Which bird should I get?

Hmm... Well, if you can't spend a LOT of time with them I would almost shy away from a lovebird, possibly the quaker. Both tend to be bossy, domineering birds. Both have a tendency towards cage aggression too, so they need to be held daily/regularly and need their cages changed around a bit on a regular basis :lol: other than that they're wonderful birds! I'm more partial to quakers, personally, but both make great pets!

I would recommend a Linnie, personally :wink: Senegals are great too! Quiet, independant birds! They can be shy, but when they bond with someone, they REALLY bond strongly! Any bird in the poicephalus family (senegal, red bellieds, jardine's) are that way, for the most part.

I would look into the size range you like, the price range you can afford, the traits you value the most in a bird, then find a few species that fit those traits. Then go to the local bird stores and see what they have! You may find yourself bonding with a bird you never expected and taking it home! :lol: That's been the best method I've seen in my experience in bird shops. People come in with a certain bird in mind, find it won't fit their lifestyle then fall head over heels with something they didn't expect but fits them perfectly! Birds just click with people, sometimes :lovehearts:

Parrotlets!

"At 4½–5 inches long, parrotlets are the second smallest kind of parrot in the world - the smallest being the pygmy parrot species of Australasia (averaging around 3 inches in length). Parrotlets rarely grow bigger than 5 inches or 13 cm. The body is stocky and the tail is short and broad.

They are quite similar in personality to lovebirds. Cuddly and animated, and with a need for daily interaction with their human "mates" for them to stay tame and loving. They can get quite nippy. Handling in addition to a nice personality is going to determine its pet quality.

Since the parrotlet is an intelligent and curious bird, it is important to provide it with plenty of toys and things to investigate in the cage, otherwise it may grow bored and listless. They need suitable things to chew on and tear apart, otherwise they may destroy dishes and similar in the cage. Placing new branches in the cage now and then is a good idea since it will make the environment more natural, give the birds something new to climb on and explore, and provide them with a safe outlet for their chewing urges.

Parrotlets are very social beings and form strong pair bonds. Unfortunately, in captivity, they are often kept as pairs and they may get lonely. If you keep a single parrotlet, it is very important to make sure that enough time is spent with your pet to ensure that its emotional needs are met. Providing a fun and entertaining cage environment (or bird room) helps in keeping a pet busy when you aren't around. Foraging is one way to keep your pet busy and healthy.
Speech / Learning

They have about the same speaking and whistling capabilities of a cockatiel. Some learn to talk, while others never will.

Generally speaking, males are more inclined to speak than females. They may to learn up to 10-15 words, and some of them also learn to whistle tunes and sounds they are exposed to.


Training and Behavioral Guidance:

Some parrotlets can learn fairly difficult tricks, but they are usually not as skilled as their larger cousins - the amazons, cockatoos or macaws. (However, they present far less behavioral challenges and maintenance requirements than them as well.) Parrotlets are generally easy to take care of.

They are very good learners for commands such as "step up", "kiss-kiss", "step down", and other small commands. Some parrotlets can learn advanced tricks, but not advanced as a macaw or an african grey.

Some may get nippy as the discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us." "

I used to breed lovebirds and quakers are my favorites so I think both are great choices.

Both lovebirds and quakers need to be handled on a daily basis otherwise they can begin losing their tameness.

As some others have said quakers can be loud. They can be fantastic talkers and I have found that the talkers don't tend to be as loud. They love spending time in their cage building things so make sure you have a good sized cage with things they can destroy and use to build with. No matter how tame I have found most quakers to eventually become territorial about their cage. I found it easier to put my quakers on a stand away from the cage when having to do any maintenance and I like cages where you don't have to put your hand in to feed them. So a cage with more than two bowl areas work great.

Lovebirds love to be out on you exploring your hair, buttons whatever. They bond really close with their people but need daily interaction to maintain it. Males make better pets but I have had several females that were good as well. They are less noisy than quakers and I find them less destructive. I would say of the two lovebirds are more cuddly.

Though I would not consider either to be super cuddly. Cockatiels are great cuddlers.

I saw someone mentioned parrolets they also make great pets. To me they are like little amazons.

One of the most underrated birds for pets is a bourke parakeet. They are quiet birds who don't mind cage time. They are gentle and enjoy sitting quietly on you. If they don't come out for a few days they don't go wild on you. I have several both hand raised and parent raised and I have found that the parent raised can be tamed very easily.