Pet Forums 2000

i want to get a bird but everytime i do there always really savage.

i know it sounds like a stupid question but im kind of desperate cause i want a bird but not one thats going to try and bite my hand off when i get close to it

A Robin is very friendly

male cockatiel.
They want your attention all the time and will sing to you as well.
Soft and cute.

a canarian

I am not an expert on birds, but this link below is a nice and friendly animalpedia. You can at least check out what others are recommending and also spend some time reading up on the birds and one might just suit your tastes. Good Luck

http://www.animalgate.com/pub/pediacat.php?cat=bird

The correct term to use is species, not breed. Just as Horses, Dogs and Lions are not different breeds of mammals, Canaries, Golden pheasants and Zebra finches are not different breeds of birds.
Do you want a bird that has to live inside or outside? If the latter get a fancy pigeon, if the former get a few zebra finches.

If you want to go for a species from the parrot family, try to adopt a cockatiel from a rescue.

You are going to get some very one sided answers here from people who have had experience from only one type of bird, so be careful who you believe.

I would say Cockatiels are the friendliest breed, because they attach themselves very easily to people, and all of my experienced so far have been pretty good, but that's only out of the breeds I have dealt with so far (Budgies, Lovebirds, Cockatiels, Green Cheek & Sun Conures, Indian Ringnecks and Alexandrines & Quakers briefly), and of course it will all depend on the particular bird.

I think the problem you are facing here, though, is whether the bird is hand reared and where it comes from. My advice, don't go to a pet store. There is a lot of controversy about pet stores and animal welfare, and I really don't trust these places. There is often no way to tell where their pets come from and they rely on impulse purchases for their money. I don't ever buy from chain pet stores, we support local supply stores, and reputable breeders instead, because I have often seen puppies with labels like pure Maltese, and they have cream coloured patches on them (Maltese have a pure white coat), and birds that are scared half to death, by what can only be put to being mistreated, because even an avarage untame bird usually isn't as frightened as what I have seen some, so it is pretty hard to trust them, not to mention puppy mills.

Go to a breeder who has hand reared their birds, and I can guarantee you, the bird will be friendly. Hand reared is always the way to go, because you know they have come from a loving home, otherwise these people simply wouldn't do what they do (it is a very hard task raising baby birds). All you have to do is ask your local supply stores and vets, and you are bound to find a good breeder.


----EDIT----

I completely forgot to mention shelters! I hope I don't have to explain why shelters are probably the best choice. Of course you don't have to get one from there, I'm not going to force my opinion, but I will say that I have had many great experiences with adopted pets, they seem to be the most loving, because they really do know you love them back.


So my answer : A Cockatiel (If you like) from a shelter or a REPUTABLE (this is very important) breeder.

Good Luck :) I hope you get a nice friendly bird

How sad that you've heard parrots are savage. You probabIy heard this from people who had experiences (or owned) improperly socialized, frustrated parrots who were angry at the fault of the owner, not the bird. Parrots are actually amazingly intelligent, curious animals, who, if given proper care and socialization skills, enjoy human companionship. Since you sound like you would be a first time bird owner, you should start out small. The smaller the parrot, the easier the training. I have always heard quaker parrots are pretty friendly little birds as a general rule, and because they are larger than a normal parakeet or cockatiel, a lot of people get the feel of a larger parrot, without the more difficult care. You need to do extensive research on several breeds before making a decision. You must also research the proper ways to socialize a bird, and how to keep them mentally stimulated and happy. You must also realize, even the happiest parrot will bite from time to time. You have grouchy days you lash out at people, so will your parrot. As long as its an every once in a while thing, it's perfectly acceptable parrot behavior.

A great book for first time parrot owners is- "A Parrot For Life" by Rebecca K. O'Connor. She goes over the different species of parrots, how to select the right one, how to ready your house for a parrot (which is kind of like baby-proofing), what to feed and not to feed to maintain a healthy bird, and how to socialize and interact with any parrot so you have a loving, healthy happy companion. The book doesn't use difficult wording, and make some difficult to grasp parrot care concepts easy for anyone to understand. I really recommend you pick up a copy.

and as a final word- I am a bird person. My parents had they're 3 parrots long before I was born. All of them are happy birds that love being out with people, and don't bite as a general rule. In fact, one of they're amazons used to sit inside my crib when I was a baby and just watch me (not exactly a savage animal), she never bit me when my mom was teaching me how to pick her up when I was a little girl (even though I dropped her a few times), and the other 2 never went after my fingers either. Now that I'm an adult, I adopted a 10 year old amazon who was abused at a previous home. He was pretty savage when I first got him home, but he quickly learned not all humans are to be feared, and is now a very sweet interactive parrot. It all depends on how you train them :-)

A Chicken! Chickens are birds and if you get the right breed they can be fantastic pets! And you get eggs from them! If you would like to find out some good beginner chickens then just email me at francescadaw@yahoo.com. Don't think that chickens are stupid and always look like this: http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/economy/pictures/chicken.jpg

You can get beautiful ones like I have got: http://www.infoschool.co.uk/buff/index_files/image005.jpg

And Exotic ones too: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Shrine/2425/yokohama.gif

Hope I get an email from you soon,

Zarago.

I think cockatiels are a great first time pet and if you get one that is hand tame and hand fed(I would go to a breeder not pet store unless it is a family ran small pet shop)then you can't go wrong.They are very loving and loyal birds as long as you make time for them each day just as with any breed.I also think lineolated parakeets are very sweet when hand tamed and fed,they are a much smaller bird though.I am a owner of many birds and these two species are great if you don't want a nippy bird.Good luck!