# Other Pets > Birds >  What is a good Beginner Bird ??

## PolishPython

Like the title says. My wife and I are considering getting a bird. We want a good beginner bird. Something that needs moderate socialization but could be taken out. For the time being the bird will be kept in the snake room. Just looking for some suggestions we have 2 cats and 2 dogs if that means anything lol. I just dont want to jump into something and not be able to give it the proper care. 
Thanks Everyone !!

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## Stewart_Reptiles

Parakeet and love Birds are great bird for beginners best is to buy a bird that was hand raised.

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## interloc

Look at conures. There are many colors and such available. They are the perfect size and they don't need near as much attention as the big parrots. That are also way cooler than a budgie or cockatiel. 


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## Tfpets

Check out parrotlets. Worlds smallest parrots, very social but don't need to be handled all of the time. Mine is just awesome!

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## DooLittle

We have a conure, that my daughter and I wanted, Hubby didn't want anything to do with her.  Well, she has decided she is Daddy's bird and wants nothing to do with my daugher or me.  She was hand raised, my daughter and I were the ones that held her the most for about the first year and a half.  I feed her treats fresh fruit, nuts and such almost daily.  But in the last I would say 6 months she decided she liked dad better.  Now she is obnoxious.  She will scream for him every morning when he gets up.  She knows when he gets up and stars about 5 minutes before that.  They are fun to talk, sing, and whistle too.  She says a few words.  But she can be very loud.  They need to have their toys swapped around every few months so they don't get bored.  I make most of hers.  Parakeets are cute if you don't want something you plan on holding much.  The bigger birds are beautiful, but do require a lot more socialization to keep friendly.  Personally, I like my snakes better  :Very Happy: 

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## Rob

Not a "love" bird! What a horrible name for those things. I had one as a kid, thing bit everyone in my family. And those bites didn't tickle. I will say they are beautiful to look at tho!

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## DooLittle

Also, every Quaker parrot I have ever met has been mean.  My aunt used to have one that she let talk the house a lot, and it would actually chase people down to bite them.  One day it came running/flapping down the stairs and bit the crap out of my husband.

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## KTyne

Pssssh, Cockatiels aren't boring, they are popular for a reason! They are wonderful birds, not generally loud, can usually be cuddly, if you want to get the bird a friend one day it will still keep it's bond to you. Cockatiels are awsome!  :Very Happy: 
Conures are very clingy I've heard when they're hand-fed.. plus they can be super loud. I wouldn't suggest a Lovebird or a Parrotlet as a first time bird as they can be bossy and nippy and mean if not given attention all the time.

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## Quantum Constrictors

I have a cockatiel he is never EVER a dull moment. He was my first bird and I recommend them 10000% to a newbie.

Super smart. Can talk and whistle up a storm. Very friendly.


Get a cockatiel you will not be disappointed.

here are two videos of mine when he was like 7 months I believe. He is 3 years now.

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## Mike41793

My brother had 2 parakeets for awhile.  They were the most god awful annoying things that i have ever encountered.  They chirped all the time and at dawn they were especially loud. Every morning for a year and a half i was woken up by them.  I hated them and wanted to feed them to my snake so bad...

With that said, I really like African Grey Parrots.  No one has mentioned them yet so i assume theyre probably not a beginner bird but every one of them i have encountered has been so cool.  Theyre pretty trainable and intelligent too, which is neat. 

Either way i wouldnt want a bird for a pet personally.  I'll stick to herps and dogs lol.

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## DooLittle

African greys have the biggest vocabulary.  Possibly the biggest price tag too.  Plus the bigger birds live forever.

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## jakeg1999

I've had quit a few birds over the years and a cocketiel is probably the best starter bird. Males are more vocal than females. Both can learn to talk and they do have a light dust that some folks are allergic to. They are great little starter birds but beware, they can become your best friend real quick. Birds have great personalities but they do require daily care. 

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## Mike41793

> I have a cockatiel he is never EVER a dull moment. He was my first bird and I recommend them 10000% to a newbie.
> 
> Super smart. Can talk and whistle up a storm. Very friendly.
> 
> 
> Get a cockatiel you will not be disappointed.
> 
> here are two videos of mine when he was like 7 months I believe. He is 3 years now.


Thats awesome and cute when you want them to do it... But when youre trying to sleep and they do it then it makes you want to kill them lol...

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## Quantum Constrictors

> Thats awesome and cute when you want them to do it... But when youre trying to sleep and they do it then it makes you want to kill them lol...


I have never ever had my bird wake me up or keep me awake. As soon as his night time blanket goes over top his cage he  shuts up and goes to sleep.

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## KTyne

That's the reason why you're supposed to cover your bird's cage at night is so they don't make a ton of racket in the morning. Birds usually won't make any noise when covered up because they think it's sleep time.
And African Greys are most definitely not beginner birds for most people, they aren't that expensive though either in terms of Parrots. $1500 for a hand-fed baby from a breeder. Fantastic birds.  :Smile:

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## Mike41793

> I have never ever had my bird wake me up or keep me awake. As soon as his night time blanket goes over top his cage he  shuts up and goes to sleep.


Maybe cockatiels are just alot smarter than parakeets lol




> That's the reason why you're supposed to cover your bird's cage at night is so they don't make a ton of racket in the morning. Birds usually won't make any noise when covered up because they think it's sleep time.
> And African Greys are most definitely not beginner birds for most people, they aren't that expensive though either in terms of Parrots. $1500 for a hand-fed baby from a breeder. Fantastic birds.


Oh yea we did have a cover for them.  I even went out and bought a special black blanket to put over the cover bc i thought maybe the cover was too thin and letting light in or something.  Nope, they were just satanic birds lol...

And yea like i said i have nooo idea about african greys, but they are a VERY cool bird!

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## KTyne

Lol, jeez, maybe they just wanted to annoy you.  :Razz: 

African Greys are AMAZING, they are my dream Parrot.  :Love:

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## Mike41793

> Lol, jeez, maybe they just wanted to annoy you. 
> 
> African Greys are AMAZING, they are my dream Parrot.


im not joking when i use the phrase satanic parakeets lol...

That is one pet i would never wanna bury in the Pet Sematary... :ROFL:

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## DooLittle

Our conure freaks out if you cover her.  We have tried a few times and I think she may have a heart attack.  She absolutely hates the cover.  Terrified.

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## KTyne

Awww, poor girl.  :Sad: 
My Cockatiel hisses at you when you cover him, lol.

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## liv

I can't believe no one has suggested a budgie yet! I've had four, all lovely.. My first one, Lucky, lived for 10 years and was so, so smart. He could sing snippets of songs and say tonnes of words.. and his chatter wasn't too loud (for a bird). We would let him out in the morning before school and he would sit on the edge of our cereal bowls and eat our cheerios with us. When I get out of university, the first thing I'm doing is buying another budgie  :Very Happy:

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## KTyne

Budgies are amazing as well, I've had 3, but they can definitely be loud if you aren't used to bird noise. Males especially can go on chattering "rampages" where they just chatter and squawk to themselves for hours. Personally, I enjoyed the noise, but others would find it dreadfully annoying.

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## Mike41793

Yea i actually mentioned budgies earlier lol

My two were evil ---> :Devil: 
And more evil -------> :Twisted:

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## JohnNJ

For what it's worth...

My vet who specializes in exotics, avian and reptile, told me not to keep birds and reptiles in the same room. More for the sake of the bird because they pick up stuff from the reptiles.

YMMV

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## Valentine Pirate

If I had the money/room I'd get a pied crow  :Very Happy:  Very smart and personable, but they've got a $1500 price tag and need a cage big enough to fly around in since they can't climb as psittacines (parrots) can. I'm just a sucker for corvids, ever since I (foolishly) kept a fledgling crow my grandpa found when I was younger. Loved that bird to death, but I'm lucky he lived until I figured things out, I had no idea what I was doing. 

I've taken care of and been around cockatiels too, and they're awesome! No screeching, just whistles and some calls across the house if they're left alone and know you're there (or at least the couple I've been around). Very sweet birds when cared for properly

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## Sita

I have two ringneck doves, and I think they are the best (beginner) bird you could have. They aren't neurotic like the parrot family can be, you don't have to worry about biting at all, and they are generally pretty quiet.

My pair is actually a mated pair, and they are very much into each other, but they don't mind when I do take them out. Just because of how I am, I don't handle them much, but they adapt very well if you are the type of person that would have them out daily.

They tend to live between 13-15 years (mine are 10), but there have been some older, and you're not going to have the "rest of your life and then some" commitment like you would with a parrot.

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## Anatopism

Above all else, I suggest joining a parrot forum (BirdBoard.com comes to mind) and spend some time browsing each of the threads dedicated to different species. I don't believe in the idea of a best 'beginner bird'. There are certainly birds that are more challenging due to behavioral or financial circumstances (a greenwing macaw or cockatoo is going to consume MANY more resources both emotionally and financially than a budgie or cockatiel, or an eclectus may demand a specialized diet that consumes more of your time to prepare), and there are birds that are more forgiving if you mess up... but there are so many species that are easily available, and many can be a great bird. Every species is intelligent to varying degrees, require toys, proper food and all require time to socialize with you. 

Asking which bird is the best beginner bird is like asking which breed of dog is a good beginner dog. In reality, we should be asking 'which bird is most suitable for my home/lifestyle/sensitivities?'  A pug would be a pretty crummy beginner dog for a sheep farmer if they need a working animal. Likewise a border collie often doesn't work out well for a sedentary family that never leaves their 2 bedroom apartment.

Lots of people LOVE cockatiels, and while they are generally quiet, and their loudest noises are not that loud at all, I cannot stand most of their whistles. 

Same with many conures - lots of gorgeous birds, but many can be incredibly loud. The greencheek 'alarm call' might be easily ignored by some, but to me, the noise is grating and obnoxious. 

I am inclined to suggest a senegal, because the one I have is perfect... for me. He is independent and even when he picks favorites, he is nice to everyone else. To another person, he may not be cuddly enough. 

My point is, spend some time finding out about many species, even ones you may not have heard of before (or even species outside of the parrot family - pied crows are neat! Doves, pigeons, chickens, even toucans can be kept as pets). Learn about their general behaviors, talk to people who have experience with them and watch as many youtube videos as you can find that show the various noises each species makes. Don't 'settle' on a bird just because it's the easiest to find, the prettiest, or only one available. They are a big commitment, and even something like a budgie can live 10-15 years. All  parrots are emotional animals that will remind you you're having a bad day before you realize it yourself, and it's worth the search to find one that fits your lifestyle.

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MSG-KB (06-20-2012),_Valentine Pirate_ (06-16-2012)

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