what kind of bird?

[Higins00]

I recomend a female cockatiel. They are quiet yet still call for you when they hear you. They bow to be pet and love to interact with out being needy. Can be trained with milet seed and most of all are afordable!

 

[abluechipstock]

greencheek conures aren't too loud, i like the meyer's parrot, if you don't like noise don't even think of a larger bird or one of the aritinga species of conures
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[crazychicken]

We have a pair of Parakeets and love them they are quiet for the most part, except if you get them going they can go on chattering for five minutes or so, and their chattering is not too loud at least ours are not (our baby chicks in the brooder are louder.) They are super easy for beginners can be trained to talk, do tricks, you could train them to do just about anything with some millet. They are also very easy to breed so you could have some more cute birdies for the price of two

 

[OccamsTazer]

I have a green cheek conure and she is a delight. Even her loudest sounding-off in the morning is just chattery cheerful.
Senegal parrots make the nicest "Bloop!" noise all day long. I wish I had one!

I have heard from many bird people that parrotlets are moody little pissants (and this from people who keep amazons!).

Just please, please don't get a Nanday conure. You'll end up divorced, they're horrid.

 

[CheepSunglasses]

I'd consider what you want the parrot to do. They have different strengths. African Greys are great mimics, but they don't like strangers or changes to their routines and can be fierce pluckers if they don't get enough attention. The Amazons are similar, though a little less neurotic. They Caiques are playful and good with strangers, the Meyers and Senegals charming and quieter than the conures. Conures as a whole tend to be a little shrill, but I agree with everyone who likes the Green Cheeks- they are adorable. If you are a first-time parrot owner, I'd stay away from the extremely needy and emotional Cockatoos, and the loud and space-demanding Macaws. Neither are good beginner birds. If I had it to do all over again (we own a Grey and have owned conures and cockatiels), I'd probably get a Caique, a Meyers or a Senegal. But don't overlook the little cockatiels. These birds are VASTLY underrated as pets and will cheerfully do most of the things that the larger, more temperamental and expensive birds will do, with a lot less trouble. Great question and good luck!

 

[downtime]

I was also going to suggest a green cheek conure or meyers. I'm not much of a fan of lovebirds and their noise myself. Another possiblity is the Red Rumped Parakeet. We used to breed them, they weren't shrill like the cockatiels could be, and the males are beautiful, in fact their colors led me to name ours Skittles. Rosellas are also a great option, really IMO, any of the grass keets are. Had I not had a sudden job shift that left me unable to handfeed babies I was looking for a pair of Bourke's keets in addition to our red rumps. Lovely little parrots, and not screechy at all.

 

[Dingo]

I agree with CheapSunglasses, it depends wholly on what you expect from the bird. Also keep in mind that some birds carry extra needs, Cockatiels are very "dusty" and will require at the very least a weekly bathing or at the most air filters and daily showers. Health issues (Allergic Alveolitis) may arise from prolonged exposure or acute (high levels) exposure to dust, dander and feathers. Though if you can deal with taking a bird in the shower with you, and keeping the cage clean it's not that bad.

 

[NurseNettie]

I LOVE cockatiels or parakeets for starter birds.

I can't possibly stress enough, to those considering birds for the first time...

Please research the birds you are interesIted in. Please be well aware of the lifespan of your bird. Parakeets and 'Tiels can live 7-9, and 10 -15 years. Bigger birds- longer lifespan. And birds do NOT transition well to new owners- if you plan to get one, the commitment, time-wise at least, will be far longer than a cat or dog, and if you are considering a larger breed--- could be longer than your OWN life span.

We have 3 cockatoos. 2 Goffins, 1 Sulfur Crested. Coco ( first goffins) we got at age 4 months. Still needed handfeeding. Is definitely our "baby". S/he is about 6 now.
Pebbles (goffins #2) is 11 years old. We got her when she was 7 or 8. S/he had been bounced from home to home, and we suspect s/he had been neglected and mistreated along the way. Definitely neurotic. Chews her feathers, and now pulls some out. Nothing medically wrong- just anxious. The remedies we have tried don't work- it's just the way s/he is and will probably always be.
Cutie (aka Stella, nobody knows for sure) is about 17, and has been with us about 2 years. Another "rescue" of sorts. Plucks all her body feathers. Doesn't seem to have ever been able to fly, even though there is no wing deformity, and she's otherwise fully feathered. Seems to have had someone to love in her past life, but not her recent past. Hubby was called by someone he had done a job for, and told him of her. She was living in a cage, in a vet's kennel full of dogs. Had been dumped there 3 months before, by an owner who was now homeless and divorced. The husband had been abusive to the bird, when they left, they had lived in a car for months, the bird left there for some time, til the owner decided to surrender to a vet. She has fallen in love with my husband, but hasn't stopped plucking. Will bit everyone else, me included.

All of our birds have 40 to 60 YEAR lifespans. We are in our 40's , and they will be with us til we're gone. Our children have agreed to assume care there after.

My point in my ramble is, it is a HUGE commitment to a very fragile animal.

Research, research, research. Find and establish a relationship with an avian vet BEFORE you get your bird.
Remember that birds BITE. It's what they do. Sometimes it hurts.
Kids and large birds do NOT go well together. Exceptions can be made for a very experienced owner, and a young bird who grows up with the youngsters.
Cats and dogs are very dangerous to birds. Their saliva alone can cause disease. One small bite can kill due to infection. The instincts in your cat or dog will never go away completely.
Birds will not talk just because you want them to. They're birds. If they decide to talk, they'll say what they want. And it's usually not what you want them to say

Birds squawk, holler, scream and cry out. It's in their nature. "Flock calls" are common in the morning and evening.. And any time there's reason for alert or alarm. Or just to say hi. Or just because. They are not quiet.
Birds are MESSY!!! They throw everything. They chew everything. It's what they do. They will need LOTS of safe toys-- which they will usually chew up and destroy, and move on to the next toy. They love to do this.
Since moving to Northern Maine, we have no access to "good" food for our "Toos. We have to mail order for everything except some bird seed ( which they love, but as a main diet, it's just not good-- it's the equivalent of junk food to most birds). Consider the added cost of mail order/ shipping if you live rural.

That said-- please PM me with any questions. I have loads of online resources saved in my "favorites" and can talk about my birds forever!!! I love my birds, and wouldn't want my life without them. My husband and I have endless fun just enjoying their company.

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[Knock Kneed Hen]

I've had birds all my life, my first being a lovebird when I was 12. I loved how they were also busy, busy. I've had Conure's, several different species, and they are VERY loud. I've had Eastern Rosella's and found that they could be noisy. I've had different amazons and found them to be noisy at dawn and dusk. I personally have not had cockatiels but both of my sisters have and my sis-in-law has one now. They seem to be very sweet, docile birds that attach to their owners and are trainable. I never had a cockatiel because as I got older I wanted to raise more exotic species. What I know now is that nothing can guarantee the personality of a bird. They are all individuals and will have individual personalities. Birds will bond more to you if you do not have a cage mate for them. This being said, you need to give them plenty of attention as you become the center of their world. Someone suggested getting a female but I don't think it matters. I know that some females, when reaching sexual maturity, can become very territorial and will turn on you as they protect their "nest" (cage). I think if you can get a young bird and handle it frequently you'll end up with a nice bird...cockatiels just seem to be that way.

As NurseNettie suggested, do plenty of research before getting a bird. I really, really wanted a big bird but couldn't afford the Blue and Gold Macaw and settled for a Military Macaw. They tend to be more independent, like teenagers for life. Now I have a bird for the next 60+ years that can be aggressive when he's in one of his moods and doesn't like to be made over. He was hand raised and I bought him at 8 mos. old so it has more to do with the species and less with his upbringing. I didn't do my homework and when I finally looked it up it said they don't make the best pets. He's been with me for 15 yrs and I don't plan on giving him up . . . but I do have many war scars on my hand.


I think you should try a cockatiel. I think it's a great starter bird and that you'll really enjoy it. My Dad always said, "NO MORE BIRDS!" but he always seemed to allow my sister's cockatiel on his shoulder. The bird would nibble on his eyelashes and earlobe. I think they are very endearing and should I every decide to add another house bird I'd choose a cockatiel.

Have fun with it!!

 

[Dingo]

If you do choose a cockatiel hen be prepared for mood swings, my parent raised hen can be the sweetest bird one day and be devil bird the next. In seven years she's never bitten me though, and I'm not even sure she knows how. The only time she gets territorial is when she's in breeding mode and her hormones are going crazy. The only time she really makes any noise is when she needs/wants something or she's excited, unlike the budgies who constantly chatter. They are also very emotional birds and bond closely to their people.