Wife looking for new bird

[MSG-KB]

Well my wife is looking for her bird now. She has her Cockatiel "Luna" and very happy and the bird is a blast. We have had a Quaker Parrot about 15 yrs ago I hand feed it but it just did not like me.

My wife has always wanted a Gray or Cockatoo but she has also been looking at the Conure breeds but I am unsure if they could use the cage and it is taking up my living room now LOL and I almost got a Eclectus spent hours with it and it was full grown and was sweet in Montana about 15 yrs ago before the Quaker and I know there are different types of each Gray or Cockatoo.

We are used to a mess on the floor with birds we have had many over the years with our kids and Liz has had many little ones before Cockatiel's, Quaker, Parakeets, Finchs, Liz had not sure what types Conures.

But she had Med larger birds when she was a kid in FL. and we now have a parrot cage we got all most brand new for next to nothing we where so lucky and these people where so nice. We read alot and she knows about birds more than I. But looking for one the will bond with the family more than just one person, I know that some bound to one person only I have read and been told and I am hoping we all can enjoy it. But also will fit into new cage.

We have 1 Little dog, 1 inside cat, 2 outside/inside cats, 5 Snakes, 1 Cockatiel, we own our home. 2 Lizards.

Luna goes back and forth to living room to bedroom for bed.

Well this is what we have and our pets, any thoughts? and also any good places for birds, we live in Tumwater, wa.

Thank For Looking and any help or input.

[Wapadi]

We had the pleasure of sharing our life with an umbrella cockatoo named Stormy for 16 years and loved him like a family member!! If we ever got another bird it would most definately be a cockatoo, probably not an umbrella but we have looked really hard at the little Goffins.

[Coleslaw007]

The only parrot I've ever owned was a dusky headed conure and he was amazing. Conures in general are really neat little birds, they've got more of the perks of a parrot but in a much smaller package so they can't actually hurt you like some of the larger parrots and need less space. I've heard (and observed a bit) that sun and green cheek conures can be more loud and bratty, if you could find the dusky headed ones they're usually quieter and sweeter.

[DellaF]

Just lost my quaker. Trying to talk my hubby into a Senegal or Red-bellied.

[Vasiliki]

I've been in love with Conures for years. Pineapple Conures and Maroon Bellied Conures are my absolute favorites. I used to breed Lovebirds for years, which are great little pets too. But if I had to choose, it would be a conure. They happily come out and interact with people, but they aren't as high demand as a Grey. But, obviously, they are very social little guys.

Every conure I've met has been just a doll. Little feathered clowns. Cockatoos are after my heart as well, but their cage size requirements can be a little daunting. But, they are fantastic as well.

If I had a job that allowed me more home time, I would get another bird in a heartbeat.

[TerrieL]

I have an african Grey, Boomer, who has a huge vocab. I really have to be careful what I say around him because he picks up new words and phrases very quickly. He is very intelligent too. I train sport and police dogs, boomer shouts out commands to them all the time. When one is barking he will tell them by name, to hush. He was singing Old McDonald the other morning my male shepherd , Tres, started to bark near Boomer's cage, Boomer stopped singing long enough to shout out "Tres, Hush" then started singing again. I guess he hears me say the pharse to the dogs quite often. The whole family has to spend equal time with a grey because sometimes they can get bonded to one person and only want to interact with that person. But if you are wanting an intelligent talking bird, I say go grey.

[4Ballz]

love conures, always fun little smart guys.

[Pyrate81]

Some thoughts on what I know/experienced:

Conures are nice, friendly, and are good size. Played with a couple of Conures which were coworker's pets when I worked at Petco.

African Greys are cool, neat, and smart and awesomely smart. Watched one open a door once to get into the manager's office. But they [can] get attached to one person so her bird could turn into your pet.

McCaws look awesome, not sure about temperament but seem friendly in pet stores. Big bonus in my book cause they get used in movies about animals and pirates.

Personal favorite: Sulfur Crested Cockatoo. White bird with a yellow 'fan' on top; stands about 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall. When I worked at Petco, one came in the store as a baby and I instantly fell in love with it. Used to walk around with it on my shoulder and customers would come and pet it. If I had the $3k at the time for cage, bird, and accessories it would have come home with me. But then I might not be the reptile/fish fan I am today.

Hope that helps.

[satomi325]

I've had a great experience with an Sulfur Crested Cockatoo.
She is a very sweet girl who loves to get head , neck, and under the wing scratches. She'll start grooming your head if you're still enough.
She's not bonded to a specific person and will ask anybody for some love. She's not very talkative, but will cry out for attention once in a while.

My boyfriend had an Umbrella Cockatoo a few years ago.
His mother breeds Yorkshire Terriers. The bird thought he was a Yorkie and would run on the floor barking with the pack.
A very interesting bird.

[Valentine Pirate]

I always liked parrots, but the noise factor has been an obstacle since I've been interested in getting one. After some research I started looking at toucans and toucanets, and they seem to be very friendly and trainable, they don't have an ability to speak though (if that's something you're going for). They don't have the "good morning" screams and I've heard nothing but good things about their personality. When I can I'll probably get an ivory billed aracari, or a pied crow (crows are my all time favorite birds )