I have been thinking about trying some Birds and have a lot of interest in two types. They are the Indian Ring Necked Parakeet (P. k. manillensis) and the Quaker or Monk parrot (Myiopsitta monachus). I had a bunch of questions. What is the available like in the Northern USA and Southern Canada? How easy are they to breed in captivity? What is the cold tolerance like and what is the general price for a pair (assume it varies widely)I would love to hear some input from members/personal stories on these Birds
Need Bird Info
- Thread starter nancyw
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Well there are pros and cons to each one. Are you looking for a bonded companion type of bird? Is talking.important to you? Why the wonder of cold hardiness? Keep in mind that these are not a cheap pet, nor are they short lived. As far as breeding goes, there are quite a few things that go into that and isn't something one should just jump into. Both are fairly easily aqyired in both areas, just be sure to buy from a reputable breeder.
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I have worked with several quakers. In my honest opinion, I greatly dislike them because of their attitude. I haven't met a friendly quaker. We had two of them at a store I worked at a few years ago. I am great with birds as it is and could usually break a new bird in less than a week. These two refused to be handled or worked with. They would get out of their cages and run a muck around the bird room. I tried over and over to no avail. I came to the point where I gave up. I had better luck handling the white doves we had than those two SOBs. Its easier to sell a friendly bird than a mean one. I have heard good stories about them however. They do have an ability to talk. As far as IDNs go, I haven't worked with them at all, so I cant say I have any prior experience.
As far as cold tolerance goes, fully understand that these are tropical animals and don't live in that type of climate. You need to do your best to keep them warm during the winter months. I recently bought a small conure. Normally winters in central Florida are on the warmer side. This year its been cold. Well in order to keep my bird warm I have had to run the heat constantly. I just got my electric bill and its over $200 because I was running the heater so long. Maybe I should invest in one of those small room heaters. Non the less, keep them warm. As creativity said, these aren't cheap pets. If you have never owned a bird before I would personally recommend getting something smaller like a parakeet, instead of jumping into larger birds such as the two you stated, But thats just me.
As far as cold tolerance goes, fully understand that these are tropical animals and don't live in that type of climate. You need to do your best to keep them warm during the winter months. I recently bought a small conure. Normally winters in central Florida are on the warmer side. This year its been cold. Well in order to keep my bird warm I have had to run the heat constantly. I just got my electric bill and its over $200 because I was running the heater so long. Maybe I should invest in one of those small room heaters. Non the less, keep them warm. As creativity said, these aren't cheap pets. If you have never owned a bird before I would personally recommend getting something smaller like a parakeet, instead of jumping into larger birds such as the two you stated, But thats just me.
Make sure you do a TON of research when it comes to diet, minimum cage size, toys, perches, and mental and emotional requirements. I know from experience (I've done small scale bird rescues) that many parrots end up plucking or self mutilating due to poor diet and lack of mental stimulation. I currently have a Green Cheek Conure named Chubby, he is great but really keeps me on my toes. I currently have him in a cage large enough to fly in (I don't clip), and he is currently on a diet of Roudybush Daily Maintenance pellets as well as fresh fruits and veggies daily. I would not suggest the Indian Ringneck for a beginner. They tend to be very hard headed parrots, and they are difficult to train. Not to mention the fact that they will quickly revert back to a wild state if not handled multiple times a day at the very least. They also go through a really nasty bluffing phase (biting) when they are young. The Quaker is a good bird, but keep in mind that they are loud, and are illegal in certain states. You MAY need a permit depending on your area. Green Cheeks are a good bird for beginners. They have a big bird personality in a tiny body, however they do require large cages as they are very active. I'd suggest doing a ton of research on prospective species of parrots.
To put this into perspective, I once rescued a bonded pair of conures that had been fed only seed and kept in a tiny cage with no toys. The male had plucked his chest bald, and the female was vastly underweight. I spent a TON of money on avian vets to get those two back into shape and rehabilitate them before finding them forever homes. I also rescued an Umbrella Cockatoo that had been kept in a dog crate with no perches or toys for 10 years. The owners had ZERO knowledge of parrot care and had him on a diet of seeds and shelled peanuts (super dangerous, asperilligus). The Cockatoo had a hole in her chest because she was picking at her own skin, and she screamed constantly throughout the day. Luckily I rehabed her and found her a good home too.
Also keep in mind that Teflon, non-stick cookware, scented candles, smoke, perfume, and room sprays, etc will need to be discarded of with a parrot in the house. Good luck with your research, keep us updated!
To put this into perspective, I once rescued a bonded pair of conures that had been fed only seed and kept in a tiny cage with no toys. The male had plucked his chest bald, and the female was vastly underweight. I spent a TON of money on avian vets to get those two back into shape and rehabilitate them before finding them forever homes. I also rescued an Umbrella Cockatoo that had been kept in a dog crate with no perches or toys for 10 years. The owners had ZERO knowledge of parrot care and had him on a diet of seeds and shelled peanuts (super dangerous, asperilligus). The Cockatoo had a hole in her chest because she was picking at her own skin, and she screamed constantly throughout the day. Luckily I rehabed her and found her a good home too.
Also keep in mind that Teflon, non-stick cookware, scented candles, smoke, perfume, and room sprays, etc will need to be discarded of with a parrot in the house. Good luck with your research, keep us updated!
I completely agree with everything you just said. I live in Northern Maine and the temperatures routinely drop below zero in the winter. I have to keep my house between 75-80 degrees because of my parrot and the bills are astronomical. He is worth it though! Also, I agree with recommending a smaller bird like a parakeet, tiel, or small conure, however I would also like to add that these small birds need a lot of care too. They can't be shoved into tiny cages and given just seed for food. It's nice to see other bird people on this forum
I guess some advice from a noob to a noob......
I just recently acquired two birds in the last 4 months. Before I even bought a bird I had done a lot of research and had a good idea of what I was looking for in a bird first. My schedule does not allow for a ton of one-on-one play time, I am not a huge fan of the loud noises either. I wanted something small, simple, not to loud and easy to care for because I am new. I researched online, asked around for info at local shops and talked to my co-workers who have birds. I got a suggested list of birds that would fit my lifestyle/wants.
I went around and looked at the birds and played with them (I highly recommend this). I think the bird will end up picking you as opposed to you picking the bird. I was suggested quite a few different birds. I ended up not to fond of some of the birds. Then I was shown another option at a local store, which was the parrotlet.
I really liked this bird, so I did more research. This bird fit fine with my lifestyle. They require a proper diet of seed/pellet/dried fruits and fresh fruits/veggies (super easy to prepare), a large cage (ok well I got a largeish cage for mine so they can fly and play) and a lot of toys and some one on one time and not very loud- they make great birds. Its a parrot packed into a super tiny body. They have high energy so I got large cages so they can fly and toys to keep them stimulated and busy. Its nice because they are cuddly, love one-on-one but can also stay a day in the cage if necessary. They may or may not talk - males tend to be easier to train to talk, mine don't, I don't know if either of them will. They are also not very noisy, they make churp sounds but its not that loud.
I went back to the store and handled a few parrotlets before I asked to handle one who was caged alone. She was a blue morph and we bonded immediately - she came home with me =)
I don't have to worry about the cold so much here in FL, so I don't have much advice there. I know they make heated perches and things of that nature (but I don't know much about them or how safe they are).
I did not realize at first how much goes into picking out your bird. I def. agree to do your research first and look for a bird that fits your lifestyle. I don't know what you are looking for exactly but if you want something small, easy to care for (provided the correct environment/diet) and not super loud parrotlets are great - but you can only keep one per cage and as mentioned no teflon/scented things/areosols. They are tropical birds so they do need stay warm. They do breed in captivity but I wouldn't recommend jumping into breeding until you first see how you do with the birds and get more experience. They are expensive and breeding adds to the cost and there is a lot that goes into it. I also agree with finding a reputable breeder.
I just recently acquired two birds in the last 4 months. Before I even bought a bird I had done a lot of research and had a good idea of what I was looking for in a bird first. My schedule does not allow for a ton of one-on-one play time, I am not a huge fan of the loud noises either. I wanted something small, simple, not to loud and easy to care for because I am new. I researched online, asked around for info at local shops and talked to my co-workers who have birds. I got a suggested list of birds that would fit my lifestyle/wants.
I went around and looked at the birds and played with them (I highly recommend this). I think the bird will end up picking you as opposed to you picking the bird. I was suggested quite a few different birds. I ended up not to fond of some of the birds. Then I was shown another option at a local store, which was the parrotlet.
I really liked this bird, so I did more research. This bird fit fine with my lifestyle. They require a proper diet of seed/pellet/dried fruits and fresh fruits/veggies (super easy to prepare), a large cage (ok well I got a largeish cage for mine so they can fly and play) and a lot of toys and some one on one time and not very loud- they make great birds. Its a parrot packed into a super tiny body. They have high energy so I got large cages so they can fly and toys to keep them stimulated and busy. Its nice because they are cuddly, love one-on-one but can also stay a day in the cage if necessary. They may or may not talk - males tend to be easier to train to talk, mine don't, I don't know if either of them will. They are also not very noisy, they make churp sounds but its not that loud.
I went back to the store and handled a few parrotlets before I asked to handle one who was caged alone. She was a blue morph and we bonded immediately - she came home with me =)
I don't have to worry about the cold so much here in FL, so I don't have much advice there. I know they make heated perches and things of that nature (but I don't know much about them or how safe they are).
I did not realize at first how much goes into picking out your bird. I def. agree to do your research first and look for a bird that fits your lifestyle. I don't know what you are looking for exactly but if you want something small, easy to care for (provided the correct environment/diet) and not super loud parrotlets are great - but you can only keep one per cage and as mentioned no teflon/scented things/areosols. They are tropical birds so they do need stay warm. They do breed in captivity but I wouldn't recommend jumping into breeding until you first see how you do with the birds and get more experience. They are expensive and breeding adds to the cost and there is a lot that goes into it. I also agree with finding a reputable breeder.
I completely agree with everything you just said. I live in Northern Maine and the temperatures routinely drop below zero in the winter. I have to keep my house between 75-80 degrees because of my parrot and the bills are astronomical. He is worth it though! Also, I agree with recommending a smaller bird like a parakeet, tiel, or small conure, however I would also like to add that these small birds need a lot of care too. They can't be shoved into tiny cages and given just seed for food. It's nice to see other bird people on this forum
Glad to know someone else shares my pain with the electric bills. I also have a green cheek. I have to say that my bird is the exact opposite of what you described. Hes a rather boring bird. Sleeps all day and all night. I think he was a runt honestly. He was very skinny at the store and hasn't gained much weight. He is healthy though. Hes also kind of stupid. Dont get me wrong, I love my bird. I just wish he was a little smarter.
He was in his store roughly a year. He was very aggressive and wasn't handled much. I went in a few times and tried holding him, long before I thought about getting another bird. Yeah he bit the crap out of me. Drew blood every time. When I finally took him home he was broken in about 5 days. He is so overly attached. Hes full flight and is free to fly as he pleases. Said being that I can supervise him of course. I have had a few times were I have stepped out of the room and he has flown across my apartment, though my bedroom and into the bathroom when I am mid leak. He drives me insane lol