StaceyinLA Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 I'm going to purchase a parrot in the spring. My last indoor dog is gone, and dd will be taking her little dog when they get reassigned in February. I do not want any more indoor dogs, but am seriously considering a parrot. We have had one before and I really enjoyed him. What are your favorites, and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 We have had a lilac crested Amazon parrot for about 5 months. He is interesting but messy. This particular type is not known to be a talker. He does imitate sounds. He is cranky and demanding when we have food that he wants. lol He flies to the fan every night instinctually to get to the highest perch. We nudge him off the fan, and he flies back. He is not too friendly, but he will get on mine or dh's finger at night in order to be put in his cage to go to bed. He's about 14 and can live to be 70 so provisions for him will need to be made in our will. :lol: Other than that, he needs fresh food (fruits and veggies, mostly) every day but is pretty low maintenance. If you want a talker, you should look for an African grey. What else do you want to know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 What are you looking for in a parrot? Do you want a showy clown? Do you want a talker? Will you be looking for someone to cuddle? Would you consider rescuing one? Do you have any idea how many abandoned parrots there are out there? :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 (edited) African grey, hands down! A friend of mine has had one for 35 years. He is messy -- kicks seeds out of his cage, and so forth. But he is so talkative. He can exactly imitate everyone who talks -- no one can tell it is the parrot. Get a cold, and he sneezes and coughs (imitation) right along with you! He can imitate the alarm clock, too, which can be annoying. He also tells her dogs to hush (by name, too) when they are barking. He sounds exactly like my friend -- I can't tell the difference. She lets him out of his cage in the house. Personally, I think that could get messy, but I'm not an indoor bird person. #1 rule: Don't curse around the parrot! Edited November 1, 2012 by RoughCollie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 If you want to talk I would get an African Grey. Our good friends have one and it is amazing how she learned language from old TV shows. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcatmom Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 (edited) I have had parrots for years but currently we only have our African Grey. She is 13 years old. I just posted some video's on my blog but they are only for the audio. She does not like the camera, so getting video of her while she is talking is next to impossible. She simply will not talk on camera. If you want to hear what they sound like, check it out! African Grey We have had lovebirds and cockatiels and those can be quite affectionate. I used to have a lovebird that would hide in my shirt and just hang out at the neck of my shirt with his head popped out. Grey's mostly attach themselves to one person and are great talkers. She is a huge part of our family. She does come out of her cage and mostly just walks around the floor and picks on things. They are great pets! Edited November 1, 2012 by fourcatmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fhjmom Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 I had a Senegal that was such a sweet bird. He was a cuddle-bug and would hang on the front of my shirt or snuggle up under my hair all the time. He was small for a parrot and not as loud or messy as most bigger birds. When the kids get a bit older, I would like to get another one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 My sister had a pet parrot for a while - he had learned to mimic the sound of the microwave beep and a knocking door, and then would laugh his head off when you went to check. Also knew quite a bit of profanity in Spanish. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 We are looking at a yellow headed Amazon or African Grey. Also another that is under looked is an Eclectus. The males especially can be great talkers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 I used to work at a bird shop, I got to hand raise all kinds of birdies. I have a 16YO senegal and he is a sweetie pie, if you are looking for a small parrot. He loves to cuddle and is not super loud. He doesn't tear up toys as fast as the big guys either. If I were going to get a big parrot it would be a yellow headed amazon. The greys I have worked with were all high strung and loved to talk too much IMO :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annandatje Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 If anyone in your household has asthma or respiratory allergies, a parrot is not a good fit. Cats can freak them out. They are messy and live a long time. Estimate their life span to determine whether you will outlive them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 I did love the Senegal's personality overall, but he was a rescue, and quite mean. The Quaker was awesome, but very protective of me - he would "attack" my husband if he tried to touch me! I had an African Grey for a week. I was highly allergic to the dust from her. I'll probably steer clear of the bigger, dustier birds because of that, as well as the bigger messes. :tongue_smilie: I have thought about a Caique; they look like a lot of fun. I'd definitely consider another Senegal or Quaker. Quakers have great talking abilities. The African Grey would be my first choice were it not for the allergies. I LOVE the fact that they have actual reasoning skills - very fascinating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 I did love the Senegal's personality overall, but he was a rescue, and quite mean. The Quaker was awesome, but very protective of me - he would "attack" my husband if he tried to touch me! I had an African Grey for a week. I was highly allergic to the dust from her. I'll probably steer clear of the bigger, dustier birds because of that, as well as the bigger messes. :tongue_smilie: I have thought about a Caique; they look like a lot of fun. I'd definitely consider another Senegal or Quaker. Quakers have great talking abilities. The African Grey would be my first choice were it not for the allergies. I LOVE the fact that they have actual reasoning skills - very fascinating! The breeder I found told me if you have any allergies in the home Eclectus is the best breed. The males especially can be good talkers. Apparently they are a "friendlier" bird than some Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyCrazyMama Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 I loved my Quaker and he loved ME and only ME.:lol: He was a pretty good talker too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 The breeder I found told me if you have any allergies in the home Eclectus is the best breed. The males especially can be good talkers. Apparently they are a "friendlier" bird than some The only problem with eclectus is that they are incredibly sensitive. They will find any excuse to pluck. I don't think I ever saw a fully feathered one in my years of parrot rescue. My avian vet had one but even HE was a plucker. And she did everything humanely possible to figure him out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcatmom Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 I did love the Senegal's personality overall, but he was a rescue, and quite mean. The Quaker was awesome, but very protective of me - he would "attack" my husband if he tried to touch me! I had an African Grey for a week. I was highly allergic to the dust from her. I'll probably steer clear of the bigger, dustier birds because of that, as well as the bigger messes. :tongue_smilie: I have thought about a Caique; they look like a lot of fun. I'd definitely consider another Senegal or Quaker. Quakers have great talking abilities. The African Grey would be my first choice were it not for the allergies. I LOVE the fact that they have actual reasoning skills - very fascinating! We also had a Senegal, Jardine's, Caique, Meyer's, and Green-Cheek when we had the lovebirds. The Senegal and Meyer's type birds make great pets. They are a great size. The Caique is only a bit larger but MUCH noiser. They are very similar to Cockatoo's but in a small body. Very high needs and high energy. Tons of fun but they do have a screech on them. The green-cheeks are great birds as well. Much smaller and cheaper and can also talk. Smaller beaks too! I loved my Caique very much, he was very attached to me though, almost too much especially as he got older. It's fun to spend some time at a breeder's house that might have multiple birds so that you can hang out with them and see which one picks you! Good Luck, I love my birds and I miss the one's that I had to part with very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 We are looking at a yellow headed Amazon or African Grey. Also another that is under looked is an Eclectus. The males especially can be great talkers. My aunt has an Eclectus. He barks like the dogs. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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