[EverLove]

I have been thinking of getting another bird in a year or so, but want to start doing research now so I'm prepared. Right now, I am trying to decide between a Lovebird or a Quaker, but am open to other suggestions.

I really want a bird that will want to be out with me, but won't mind being in the cage for a few hours while I'm at work or at class. If the bird liked to be cuddled with, that would be a plus as well! Since I have only owned budgies, I don't want a very advanced bird like a 'Too or Macaw. Talking doesn't matter to me at all, and color isn't a factor either. I care more about the personality than anything else.

I know these things depend on the individual bird too, but I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion?

 

[Nick]

Between a lovebird and a quaker, I personally would have to recommend the quaker. Harpo (my quaker) is really like a best friend. He loves to hang out with me, play together, talk with me, and is a great pal. He's fine when he is in his cage because it gives him time to build and organize (I swear, quakers have OCD of some sort :lol and he's always happy to come out and spend time with me.

The downside to quakers are that they can be very loud, they can sometimes develop feisty personalities (this definitely varies from each individual), and they are often cage territorial. Nobody/nothing can touch or go near Harpo's cage without being attacked or screamed at, but once you get him away from his cage, he's the biggest sweetie/cuddle-bug that can be had.

 

[Enna]

Well, honestly, i'm not so sure i'd choose either. Lovebirds can be very active little guys that just want to go go go like a energizer bunny. Quakers are more laid back thats for sure but i think if you want a real cuddle bird you should look into the poi family. Senegals are amazing! My sister owns one and he's madly inlove with her and is with her when ever he is out.
I work with 2 senegals. The male is madly inlove with his owner meanwhile the female is such a sweetie and loves me and i could spend hours cuddling with her and she never wants to leave me side. They can learn to speak and have some very pretty colors ranging from the black heads, orange/yellow bellies, and green everywhere else. Stunning birds.

 

[Nick]

I only formulated my response considering the two options you listed, but the post above, by Enna, is nothing but absolutely correct about senegals!

My mother has had one for a few years and she is the sweetest thing ever! I cannot even describe how docile and pleasant Rio is. She never bites, she is always willing to play, and is just as sweet as can be. I don't think she has an ounce of nippy-ness in her.

She's quiet, doesn't mind being in the cage, but LOVES to cuddle and play whenever possible. You cannot go wrong with a senegal.

 

[EverLove]

Well, honestly, i'm not so sure i'd choose either. Lovebirds can be very active little guys that just want to go go go like a energizer bunny. Quakers are more laid back thats for sure but i think if you want a real cuddle bird you should look into the poi family. Senegals are amazing! My sister owns one and he's madly inlove with her and is with her when ever he is out.
I work with 2 senegals. The male is madly inlove with his owner meanwhile the female is such a sweetie and loves me and i could spend hours cuddling with her and she never wants to leave me side. They can learn to speak and have some very pretty colors ranging from the black heads, orange/yellow bellies, and green everywhere else. Stunning birds.

The bird store I go to had a Senegal... and he was very shy! He only liked one of the employees, and would bite anyone else that tried to hold him. The employee ended up adopting him because no one else could bond with him! Is this just an example of each bird's individual personality, or are they generally one-person birds?

 

[Enna]

They can be one person birds for sure. Max is. He loves my sister to death and will put up with everyone else. The Male Senegal i work with, regan, is a one person bird and only loves his mama. He did start to bond with me while she was away but has gone back to hating me. Sadie, the female, is the oppisite of these 2. loves everyone.

The senegal at the pet store here is a one person bird aswell and has picked a employees to be his friend.

Max took some work. When we first got him he was shipping in a tiny box that he could hardly move in and hated everyone. it took a few months to be able to pet him but with time he's come around. Just find a good breeder and see if you can visit the little one has he's growing if you choose to get one. it would help out a bit.

 

[EverLove]

The store I go to hand-raises all of their birds, so I feel very safe purchasing them from them instead of finding a breeder. If you find a baby you like, you can put down a deposit and visit as often as you want, and no other customers can hold your bird. You then wait until the bird is off formula, and the store will get you set up with a cage, toys, and food!

The store is only for birds too, and they don't have a large number. It allows them to bond with the birds and give the customers an idea of their personalities. It's an awesome place!

Does gender matter for Senegals? I know it does for Lovebirds!

 

[Enna]

i don't think i does but i've personally had more luck with females in my case. Both of the males i know are strongly inlove with their owners and don't really want anything to do with me.

 

[EverLove]

i don't think i does but i've personally had more luck with females in my case. Both of the males i know are strongly inlove with their owners and don't really want anything to do with me.

Is there any way to tell the gender without DNA sexing?

 

[Jenny]

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:

 

[Melinda]

Have you thought about a Linnie? They are little characters!

 

[birdiebuddie]

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." "

 

[The Brute Squad]

I came here tonight to ask about Senegals! First of all we have green cheek conures, they are super friendly and want to hang out with us and like to be handled. They also will let us know when they are ready for the cage! I have not had either a Quaker or a lovebird. I do know they are both loud though. Quakers being louder. If noise is not an issue I think they are both good options. I would love to keep lovebirds, but we are at our noise limit personally, and apartment wise.

 

[Marit]

I would get a lovebird if I where you Koda is my little cuddle girl But I do have to be consistent with her, cause of their dominant nature.

 

[Nancy]

Like a few others, I was going to suggest a linnie. Mine is a super good cuddler, not noisy and not nippy.

 

[Solace.]

I'd recommend a GCC.. or Quaker. :thumbsup:

 

[Melinda]

Linnie, Linnie, Linnie..

 

[brekke668]

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.

 

[Friggin Joe]

"The downside to quakers are that they can be very loud, they can sometimes develop feisty personalities"

Yeah but that's a lovebird, too.
Definitely look into a Linnie. MUCH less likely to bite than a lovebird or quaker and they love to be held. VERY quiet birds, as well.
If noise level and biting is a factor at all, I can't recommend linnies enough.
For what it's worth linnies can learn to talk. I don't think they develop a vocabulary like a budgie or quaker, but they do pretty well.

 

[Nick]

"The downside to quakers are that they can be very loud, they can sometimes develop feisty personalities"

Yeah but that's a lovebird, too.

That comment of mine wasn't intended to favor lovebirds or anything of the sort. I've never had a lovebird, so I wouldn't know anyways.