I’ve been thinking for years about how I’d like to adopt a pet parrot, and recently the WolfDude and me have begun discussing the matter. He’s not unamenable to the idea, but at this point he’s not enthusiastic about it, either. Allow me to explain, please; then to request some input from other hookbill happy Dopers
The factors in favor of additional psittacine citizens entering our lives include:first, the fact that we’re both the sort of person who needs to have some close animal friends in his life (and it’s very unlikely we’ll be in a position where we could have a pooch or two anytime soon);; and second, within the last several monthsI have initiated Wolf to the joys and hilariousness that budgies (melopsittacus undulatus) bring into people’s lives.
Those are grass or shell parakeets to any interested neophytes- amongst the readers; yes, those cheery and colorful little guys you used to could get at Woolworths for a couple of bucks, like your grandma might’ve had. First came Oliver, a crotchety but garrulous little chap in a natty purple and white weskit; then our little household was joined by an elegant, dramatic and somewhat over-assertive young ladybird named Miss Clara laBlanca, with whom Oliver entered a common-law (common-caw?) relationship; then, the last and best birdie of them all showed up --my totally adorable little buttercup-faced brat birdie, Alias The Parakeet (whose full name is Alias Alibi Erickson-Pop, but I mostly call him Li’l Birdee-Boo).
Our parakeet posse (or as Wolf likes to call them, The Chillybeepers Three) have made life infinitely pleasanter and more fabulous at our house, and Wolf in particular is blown away by how comical, fascinating and just amazing they are to just watch; what charming and entertaining little friends they can be, and how much actual personality and startling intelligence they have packed in their wee lentil-sized birdie brains.
They’re Wolf’s first avian pets, yes, but not mine, not by any means. I’ve kept a flock o’budgerooties in my day; also experienced with owning cockateils (most notably His Supreme Too-Muchness, Emperor Pickles I , who was one of my best pets ever, for all that he was a totally evil, vicious, and blackhearted little tyrant and more of a pervert than I am, even.).
Besides the birds I’ve kept myself, I’ve become acquainted with, befriended, helped care for, pet-sat for or just closely observed several other kinds of hookbills including lovebirds, an African Grey (with whom I became great buddies even though his human care-person was scared half to death of me), assorted conures and non-budgie parakeets, a little green and brown parrotlet of some kind, a couple of Amazonz and a cockatoo of the kind they call a rosy gala (he was very cute and adorable until he let out this gawd-awful skullbusting and entirely unprovoked SCREEEEAAAAAMMMM while he was about three inches from my left ear) (it stopped bleeding and ringing after a day or two).
Thus I think I can righteously claim to be a good, kindly, dutiful and informed keeper of 'teils and 'keets; I love 'em dearly and take my responsibility to keep them healthy and happy quite seriously indeed.
Therefore, I believe I am ready to take on the challenge of adopting, rearing and keeping an actrual parrot as a pet:by “actual parrot” I mean someone who’s a few steps beyond a budgie or cockytteedle. I know that anything bigger than a cockateil is MORE BIRD in every way: bigger, stronger, smarter, more complicated and costly to feed and to house, with more complicated emotional and mental processes and more potential to do one a serious mischief if one pisses them off. I also know that I’d probably get past all that and be delighted with my bigger, wiggier psittacine citizen comrade, and make him one of the most gleefully spoiled cracker-chasers in California.
Wolf’s not quite sold on the notion yet but he’ll come around; He loves the parakeets and has quickly learned a whole lot about their care. Meanwhile since I’m the one with prior bird knowledge and interest, the selection and acquistition of our future feathered friend will be mostly my responsibility.
Which brings me, at last, to my point; the area about which I request some good input from my fellow parrot-parent Dopers aspiring and experienced alike. I’d like some knowledge about what might be the best type parrot for me and my Wolfboy and our Chillybeepers.
We’re men in our mid to late 40s who live in a small apartment,keep odd hours and play our music loud; at least one of us is home most of the time but we’ve no real schedule. We have friends over to share a drink or a smoke at times, as well as the occasional overnight or weekend gentleman caller.I mention these details in case there’s a kind of petbird who’s inimical or ideal to that sort of life. The small apartment might require us to be creative wrt housing space for our pintsized pal with the pinfeathers, too.
Okay. What we need would be a species of bird which tends to be friendly, cuddly, playful and smart;And NOT SCREAMY. **NOT SCREAMY I SAID! **which eliminates all of the conures, cockatoos and macaws right away, don’t it? And Amazons too, which I don’t want one of anyway because I’ve known two and they were both crazy and meaner’n shit. talking potential would be very nice but isn’t vital For a long time I thought it was an African Grey for me, because I like their semi-alien look, all cold, intelligent grey eyes and reptilian, slightly menacing profiles; and OF COURSE I’d LOVE to have a genius talker for a pet bird, who wouldn’t? but the more I read about Greys the more they strike me as being really emotionally and psychically fragile; if my bird was to become miserable and go crazy and pick itself naked or something like that, because I couldn’t take care of its emotions properly, I’d never forgive myself.Also the price of a hand raised young’un is far out of my range. I could save up and scrape a few hundred bucks together, but a freakin’ thousand?? This will not happen to me in my life.
Lories and Lorikeets are beautiful to look at but I don’t think I’m up to their specialized feed needs and they also cost way more than I can ever.afford. Eclectus just don’t appeal to me, although they are very beautiful to look at, too.
Amongst the parrotlets the kind I think I’d really like to have as a pet is illegal to own in California ( (Myiopsitta monachus, also called the graycheek parrotlet,quaker parakeet or monk parrot, mon. I definitely do not want any goddamn lovebird and that’s final.
There’s several kinds of Poicephalus and Pionus varieties who might work out nice as our feathered kiddo, from what I have read.
Please, advise me. What’s a good apartment parrot? One who’s a clever delightful little person by nature and capable of bonding with two daddies without crazy-bird jealousy drama leading to bloodshed and hurt feelings? With a mild streak of the party animal deep in his or her wee feathery soul? One who’s fairly hardy and healthy by nature and not emotionally hyperfragile? Not as big as a hyacinth macaw or one of them scaaary lookin black goliath cockatoos, but not a some pygmy petite pocket-polly neither.Unless someone has an adorable favorite pet parrot I’ve never heard about they’d like to recommend, I’ve got the selection narrowed down to either one of the Poicephalus species ((either the Meyers or the Senegal) or maybe Pionus. I have read that amongst the Pionus clan, the blueheaded ones make the best pets and companions as a general rule; can anybody speak to this for me?
Well that’s my parrot-people-pestering post, I know it’s ungodly long so if you’ve read this far I surely do thank you… If you can help enlighten me on the psitt sitch I’ll thank you twice as much!
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