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What types of birds make for good pets? Also: tips?

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One that has a pleasant chirp (maybe a canary or sparrow or budgie), and not something that fucking cackles.

Any bird owners on GAF have any suggestions and/or tips for taking care of them?
 
None, please.

Birds as pets are one of the saddest things in my opinion. The animal is meant to be free outside flying around. Instead it gets jammed into a little cage and has its feathers clipped. I really hope that having a bird as a pet becomes more and more uncommon.
 
Devin Olsen said:
None, please.

Birds as pets are one of the saddest things in my opinion. The animal is meant to be free outside flying around. Instead it gets jammed into a little cage and has its feathers clipped. I really hope that having a bird as a pet becomes more and more uncommon.
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I'm well aware of that. It's one of the reasons I sometimes have second thoughts about the whole thing.

Maybe I'll just get a cat.
 
My friend has a budgie. They let it out every night, but put him away in the cage when they go out or at night time. It flies around a bit and loves to sit on peoples shoulders and also on the edge of your drinking glass haha. They had it's wings clipped when they first got it so they could handle it and get the bird used to it and it couldn't fly away, then after a while they grow back, and he was never afraid of people. It's even house trained haha, it knows to do shits in its cage. really cool little bird.
 
Really guys?

nWkeK.jpg

Or was it too easy?

Devin Olsen said:
Instead it gets jammed into a little cage and has its feathers clipped.
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It's not like birds have to sit in a cage all day, we have a parakeet that flies freely around the living room (we do put him in his cage at night, but then he's sleeping anyway). We also don't clip his wings.
 
I know several people who leave their dogs in cages while they go to work. Seems much more cruel to do this to a dog than a little bird.
 
Duracelllll said:
My friend has a budgie. They let it out every night, but put him away in the cage when they go out or at night time. It flies around a bit and loves to sit on peoples shoulders and also on the edge of your drinking glass haha. They had it's wings clipped when they first got it so they could handle it and get the bird used to it and it couldn't fly away, then after a while they grow back, and he was never afraid of people. It's even house trained haha, it knows to do shits in its cage. really cool little bird.
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I have four Budgies at the moment. Cute and curious birds.
 
I once found a baby African Grey Parrot in the middle of a street.

I was walking home from work, and there it was. I thought to nudge it off the road with my foot, but the thing bit on to my shoelaces, climbed up my body, and perched on my shoulder as I walked.

It was an amazing thing. I'd have liked to have kept the bird, but it wasn't mine and the owners were ecstatic to get it back.

The Greys are supposed to be very smart, very social, and long lived.
 
&Divius said:
It's not like birds have to sit in a cage all day, we have a parakeet that flies freely around the living room (we do put him in his cage at night, but then he's sleeping anyway). We also don't clip his wings.
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How are parakeets? Small/medium size? Loud?


spindashing said:
I have four Budgies at the moment. Cute and curious birds.
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I was thinking of budgies too.



Also, what's with clipping wings? I've never heard of it before.
 
There are birds that have been bred for pets for over 100 years OP, they are fine and happy in a household enviroment.

If a bird is singing, preening, eating, playing with its toys, grinding its beak , its plain happy and well adjusted.

What is your price and size range. Large and medium parrots are very loud and demanding. Canaries and finches sing and chirp but are not for holding.

You sound like you want a hand fed budgie or cockatiel in my opinion, both great singers.
 
disappeared said:
How are parakeets? Small/medium size? Loud?




I was thinking of budgies too.



Also, what's with clipping wings? I've never heard of it before.
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I've never done it but my mother bought a Budgie with clipped wings. Basically you get them to a vet and get it done. It'll decrease their flying ability so they won't fly away/be easier to control.

Edit: Also, Budgies do get loud when there's a television on or a radio on in the same room. I always like to think that they try to compete with the TV/radio and get louder than it. It's hilarious yet annoying at the same time. :lol
 
Parakeets are loud as fuck and constantly make noise.

Cockatiels are decent. About $80-100 per bird, they can live up to a couple decades, and they're typically not THAT loud. Big enough to want to hold, but not too big that you'll be worried its hook beak will rip off your finger.
 
Anerythristic said:
There are birds that have been bred for pets for over 100 years OP, they are fine and happy in a household enviroment.

If a bird is singing, preening, eating, playing with its toys, grinding its beak , its plain happy and well adjusted.

What is your price and size range. Large and medium parrots are very loud and demanding. Canaries and finches sing and chirp but are not for holding.

You sound like you want a hand fed budgie or cockatiel in my opinion, both great singers.
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Price probably won't be all that big of a deal by the time I'm ready to get one. I'm not looking at thousands of dollars, of course, but I understand that the whole thing will likely run me a few hundred.

Going by your advice, and others' from this thread, a budgie sounds like the way to go.


Also, thanks to the guys who mentioned parakeets and their noisiness.
 
suzu said:
Birds are kinda needy. Budgies are cute though. Some even learn to talk.

Get a cat. :)
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I thought about another cat. But the last one I had lived a good long life of 15 years, and I don't know if I could deal with losing something again after that long.
 
wormstrangler said:
hand raised cockatiel.

Let it fly around the house if their aren't any dangers. Beautiful birds.
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When I was a kid I was sitting at the side of our pool, and out of nowhere a cockatiel landed on my shoulder. It's an odd experience for a random bird to land on a shirtless shoulder.

This story isn't really helpful, but it was a nice bird if that counts for anything.
 
Devin Olsen said:
None, please.

Birds as pets are one of the saddest things in my opinion. The animal is meant to be free outside flying around. Instead it gets jammed into a little cage and has its feathers clipped. I really hope that having a bird as a pet becomes more and more uncommon.
Click to expand...

Wrong. I open my cages when I'm at home and have built elaborate open-air playgyms out of wood and PVC for my birds to play in. None of my birds are clipped. And I'm not a rare exception - you can go on Youtube and see for yourself that bird owners regularly do what I do. So don't make the assumption that birds must be clipped and perpetually caged.

OP, a cockatiel sounds good for you. Like any bird, you have to interact with them everyday so that they don't get clingy or lonely, but they can be very affectionate and bright birds. Be aware that they can create a fair amount of dander. Get your bird from a reputable breeder or bird store and have it see an avian vet right after you get it to make sure it doesn't have any major diseases like Parrot Beak And Feather Disease.
 
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