conure vs. cockatiel?

[cowgirl11]

hi everyone,
right now i have a wonderful cockatiel, sweet as can be. got her as a handfed baby. she's playful in her cage, but very quiet(i know that girls are generally a lot quieter than boys) and a bit shy. i've always wanted a conure and have been considering one lately. how different are their personalities from cockatiels? are they more playful/loud? any pros and cons?
thanks in advance!

 

[hencrazy]

I used to do a lot of rescue work. Of all the birds my favorite are green cheek conures. Great personalities, generally quiet and are not usually scared of new foods/people/objects.

 

[BirdNut]

Hi!

Conures as a whole tend to be more on the nippy and temperamental side. They make up for it with a playful, loving personality. You want to make sure that you get Conures in the Pyrrhura family if you want a quieter, calmer bird, but if you're up for the bigger attitude, size, and noise, you can try the Aratinga Conure family, which are more closely related to Macaws.

Popular Pyrrhura Conures are Black-capped, Green-cheeked, and Crimson-bellied conures. Popular Aratingas are Sun Conures, Jenday Conures, and Nanday Conures.

 

[cowgirl11]

I do love sun conures, beautiful birds.. Do they whistle like cockatiels do? One of my cockatiels would whistle theme songs and things.. Thanks for the quick replies!

 

[hencrazy]

Sun are crazy playful and full of energy. They are also VERY loud.

 

[flocksalot]

If you don't mind the noise a Sun Conure is beautiful and in my experience very loving and playful. We lost ours this last Thanksgiving and I still get all choked up thinking of him. Julian was so very loving and sweet. He was my older sons 15th birthday present, and John was his world. He used to bring julian into my room at night when I was trying to read and sic him on my feet. Then he would have Julian protect me from all kinds of stuffed animals that he kept under my bed. It was so funny He would get so puffy and make all kinds of funny little noises, and then he would crawl under the blankets and go to sleep. Even After my son went off to the military he slept with me until my husband moved in. When ever John would come home Julian would hop onto my bed and look over the edge waiting for those evil monsters to appear. He would march back and forth like a little soldier on patrol.

I think Julian died of a broken heart. John had been home from the military and was going to school when he decided to move out. He had only been gone a couple of weeks and Julian was devastated. Then he came home to pick me and my younger son up to go to MN for the holiday. So first John, his "baby," left and then Mommy left. The vet said he had a stroke. My husband found him on the floor of his cage. He died later that day. We were still in MN and wouldn't have made it back in time. I really wish we had taken him with. Grandma always made him banana bread. John hasn't gotten over it yet and says he will never have another pet, but he often goes into the pet stores to play. Our other parrots miss him too.

If I knew now how much it would hurt when we lost Julian I would still have gotten him. Because I would also know just how much we loved him and he us. He was as irreplaceable as a child. He was the baby even after I had my younger son. Julian was the best and sweetest baby in the world for us and every time I hear a conure shriek I smile and my heart aches just a little bit less.

 

[cowgirl11]

flocksalot - i'm so sorry to hear of your loss! it's easy to get attached to our birds!

hencrazy - i do want a bird that's playful! in your experience are they more playful than cockatiels? i am doing research on both the sun conure and green cheeked conure. both sound like great birds. a little bit concerned about the nippiness of them.. is it something you can train out? my cockatiel never really bites hard, just nibbles.

 

[flocksalot]

Quote:
Thanks, I just hope whatever you pick that you have a bird that loves and plays like Julian did. Our African Grey is a bit on the crazy (insane) side and she can keep us in stitches, but than so can our quaker, 2 Umbrella Cockatoos and our 2 pacific parrotlets. Maybe its us that teaches them to be what they are CRAZY AND FUN. Lord knows I must be crazy as I'm always talking to myself........oh wait I'm talking to a bird that has just turned her back on me. I'll remember that the next time I'm in the fridg and she says "want some."

 

[hencrazy]

From my experience suns are more playful than cockatiels. Suns are more prone to behavioral problems such as feather picking, screaming, and biting due to their constant need to play - this happens when we leave them at home and go to work - they get bored and that is how they show their frustration.

Green cheeks are very playful. They are more capable of entertaining themselves with toys. They are not nearly as loud - even if they wanted to they are not capable of screaming as loud as a sun. If I could have my choice of any bird I would definitely pick a green cheek.

Added bonus - normal colored green cheeks are generally $200-400 cheaper than suns. You can put that extra money towards a super huge cage and load it up with toys!

 

[cowgirl11]

Thanks for all the good info! It helps I'm going to be going to school in the fall, part time.. Will a conure be able to handle that? Maybe 2-3 days a week. All the other days I will be home, and it will be given plenty of attention. When i'm not home, a family member will be home though. And one last question! Are the females quieter than males? Thanks!