know how many birds will be available in winter, and I would be too cautious to get one in the winter due to the cold and humidity and such (we don't have a humidifier, but I'd get one when possible for the bird)

I apologize if I'm coming off as aggressive or negative in any way, but I'm rather frustrated and find it a bit hard to wait another year for a bird.

[Wolf]

You can come off anyway that you fee, it doesn't bother me nor am I offended in any way. It can be frustrating enough trying to find the bird of your dreams when it is just yourself that must be appeased let alone two other people to boot. So just let go and work it out, its fine.

[Pajarita]

Indeed, don't worry at all. We all get frustrated at one time or another, especially when the subject is parrots.

Let's see... I happen to love pois but the males do tend to get nippy and even bitey when hormonal. My female senegals were all wonderful (although they were all bonded to me and nobody else -only one talked and just said her name and nothing else) and my male is one of the best talkers I've ever had (large vocabulary, speaking in context, learns new words and phrases all the time) but he can also be a mean son of gun! This bird bit me (VERY hard, I still have scars) several times a day, every day for over three years. He has since calmed down and became my friend but, in the last two weeks, he has been a bit nasty (this is because he's trying to get accepted by the quaker which made a nest in a box so he 'protects' it trying to win her over). I now have a Red Belly and she is the sweetest thing but, again, it's a female and she doesn't talk at all (sometimes she sounds as if she does and, for all I know, she might be saying something but, if she does, it's in Hungarian and I can't understand it).

Alexandrines are reputed to be not as difficult as ringnecks but they also need constant handling. Meyers can be quite aggressive and one-person birds but then all parrots can. Pionus are calm birds with an understated beauty all of their own but they are not known for talking.

[EmberSanja]

Alexandrines sound decent; our bird will be out of the cage and being handled almost all day, as long as either myself or my father is home (and he's disabled so he shouldn't be out doing much more than occasionally checking his hobby bee hives)

As for the agricultural department call, no one picked up and we got an answering machine and left a message about the information we needed. They should call back some time tomorrow, since now it's past their open hours. A cell phone number was given, so if our home phone is down, they'll still be able to reach us.