# What bird is best for me? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 21, 2017, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bird-is-best-for-me/789526 "2017-06-21T13:24:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bird-is-best-for-me/789526/21 "2017-06-22T17:51:51Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Have you ever tried a turducken? No, I haven’t, but I’d like to try it. I also would like to try deep fried turkey. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bird-is-best-for-me/789526/22 "2017-06-22T18:40:10Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Thing is, you want an interesting/interactive bird, so that’s probably something in the parrot family, really. > > But you want one that won’t bite you even a little bit, that’s not something in the parrot family, unless you’d consider the Norwegian Blue. Lovely plumage. > [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > They pine though. It’s sad. lSWYDT 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bird-is-best-for-me/789526/23 "2017-06-22T19:07:35Z")
> [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](#): > > I would agree entirely, except for one part: the OP is concerned about dust due to breathing issues. > > A cockatiel would meet all the other criteria, but every time mine flaps:dust. Get an empty spray bottle, fill it with water, and spray the cockatiel every so often. Cuts down on the dust. > [@mistymage](#): > > Birds can live for a long time so do you have anyone in your life that would be willing to take on the responsibility of caring for one if for some reason you no longer could? That’s another thing about cockatiels, they can live at least 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bird-is-best-for-me/789526/24 "2017-06-23T03:45:49Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Get an empty spray bottle, fill it with water, and spray the cockatiel every so often. Cuts down on the dust. > > That’s another thing about cockatiels, they can live at least 20 years. Yeah, I do and it does help. I sometimes let him play in the sink, too. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bird-is-best-for-me/789526/25 "2017-06-23T05:52:06Z")
If you live alone, or with a spouse, I’d recommend a conure. They are fun birds! But can be very territorial, and mine was awesome with me and my husband, but became irrationally jealous of my 8 y.o. son. As in, attack on sight. We eventually sadly rehomed him after 2 years of that and then a new baby in the house, to a bachelor friend, where he’s apparently thriving. All that aside, conures are really fun, cheeky companions. We did not keep ours in a cage, but sorta trained him to potty in a few places that we kept paper or cleaned regularly. He did have an open cage (just because he “came” with it–he was a rescue from a deceased elderly lady) that we nested out with his help and kept his staple grain in there (but other food would be elsewhere). They are basically smarter budgies. He said a few words, but liked to sing along to me playing piano. What he really loved was our playing DJ Hero (a music video game) that was popular at the time, especially when the Cypress Hill set would come on. LOL. I’ll see if I can dig up the videos. He also liked to nuzzle down in my cleavage for an hour or so at bedtime, which was endearing but could be inconvenient. Anyway, I guess conures can bond with with one or two humans, but any more and they get weird. Edit: Our conure was not loud at all. He vocalized when it was appropriate–as in, to be sociable. I’ve read that that’s pretty normal for conures. Caveat, I was home all the time and could hang out with him when he wanted, so YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bird-is-best-for-me/789526/26 "2017-06-23T11:05:52Z")
> [@Elemenopy](#): > > Caveat, I was home all the time and could hang out with him when he wanted, so YMMV. This is an important point. The more intelligent the bird, the more time it will require from you in order for it to be happy. Our African Grey has five cages; sunroom, porch, mancave, work, and boat, as well as a small travel cage. He comes to work with me every day. People share their lunches with Rocco, going out of their way to bring what they know he likes. Compared with our three dogs, the bird is way more demanding. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bird-is-best-for-me/789526/27 "2017-06-23T14:59:54Z")
> [@Elemenopy](#): > > I guess conures can bond with with one or two humans, but any more and they get weird. Same with Quakers (aka Monk parakeets). [We still have our guy from Wilson Parrot Foundation](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=504820) but our cockatiels have since died of old age. Good thing about Quakers is they can eat cockatiel food. Ray the Quaker has a big water bowl in the back of his cage so he can bathe whenever he wants. Ray does get loud at times but that’s pretty much limited to when he’s demanding something, like having his door opened. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2017, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bird-is-best-for-me/789526/28 "2017-06-25T05:46:48Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Chicken’s good. Duck is delicious. I like turkey the best, though. I’ve never had goose or pheasant. Har. Don’t threadshit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bird-is-best-for-me/789526.md?page=1)