so yesterday i went to a fair and i got to hold a cockatoo and it snuggled up with my and i was in love. the guy there said that 'toos are actually velcro birds, which i didnt know and i just thought of them as screaming all day

anyways though i am 99% sure i am not going to be allowed to get any more birds, but i still think about what my next bird would be if i had the chance.

so what would be appropriate birds to get after only having keets? i take my guys out for hours and they have a nice big tree (soon to be 2 trees and a table top play gym... and a hanging play gym ) and they get all the toys they want, all home made and customized for them. so any parrot would get what they want and lots of playtime and a clean environment!

It can be whatever you want it to be. If you do the whole 'start off small and work your way up' thing like I did with parrots you'll end up with as many as me too What sort of things would you be looking for in a companion parrot?

Also, my too is an absolute snob but I wouldn't change him for the world. Most people only ever see them when they're being lovely and quiet, getting pet and loads of scritches. It's all a cuddly, fluffy front I tell you! They ARE like that, but it comes at a cost of ear splitting screaming, wrecking everything in sight and the nastiest of all the parrot bites. However, they are totally worth it. I think if I were to have one from a baby it would be different. Mine was from a rescue, 18 years old, so he came with issues

i think i would want to work my way up but at the same time i would just want to get ones i REALLY want like IRNs and greys since i would get second hand ones or adopt i feel like people wouldn't appreciate the fact that i have only has keets which people seem to think are "easy" to care for.. but they are still parrots and still get a lot of attention

how are toos with adjusting to new homes? and is there a way to stop the screaming.. and is there such thing as a non screamer? are there just gentle cuddly ones? i see larger parrots like i do with horses- with an animal that powerful, i want the nicest one that have close to 0 problems or at most, tolerable problems this is why i "have" a really good horse who is pretty close to perfect!

It may be a challenge to find a larger parrot to adopt with close to 0 problems unfortunately. A lot of them are given away or sold because they either require too much attention or do have behavioral issues. An IRN would probably be a better option experience-wise than a cockatoo. Still a good jump from budgies but not an extreme. Cockatoos have developed quite the reputation for being screamers so even one that is considered "quiet" is going to likely make those ear-wrenching screams from time to time. I was talking to a woman at the petstore the other day with her Lesser-Sulpher crested cockatoo and it decided to let out a yell that stopped the whole store in it's tracks and caused a baby to start crying lol. Daisy is right though, you can get any bird if you know what you are getting into and prepare well enough for it.

in all honesty, i would never get a cockatoo personally. I had a budgie then i decided to get a senegal who i love! he is pretty velcro and cuddly.

Senegal parrot cuddling time - YouTube
and i did think about my next bird myself. and i still cant pick a cockatoo just because they will be very very loud. when i leave my house or even my room, mango and forest will start calling for me. its not loud but they will make cute noises to get me back to my room. then if i dont respond he will start screaming. and although its not too loud, i know that a cockatoos noise will be 5x louder most likely. and i just couldnt handle that because of the complains i will surely get from my neighbor and people in my house.

then there is the issues that he might become a plucker if i am leaving my house too often. with all these risk i think for me at least i would stick with a different bird. check out a cape. they say its the "green" cockatoo. no where as loud either and is less prone to problems. cape or a grey will most likely be my next bird. only reason i am not sure with a cape is that i am thinking it will just be a bigger "senegal." and no one replaces mango!!! so i might go with a different species but thats in the future (5 years down the line atleast. so ya i think you should really think about it before you jump to cockatoo. there is a reason why cockatoos are filled in rescues.

See now I would rather not recommend the Indian ringneck. Once they start bluffing they can be off putting and it's not often you see one remain so tame. It's YouTube's fault everybody wants them I don't recommend them however I would 100% recommend an Alexandrine


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Too's are the most given up birds. They are clingy and can be loud and all that dust. Most people just can't seem to handle that long term. So if your REALLY like them and think you well only get one bird I think you should hold out for one. Since they are given up it should be possible to find one without any problems.
Good luck with what ever you decide.

Let me reword that- I loved the too I held but I don't think I could ever deal with the screaming.

Daisy~ what to you mean but IRNs "bluffing"?

It's not the just cute talking one son YouTube that made me want one. I also think they are very pretty and there is one at a small pet store I got to that's always out and he talks and knocks on his cage

Are IRNs easier than conures? I love dummies and nandays, but I know they are loud. I think the IRN scream is better than theirs. Tiels are cool too but if I could only get one more parrot, I don't know if I would want wine or something 'better'. I just know that one dAy I will own a grey

Read this ~ http://www.indianringneck.com/bluffing/

I think that in most circumstances IRN can be worked with as a hand tame companion parrot but overall they aren't a very hands on species at all, which is why I recommended Alexandrine parakeets they're typically more gentle, more laid back and more hands on. Neither species commonly like to be pet, but an Alex will prefer to hang out with you. I have had both, and my Alexandrines are completely different. I've not been bitten by one, even though their beaks are daunting don't let it put you off them. When they get mad they give you plenty of warning and they kinda bop your hand with their beak as opposed to biting you. My ringneck would bite don't get me wrong, I'd love another ringneck, but they can be so different. Usually they're super tame and sweet or hands off and grumpy

I understand what you mean about cockatiels. They're not thought of that much by people looking for parrots but they are really, really sweet companion parrots for the most part. I hand raised Harvey and he is as sweet as sweet can be. So cuddly and gentle. He throws little hissy fits but he doesn't bite I do recommend them more than anything else but obviously if you want a step up from them then don't look into them. They're over-looked by many

I think conures are WAY easier than Indian ringnecks. And IRN can also have a very loud call too! Watch this Indian Ringneck Screaming - YouTube I'd say the only difference between that and a sun conure scream is the shrillness. But both can be extremely high pitched and loud. The Pyrrhura family of conures are typically quieter, these include the green cheeks, maroon bellied, pearly, painted, blue throated, crimson bellied etc. Huge family!

I will add also that Indian ringnecks and conures absolutely hate other birds and budgies tend to become cocky around them so always, always keep an eye on them. Spudgy would try and bug Dexter and Pickles all the time and then fly away swiftly before he was bit

Shelly, I think what kind of next bird you get will largely depend on when you will be able to get it (I don't know how old you are now and what you plans are for college etc), the time you will be able to give it (if you are working full time), where you will live (country or city), and so on.
I could never own a cockatoo. We live in an apartment, and two cockatiels are just about all the noise we can take. Also, my cockatiels are needy enough. I think cockatoos are like perpetual two year olds. Imagine yourself living with a feathery, needy, destructive two year old for the next fifty years, LOL (no offence to cockatoo owners )
I have thought about senegals, one day though and not right now. I think two cockatiels keep me plenty busy. They truly are wonderful birds and they are very cuddly, loving, and easy going. But they are NEEDY! I don't think they would share my attention with another bird though.
I cannot handle unpredictable birds. I don't even want to. For me, a pet bird has to have gentle predisposition and stable temperament. That is why I love cockatiels.
I think when the time is right, you will know what you are looking for in your next bigger bird.

I have a tiel and a green cheek... Both seem to be opposites of the norm.. My GCC is very mellow, very quiet , very calm and sweet. My tiel is a hyper, on the go trouble maker who never stops to think about the consequences...lol she also is very sweet. She is very jealous of my conure and tries to bully her... The conure has tried to get her a few times , but I am always there and intervene before she does. Now she knows she is not allowed to eat the tiel so she just sits there and nervously waits for me to pick her up... I would never allow them to actually contact as I think that would be bad.. Even tho they hang out 3 inches from each other in their cages ( cages are side by side ) . The conure seems smarter in an "oh , I get it... You want me to do this" kinda way and catches on quick. The tiel just gets all indignant and huffy when I try to get her to do anything that is not her idea... Then she fluffs and roars, hisses and strikes at me... But she has never bitten... She just bonks me..lol it kinda goes like this.... TIEL: plays with my earring while on my shoulder... ME: turns head towards tiel and tells her stop! ... TIEL: opens mouths and hisses at me then bonks me in the side of the head! ME: excuse me? And just what makes you think that you can do that? TIEL : looks at me all innocent then puts head down for scritches.... ME: gives scritches and then return to what I was doing... TIEL: chews glasses... ME: turns head and says NO! ... TIEL: hisses and then bonks me again.. ME:..... She is such a diva.. But she really does all this very gentle and it makes me laugh... Maybe I shouldn't allow it , but she is just playing and it really makes me laugh.
The conure is much more clingy, and just is happy to cling to the front of my neckline of my shirt under my chin. She loves to sit there with my hand over her back and my thumb rubbing her... Will sit like that for hours if I let her...or else she will sit on my shoulder... She has learned to hang on by holding my collar with one foot and just sitting on the other... That way sudden moves don't unseat her... She is very smart, not usually nippy and very cuddle. She is also very easily spooked and will fly off suddenly if she is. She is my only clipped bird for that reason. My tiel is a MUCH louder bird than my conure, but , I highly recommend either of these birds, keeping in mind that no other bird will have the same personality as mine do. I guess I have kinda gotten a bit off topic just describing these two, ...lol sorryyyy!

are the alex keets much nicer? they seem very similar


i am 17 and i will not be going to college, just going right to work when school is done and i find a job. i think if there is nothing else out there then i would get a tiel. i see them as the next parrot to get after keets. i really would like one but i am just getting ahead of myself and thinking big theres just a lot of parrots too choose from and some are more available than others. i love the sun conures but i want some thing that will get along with the keets.

leon is kind of like that. sometimes he listens and sometimes he gets into more trouble i have seen some conures on youtube that are very cuddly i guess when this times comes, i will decide which bird is best

I don't think you will find any bird that will get on with budgies. They themselves can be very pushy towards other parrots

Indian ringnecks are tricky birds. I know a few people on here have them with absolutely no issues what so ever but like I said, if you want a more hands on bird then they may not be for you. Even adult IRN bluff, but it's something that starts once they have finished weaning. Most you will find that are rescues or rehomes will most likely be nervy birds

You should have a look into the grass parakeets. Bourke's, scarlet chested, turquoisine etc. They're very laid back and they can hang around with budgies. Lineolated parakeets too!

Birds I don't recommend if you want them out together would be lovebirds before you consider them. They can be a menace at the best of times

I would not advise grass parakeets with Budgies, I am lucky in that my 6 Bourkes get on fine with my Budgies, in that they do not interact they stay away from each other in the aviary. However my adult cock Bourke has just been put back in the aviary and he is still some what hormonal so it going to attack them so he may have to be removed again.

We kept Turks aswell and no way would I put those with Budgies! The Turks get very aggressive during breeding season.

When you start going into those sort of birds you also need to be aware that they are more ground birds, they will spend a lot of time of the floor and as such they are more prone to picking up bacterial problems. They also need a much higher fresh food content in their diet than Budgies do.

You also need to be aware that they require much more space than Budgies do cage wise, Bourkes in particular do not fly in the same way budgies do, they tend to flutter.
Honestly those species are far better suited to an aviary than to a cage life in a house.

The only grass keet I've had a problem with was red rumps. My uncle had one in the 40ft flight with ringneck doves and Bourke's. He would bully the Bourke's all day! I do like them, but 1 pair per aviary and nothing more I've seen a fair few people on here with hand raised Bourke's who are perch potatoes and they seem to get on with their flocks great

i was thinking about a green PF lovebird but after all of Caseys stories of Munch's biting, i think it is harder to want a lovie!

i think i will try and find the green factor colors of my 2 guys so a green pied and a yellow with some green on its back then maybe a tiel and so on and so on....

If you are 17, will you be living in an apartment at some point in your future? That's a big one to think about if you are considering larger parrots. I get nervous that just my PF lovie and p'let get too loud sometimes, but the neighbors have never complained. I understand the consideration of a PF lovie, they are ADORABLE, mine was rehomed to me almost 4 weeks ago now. She is very aggressive but we are working on it. I doubt she will ever be a cuddle bug like my p'let, but she is entertaining. People with larger birds will probably go "Psssh" at this but in my opinion lovebird bites can HURT. Poof left a nice blood-blister like mark on my neck day one when I opened her cage door and my finger was spurting blood for awhile after having to pry her off my neck. :P
I have a lovely vampire bite looking scar on the nape of my neck now. This is a pretty common quality in birds that are put up for adoption. Don't get me wrong, Poof is beautiful and amusing to watch, and very curious of every move I make. I will never trust her for a second with my little p'let though, she could seriously injure him or even kill him in seconds flat.
Anyway, back to the apartment thing, that may eliminate quite a few options if there's a chance you will be living in one. IRN, and the louder conures would likely be pushing it. Before my lovie practically fell into my lap I was considering a Senegal or Meyers parrot, I have heard almost all good things about them.

My lovebirds are sweethearts, just not to other birds. They love cuddles, playing, snuggling. Just be careful with them getting too close to the budgies and lashing out. They've big beaks for small parrots


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sounds like a big biter leon usually kisses my nose but yesterday he bit it!




i found a 4 month pearl tiel who is tame. is that a good age to get them at? i am still convincing to try and get it...

Considering mine don't usually fully wean until about 12 weeks I'd say that that was a pretty new baby


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