anyone own a pet bird?

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I'm not a huge animal person, but got dragged into a pet store with someone else the other day and fell in love with a conure. I've always had a thing for birds and now I'm researching bird ownership because part of me is actually toying with the idea of buying one.

My biggest concern, though, is that a lot of parrot breeds, particularly the conures, are such sociable little guys that I might not be able to give it the 'quality time' it needs. (I live alone and work full-time, so it would be by itself a lot during the day).

Anyhow, just curious to hear a little from other people about their bird ownership experiences. Also, what breed might you recommend as a good 'starter bird' for someone who has never cared for a bird before?

they will demand atleast 4 hours a day of social interaction.
I had a red lorry and loved her, sadly I became allergic to her and had to give her up
also keep in mind how long they live, and that they bond to one person, so if you get an older one they may never warm up to you.

I've had both budgerigars and cockatiels, and both are good beginner birds. If you want a larger parrot which is more self-reliant (= can actually play alone sometimes), choose a pionus parrot. However, as a first-time bird owner, I would highly recommend you buy two birds and an especially large cage with many toys - that way, the birds can always interact with each other, and they have room and opportunity to play and exercise. Remember to let them stretch their wings outside their cage often, preferrably every day.

Birds make wonderful pets, and in general, they are not extremely hard to care for. I've owned birds since kindergarten and been obsessed with pet birds, especially parrots, since I was 13-14 (am now 20). Unfortunately, I am not allowed to keep birds where I live now, but I plan on an aviary when I move to a new home, hopefully within a few years.

In general:

Canaries, finches and other small hardbills: Easiest type of birds to care for, but except for hand-reared Java sparrows, they probably won't ever become tame. Many species sing.

Small parrots (budgerigars, conures, cockatiels, lovebirds, parrotlets): Relatively easy to tame and full of personality. Often highly active. Some species have a shrill, unpleasant voice, which is unfortunately heard quite often. In my opinion the best pet birds for the beginner (unless you go for as low-maintenance as possible, in which case canaries and finches are better).

Softbills, lories and lorikeets: STAY OFF these! Some softbills, such as the hill myna, have a nice personality, but they are HARD to feed. They live off mainly fruit, pollen, nectar and a few insects (the avicultural term "softbill" actually refers to their diet, not their beak). Lories and lorikeets are prone to biting, and I've once heard a rumour that an angry lorikeet/lory will defecate in your direction (they can "shoot" their droppings several feet).

BIG parrots (African greys, amazons, macaws, cockatoos): STAY OFF these! Extremely hard to care for, and if they become frightened or angry, they are strong enough to bite off your fingers. They are also LOUD. I have heard of several parrot owners who had to sell their birds because they couldn't stand the noise. They require hours of mental stimulation each day, and owning a macaw has been compared to caring for a 2-year old child. They also require HUGE cages (a macaw would require about 1,3 m depth, 1,7 m height and 2,2 m length as a MINIMAL size in my opinion). These are wild animals, and I WOULD NOT recommend them for beginners. If you REALLY want a big parrot, go for a pionus, as they are the easiest big parrot to care for.

The personality of caiques, eclectus parrots and poicephalus parrots is often feisty, and they are prone to biting, much like lories and lorikeets. These are often bold, outgoing birds. The "worst" biters of these are caiques and senegal parrots (a poicephalus parrot).

Remember, ALL parrots may bite you if they are frightened, angry or defend their territory. They might also bite you during a certain stage of maturity (known in big parrots as the "terrible twos", even though it happens at 8-12 months of age in smaller parrots; it is the time in which your bird is a "teenager").

In general, budgerigars and cockatiels are about as hard to care for as rabbits and guinea pigs (I've owned all four species).

Buy a pair of Lovebirds!
They are so cute and intelligent and always look like they are smiling.
Hand reared are the best, I had one and it would always sit on my shoulder and it would reach around to take cornflakes from my mouth.
Try to ensure you don't buy a brother and sister else they will mate and you will have the usualy problems.

Give them lots of things to do, and let them have a fly around.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkLhc4rrQvA[/youtube]

Cockatiels; a bit more chatty than budgies and not much more expensive, and still light-years cheaper than a conure. If they have a mate they won't require as much social interaction. I leave the talk radio station on for my own background sounds and it keeps them company when I'm not in the room. My tom will react to certain commercials and bumper music that comes on and can imitate a cat meowing, smoke alarms and other sounds. Tiels can be quite messy though

I had a conure when I was a teenager. It was fun. I used to let it walk around on my shoulders and climb in my hair. It pooped in my hair a couple of times but it wasn't that bad since he was kinda small. I didn't realize they needed so much attention, though. I think it was happy just hanging out with me. I didn't actually have to focus intently on him, just let him be with me.

He flew away when we though his wings were clipped enough but they'd grown back.

I love parrots. They're bright and colourful and they speak with Cockney accents. I wonder who on WP could be like that?

Tufted Titmouse, what are your thoughts on Rosie Cockatoos?

Have you considered a pigeon or dove? They make great pets and there are rescue cases, such as injured birds, ex-racers and homers, or surrendered pets, and even rescues from the food industry as this video shows: King Pigeon pet

Also while on Youtube, search on "Elmo the pigeon."

Pigeons are intelligent (contrary to popular belief), so much so they've been observed passing the "mirror test", have been able to be taught to identify letters of the alphabet, and they learn human faces and never forget a face, much like crows. They have lots of personality and bond with their owners; there are rescue places and you would have to research to find one that really needs a home, and you'll be helping out a very sweet birdie.

I've had birds in the past, but my last experience soured me to it. An orphaned baby sparrow was found outside our house, and I kept it in a cardboard box and fed it cat food until it grew a bit. I bought a cage and kept it for a month or two and it seemed to be doing great. Grew up and was healthy and eating and fluttering and jumping about the cage. And then one day a stray cat got into the house when I was gone (sneaking in through the doggie door) and I found the cage on the floor and the bird gone.

Maybe I'll get another bird in the future, but for now I'm still bitter about the whole thing.

I don't, but my youngest sister does - in fact, she has EIGHT of them. Seven of them are society and zebra finches, and one is a green-cheeked conure. The finches are very cute - they make little beeping noises similar to the ones in Disney/Pixar's "For the Birds" short. The conure, on the other hand, is kind of a stinker. He pretty much only likes my sister and nobody else. He'll let our mom take him out of his cage and hang around with her, but only when my sister's not there.

The first time my sister brought her conure home, she was introducing the two of us and the bird flew onto my shoulder. I could feel him approaching my ear. "Awwww, he likes you! Give her a kiss, Sweetie!" my sister said, and all of a sudden I felt this stabbing pain in my earlobe. So, he doesn't like me that much either. xD

I have an African Grey. Birds are ALOT of work and require a lot of attention. We never had any bird before, so starting with a Grey was very hard, but it is the most rewarding pet I have ever had.

If you don't have time to spend with your bird it may be best to not get one. I do believe parakeets or even the budgie you were looking at may be ok, as they aren't as complex of personalities as some of the bigger parrots.

Definitely put in the time to research whichever breed you get. They are all quite different in terms of nutritional needs and behaviors. It's very easy to misunderstand a bird if you've never had one. Their gestures are not always what you would expect them to mean.

Also making sure they have a quality food is very important. And if you do get one try to find an avian vet for yearly checkups. Birds are prey animals so they hide sickness very very well. Ive read many horror stories of birds acting very normal then being dead within a few days once they show any symptoms. Our grey goes for blood work and a checkup every year with a certified avian vet. Regular vets are used to mammals. Birds' anatomy is quite different.

My grandma owns a couple of cockatiels. Their squawking drives me nuts.