It seems that first time bird owners are at a loss as to the type of bird to choose. When coming into The Bird Shoppe, people are captivated by the color, animation and size of our Macaws. These beautiful parrots dance, gyrate and entertain the entire family......they also wait for the unsuspecting novice to try and hold them, then the fun begins!....at least for the Macaw. The beautiful entertainer has now become a dominant bully, taking advantage of the unsuspecting admirer.

Through the years, it has become my recommendation that smaller birds such as Cockatiels, Budgies and Conures are the  best choice for new bird owners. They are pretty easy to care for, super easy to tame and adapt very well to their new family.

Cockatiels

Cockatiels are usually very friendly and social. They orginate from Central Australia. The males have a propensity for talking more than females and they don't seem to be as demanding. Most importantly, the bites of the Cockatiel won't remove a finger! The only real drawback is with the females- they sometimes become chronic egg layers. This is a consideration when choosing a pet. Cockatiels can live up to 30 years.

Budgerigars or Budgies

From the grasslands of Southern and Central Australia come the Budgerigars. The normal color is a bright beautiful green. Any other color is considered to be a mutation. "Budgies" come in two varieties - American and English. American Budgies are what we know as Parakeets. The English Budgie is much larger and are usually bred for size and conformation.  I have observed that English Budgies are sometimes a tad bit calmer and are able to be taught to talk a littler more easily.  It is also my observation that English Budgies tend to be more expensive.  Other than size and cost, the difference between English and American  Budgies are indiscernible.  Budgies in general like a lot of toys, human interaction and have a tendancy to bond deeply with other birds to the exclusion of their human, so keeping just one as a pet is recommended.  Telling the gender is pretty simple - the cere is the area directly above the beak - in the male it is usually a blue shade and the females have a tan or brown area, with white or lutino (yellow). It is a bit harder to tell on females. In this species, chronic egg laying can also be an issue. Budgies generally live for 12 to 15 years.

Conures

From South and Central America come the delightful Conure. Larger and stockier than the Cockatiel or Budgie, these generally noisy, colorful and energetic bundles seem to be the right choice for first bird owners. There are over 50 different species of Conures...some are quite noisy, i.e. Suns and Nandays - these two might not be the choice for you if you live in an apartment or condo. But the Black Capped, Cinnamon, Green Cheeks and Peach Fronts would be much more acceptible in terms of noise. Conures can live up to 30 years.

Feeding and Housing - Cockatiels, Budgies and Conures

All three types of parrots each basically the same diet - seeds, fruits and veggies, pellets and some human food.  Cockatiels are not known for liking fruits, but they love their veggies. All require cages with dimensions of at least 24X24 inches.  The bar spacing will differ due to head size. Remember that birds fly side to side not up and down. Shy away from the tall cylindrical cages and go for one that is shorter and wider.

Hope this information helps in your selection of a pet. As always, feel free to contact us at The Bird Shoppe for all your parroting questions and needs. Stay cool out there!

anne