Stacey,
My daughter has a male bourkes. He is quieter than most budgies, but makes more vocalizations than a female bourkes. He actually says "pretty bird", "pretty Stanley", and "step up". He is not that easy to understand, though. He makes a great deal of beautiful "song" before the sun comes up and after it sets. Even if we are sleeping right beside him, it doesn't wake anyone in this household up, but it might wake some people. You cannot stop them from vocalizing at this time even you cover the cage, because they vocalize before the sun comes up.
The poop is compact and fairly dry. It is easy to clean. He is not very messy. He does NOT climb cage bars at all, so he never poops outside the cage, but he will sit in favorite spots and poop there. He is potty trained if you are very vigilant to put him on the place to pooh every few minutes, but if you don't he just goes on you. It is easy to clean even if he goes on you.
He has very little odor. His feathers are very soft feeling.
He showed great aptitude for training for a treat reward, but my daughter did not continue to train him. He loves her and will come to her if he can. He has never offered to bite, but I do not believe he could hurt her if he did bite. He doesn't like to hang upside down from her finger and only likes to be stroked in the direction in which his feathers lie, but he will allow petting for some time if you stroke him as he enjoys being stroked. He plays with all kinds of toys. He loves his toys. I am told that many bourkes do not like toys, but he never read that information. He is not nervous. He is a very steady bird.
I have absolutely nothing bad to say about a bourkes. Some people find them too sedintary and not playful enough, but I find him quite entertaining. Understand that their fear reaction is to freeze, so if your bourkes is very, very sedentary, it is probably nervous about something. If you "ladder" perches and toys appropriately, a bourkes will play all over its cage. It just has to be able to get from perch to perch by hopping because it won't climb the bars. (You COULD have a rare bourkes that is an exception to the rule.)
Honestly, I have nothing negative to say about a bourkes. I would recommend a bourkes to a child, to an elderly person, to someone in an apartment, to anyone, really.
I hope you find a bourkes that is just like Stanley. He is the best!