Hmm couldnt find a pet section, so here it goes for now unless i can be pointed to the right forum?
Am looking to get a parrot or at least a smart bird that you can teach to talk. Certainly will have to be in the small range as anything the size of a gallah is a tad too big. Open to suggestions.
What have you got? whats your experiences like? please share :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnsF2xL4_W4
Watch this video in it's entirety before you decide on a parrot.
Thanks Turnip and Davo. I have heard of the Quakers and actually have played with them before. Very friendly and curious birds.
Awesome video BTW
Will handle other types and decides on what we gel best with.
If it's going to be your first bird ever, you may wish to consider a cockatiel. They're very tamable if acquired at a young age, and genuinely seem to like being part of a human family. You can teach them to talk, but they're not one of those breeds that can learn hundreds of words. Life expectancy of ~5 years (mind you ours is at least 6 now and showing no signs of slowing down!). A great "entry level" parrot… native to all states of Australia except Tazzie. Really good-natured birds.
Have a look at some videos on youtube of the eclectus parrot. A male eclectus parrot would be my choice, as they are very intelligent and are good talkers. Their diet in the wild is essentially fresh fruit and nuts. Their southern range is north Queensland, but they extend up to Indonesia. Older books have outdated information about them. Before a study had been done on the birds in the wild, they were regarded as a short lived species, and if fed a normal parrot seed mix, they are short lived. If fed a proper diet of fresh fruit and nuts, they live a long life. They are almost as good a talker as the African gray, and that would be an expensive choice. My second choice would be an Indian ringneck parakeet, also a good talker and very intelligent. They and the Alexandrine were the first parrots to appear in ancient Rome, and were trendy sellers as they could say "Ave Caesar!" The Romans thought they were wonderful. Most Australian parrots are not good talkers, the cockatoos are hopeless except for the corella, and one in a hundred white cockatoos. See a few you tube videos and you will understand why the Americans in Hawaii, especially, love the eclectus parrot, an Australian native.
Do not get a lorikeet, they live apprx 20 years and are very loud and need constant attention. Having said that they can make wonderful pets and can learn a lot of words and tricks.
If you live in an apartment think of your neighbours, also some birds like to roam around the house and crap everywhere.
I recommend the cockatiel…….
I don't have a pet bird but my roommate does and it's heartbreaking.
A quick google search suggests it's a rose-ringed parakeet (it's green and has a red beak). And I'm certain it's capable of great things, but my roommate failed to train(?) it as a baby, so it can't roam around the house occasionally, and it is so neglected it tears it's feathers out because of it's anxiety and it just looks downright ill (I would help but I'm really scared of birds and it attacks people because it was never trained)
The whole thing makes me sad because birds can fly anywhere in the world, they can go pretty much anywhere they want, and Dory is stuck in a cage.
So please, if you do get a bird, do heaps of research. And only get a bird if you know you can provide it with what it needs, whether that be in regards to the cost of food, type of environment or even just interaction/stimulation.
Tearing its feathers out is VERY worrying. your room mate should provide a better home for the bird.
Thanks for your input and feedback :)
I agree. I've tried talking to her but to no avail, do you know if there's anyone I can contact about it?
This person should clearly not own this bird any longer, because for whatever reason/s, she no longer has its best interests at heart/ is not looking after it properly. The sooner you can get her to realise this (whether it be by the carrot or the stick) the better. That poor bird deserves to be cared for properly, particularly given that it is in a cage and as such has no control over the resources/mental stimulation made available to it.
Re your question "… do you know if there's anyone I can contact about it?"
There is, the RSPCA. But the problem with that is it's likely that she will know straight away that it was you that reported the matter to them, which may lead to major ongoing problems for you; and may not even solve the problem for the bird (i.e. it may achieve nothing).
So you're in a really tough situation, one I'd hate to be in.
One thing you could do while you're deciding what to do, is spend a few minutes each day 'socialising' with the bird (when your room-mate is not home, if that is the best option); i.e. just talking to it in an up-beat happy/friendly voice, saying silly little things (anything really; the actual words are not important), copying the noises it makes so that it realises you are actively trying to engage it as a companion, etc. Not "right up next to its cage" (which you'd probably not be keen on anyway given your fear of birds!), but from at least a couple of feet away, or even ten feet away or more; as long as the bird can see you, and hear you, it will really appreciate your attempts to interact with it. Doing that will actually help the bird a lot, mentally, believe me. It sounds to me like the poor bird is going out of its mind due to boredom/ lack of socialisation/ etc., and that is most likely why it is ripping its feathers out. Even if you do nothing else, you can help the bird by interacting with it (just verbally/ with a bit of non-threatening eye-contact) every day.
And ultimately, I'd be "gently"/"softly" trying to get your roomy to realise she is essentially abusing the bird (not actively, but by way of neglect), and that she needs to give it to someone who will care for it properly; or she needs to surrender it to the RSPCA, so they can do that for her.
@GnarlyKnuckles: Great advice also depending on the bird give it some fruit whilst you are socialising with it
Hi kthomas, maybe you can persuade your Flatmate to give her bird to these people: http://www.saveourparrots.com.au/rehome.html
They take in unwanted birds, train them and socialize them, and then find new homes for them. We actually adopted a parrot from them - they really care about the birds! They are located in Sydney.
We have 2 parrots (an eclectus and a blue fronted amazon) and we love them but they are A LOT of work.
Most birds have special dietary needs, so food prep takes a bit of time. Each morning we give them a bowl of fresh fruits and vegies and nuts, then each afternoon they get another meal such as quinoa and veggies. I take more care with their diet than I do with my own!
Parrots are high maintenance pets, they need a lot of attention and interaction. I'd compare them to a dog in terms of daily attention needs. But they are wonderful companions and well worth the effort :)
My 2c: steer clear of Quaker Parrots unless you've done the research beforehand. They're like small humans. They need a lot of stimulation (well, they could easily go without any stimulation at all but compare it with a quaker who has a lot of interaction and stimulation and you'll know just how much they benefit from it). Life expectancy is up to 30 years, too.
Amazing birds though. Talkative, noisy lol, quirky, funny, incredibly intelligent beyond words. Small too. Loyal. Expensive though ($600-800+). But you need to be completely dedicated else they will suffer. That is, be prepared to spend time with the bird every day rather than have it in the cage like an ornament. They thrive when bonded to a human. Very affectionate. I dare say this goes for many parrots but I'm by no means knowledgeable on parrots in general. I just have a quaker by.. chance (long story).
I see you're in Sydney. There's a pet store in Kellyville - Kellyville Pets. Highly recommend heading there and talking to their bird peeps. Wide selection of birds and toys, and experienced bird keepers. I wouldn't necessarily buy a bird from them, but it's worthwhile talking to the people there (they're young staff members who are passionate about birds and have birds themselves - very helpful too - if you call ahead and try to plan your visit to talk to a young bloke named Patrick.. he's the man! Awesome guy for info) just to get to know what kind of birds might suit you.. you can also meet/play with the birds there. They will also assist you on what toys are suitable for the bird you end up getting - important since toys are rather practical… the bird will interact with them in different ways, and the staff at Kellyville can tell you from their own experience which toys last, how the bird uses the toy, etc. Once you get an idea from the staff, you can then buy stuff online for cheaper.
There's also: http://birdsville.net.au/ you can visit them too, though I haven't yet, personally.
Perhaps look up Youtube vids on parrots? Or "choosing parrots"? Then try and meet some parrots IRL (again, Kellyville is a great way to meet some - also seek breeders who handraise, cos not all birds are the same.. I met some GORGEOUS parrots at Kellyville once who were wonderfully sweet and cuddly, and months later met another batch of the same kind who were very bitey.. so look around)