aviculture is the reason the sexual maturity of most macaws is bumped back as severely as it is. aviculture is the reason a 36″ x 48″ x 60″ cage is considered the “minimum” rather than “outright inhumane.” aviculture is the reason “get a baby for your first bird!” is such a popular statement, and it’s the reason adoption is considered “risky” or otherwise not worth it. aviculture is the reason that the opportunity to exercise through flight is seen as “optional” rather than a basic need every capable parrot should have. aviculture encourages and profits off of neglect if not gross abuse on a mass scale and it doesn’t matter if the breeder in question is industrial for pet store supply or a just a full time private breeder. they all support the same bad practises because those bad practises make an impossible to keep bird seem “easier” and that means they get more customers.
it is not possible to ethically, morally, etc. make a full-time living by breeding animals who when left to their own devices are very slow breeders even at their most “”successful.”” that’s why the only domesticated parrot, the english budgerigar, has a markedly shorter lifespan than its wild counterpart. similarly it does not matter how happy or well cared for that baby parrot is when behind her is the common and industry-accepted practises of splitting mated pairs, depriving pairs of enrichment so they have nothing better to do but mate (or get extremely aggressive with each other and/or kill one another, as is common with cacatuids for example), and creating tasty new hybrids regardless of the health risks those hybrids run (e.g. military crosses and their markedly smaller livers).
even the best breeder will cut many corners to make a profit and even the hypothetical not-interested-in-profit breeder is still actively and shamelessly flooding the already-inundated market with more parrots than there are homes to care for them. that’s why bird shelters are always overstocked and understaffed.
parrots, objectively, do poorly as common pets. you have to build your life around them to manage them well and that is in no way shape or form an exaggeration. ones that are properly cared for are in the extreme minority because people will buy these birds for the novelty of it and they’re goaded on by misinformation that’s leagues more popular than the actual standards by which they should be cared for. i don’t see it as fair to the birds themselves to point at a well kept cockatoo and say “don’t generalise! this is the face of parrotkeeping!” when the real face of it is a ratty, shaky, half-plucked bird who is no more than nine and yet doomed to live the rest of her 50+ years in the shelter she was dropped off to.
I’m looking into getting a bird. The place I’m looking into getting a bird from suggested getting a hand raised cockatiel or green cheek conure. I’ve never had a bird before, but done a lot of research on both kinds of birds. I know cockatiels are usually quieter but conures are smarter and cleaner.
In your opinion, what is a better bird to get for a first time bird owner? Are their personalities comparable? Any opinions/advice you have would be much appreciated!!
First: don’t get a baby bird. Baby parrots are adorable and cuddly at first then they’ll hit sexual maturity and will be hell. For first time bird owners, this is just not something most people can handle. You want a stable adult. If you must get a parrot, I suggest adopting from a rescue, parrot specific rescues will work to match you up with the best fit.
Second: if you just want a bird, and not specifically parrot, then don’t get a parrot because even budgies and cockatiels aren’t domesticated. Pigeons, chickens, ringneck doves, ducks, and a few others are excellent DOMESTICATED pets with much simple care and often a more rewarding experience than a parrot.
ALL parrots are highly intelligent, a cockatiel will require the same amount of enrichment and stimuli as a green cheek, just as a budgie will require the same amount as a macaw, simply in different forms. There’s no such thing as a starter bird…all birds are indivuals and will require different care than a bird of the same species.
You don’t want to be asking what’s the best starter bird, but what’s the best bird for your situation. Do you want a cuddly companion who’ll love you no matter what? Get a pigeon or chicken. Do you want a bird that’ll entertain you but be more independent? Get a pair of ringneck doves, pigeons, or perhaps a species of finch. Do you want a bird that’s highly trainable? Pigeon or chicken. Do you want a bird that’ll be okay while you’re away but love you unconditionally when you get back? Pair of chickens or pair of pigeon hens. Do you want a project that’ll keep you busy day and night, that is estentially like having a hyper child that you can’t accurately communicate with for the next 15-90 years depending on the species? Then consider getting a parrot.
Most of what people want out of a pet parrot isn’t what they are. They can be cuddly at times, they can be incredibly loyal, they’re highly intelligent and don’t just mimic speach but can actually know what they’re saying…but for the average person, you don’t want what a parrot actually is, which is a wild animal that’s only domesticated to the point of color morphs. Pigeons and chickens are these things, just as intelligent but FAR easier to manage, these birds are like dogs in that they love humans on a genetic level. They come in an array of amazing colors, shapes, and temperaments, with the bonus of being readily affordable and accessible enrichment. You can get them from babies and they grow fast enough that their teenage stage isn’t a problem, or you can adopt a rescue bird which can be very easy to tame if it’s not already, given enough time and love.
Okay, pigeons and chickens are cool and all but legit as someone who has owned multiple parrots and has an uncle who breeds parrots who I help, they are nothing like what you are describing, ESPECIALLY if you get a baby. If you get a baby you get a cuddly companion for life who’s gunna want all the head scritches and cuddles. Every parrot I have raised from a baby (for myself and for others) has been this way with the exception of my budgie who was abused at the hands of some horrible house sitters. And even then, he’ll interact with me and cuddle in his own special way. He loves playing with my glasses, trying to groom me and pressing his bean to my nose to have some very serious chats. Adult parrots that have come into my home however have had some of the above issues. You are right though, parrots need enrichment and lots of attention. There’s no such thing as a ‘starter’ bird or an easy one, but parrots really aren’t that hard, particularly the breeds specifically mentioned here (cockatiels make great introductory parrots because they’re mellow and comparatively calmer than some more high strung breeds). If you’ve done your research like OP has, you get them young so you can socialise them and you put in the effort like any good pet owner should, then you get a happy, cuddly friend.
Pigeons and chickens may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but parrots are certainly a very, VERY specific taste. They are not domesticated animals, and most people will realize they made a mistake and abandon their parrot. This can be avoided by getting a bird that doesn’t scream, can’t rip of fingers or ears, won’t destroy everything…I do not dislike parrots, I adore them, but even a dedicated bird lover like me cannot handle them, and I am not the minority in this scenario.
I did my research when I got my green cheek. I read everything I could…yet it still ended up being a mistake. He hit sexual maturity, and between mental illness and my abusive dad, I couldn’t handle it. The fact that parrots are known for self mutilating, not just plucking feathers but literally tearing at their skin should tell you something. These are animals that don’t readily adapt to captivity even when they’re raised in it.
Please, don’t put another parrot into the cycle of being abandoned. I and my brother were lucky to find good homes for our parrots, but most end up just being abandoned over and over again. And if you get one, ADOPT. Shelters aren’t overflowing with pigeons and chickens from breeders, the biggest problem for them is the meat/egg industry which can be helped by keeping them and showing them as pets instead of utility. Parrot rescues are overflowing and they’re getting more birds than they can adopt out. They’re in debt because the birds are expensive and difficult, and people just keep buying baby parrots instead of adopting from a rescue, and then those baby parrots just end up in the shelter.
Parrots are awful pets.
I say that because the vast majority of people are incredibly unequipped to properly house a parrot. They are not creatures that are ideal for captivity, nor are they creatures that can adapt to captivity. Truthfully, they’re in the same category as monkeys as far as suitability for pets, namely “NOT”.
Please get a domestic bird that will do well in your house. Domestic birds can be happy as pets with relatively simple care, and they are not destructive. They also tend to be much quieter, and less prone to screaming ear-splittingly loud for no particular reason. They also can’t remove any parts of your body no matter how angry you are.
Do not get a parrot unless you are 100% certain you can handle what is basically an eternally bad-tempered toddler with wings and knives, and, if you are certain, ADOPT.
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