# Parrots?



## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

I really really love parrots and would love to have one as a pet, I just wondered which parrots make the best pets? I absolutely love macaws, they are my favourite...but I certainly dont have the money or the room for one of those just yet lol

I love conures too but I heard they are REALLY noisy...don't think my Dad would like that very much!

We have kept budgies, canaries and zebra finches before so I am not totally new to birds lol


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

First thing to ask yourself is whether you want a pet or a two-year-old child for the rest of your natural life. Some parrots are precisely that - cockatoos, macaws, greys...


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

Yeah I know someone that has an african grey that is very demanding


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## Brat (Oct 7, 2007)

I have an African Grey, apart from being a noisy little bugger, he's no trouble at all.


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

lol really the noise doesn't bother me, I just dont know what my Dad would make of it!


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

bringing a parrot into the house really needs to be a family decision. if you're not sure what you're dad would make of it, it's best wait until you've moved out. 

not all conures are noisy, some are but greencheecked are not so bad. a senegal would be a good first bird but they have quite load pitch shreeks. not all the time mind, only once or twice a day but it makes me jump when she does it lol. a very under-rated group of parrot is the pionus. not too noisy, not too big & very loving. (well mine is anyway).

steer clear of macaws as your first bird. imo, large macaws should only be kept by people that have an outside flight for them to exercise in. most households just aren;t big enough for a large macaw to spread it's wings properly. but like i said, that's just my opinion, i know many people who successfully keep macaws in the house.


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

Oh yeah I would never get one without asking him, he loves birds too so he might think its a great idea, I haven't even mentioned it to him yet because I want to do my research and see if I can actually accomodate one!

I have never heard of a pionus, what do they look like? I think the conures I like are noisy lol I like sun conures!


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Something like a Green-Cheeked, Maroon-Bellied, Black-Capped, or similar Conure would probably suit you. They are similar in size to a Cockatiel. The noisier species of Conures are the Aratinga genus, which are the bigger species of Conure.


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## JPReptiles (Dec 2, 2007)

I keep greys and in my opinion they are not very demanding and usually trouble free birds.

They are a joy to keep and are not as noisy as you would think.

John


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

Thank you very much  I will definately consider getting one in the future!


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## coopere (Aug 6, 2008)

There are always mini macaws. We have a hahns macaw - the smallest of the macaw family. Looks the same as the bigger macaws but is the size of a conure. Not as loud - but can be noisy, like some parrots at dawn and dusk. Very good at talking and affectionate. Also because it is smaller it is not so expensive and doesn't need as much space. I paid £150 for Solo, he was parent reared, but is totally hand tame.


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

Sarah-Jayne said:


> Oh yeah I would never get one without asking him, he loves birds too so he might think its a great idea, I haven't even mentioned it to him yet because I want to do my research and see if I can actually accomodate one!
> 
> I have never heard of a pionus, what do they look like? I think the conures I like are noisy lol I like sun conures!


here are a couple of pics of my blue headed pionus.


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

Aww that is so pretty!!

Ooh what is a Hanhs Macaw? that sounds interesting  I really do love macaws...I need a bigger house lol


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

I looked up the Hahn's macaw...they are soooooo cute!! I think this is gonna be the parrot I get IF I am allowed lol

Do you have a picture of yours and its housing?


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

one of my rescues was a hahns. now don't know if it was just mine with being a rescue but she was very nippy. tame as anything but nippy. and she used to call for attention a lot, and she was loud. from my experience i wouldn't recommend them as a first bird.
but (and it's a big but) my only experience of hahns is the one i've rescued so prolly not the best bit of advice i've ever given lol.


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## MrsP (Apr 13, 2008)

How about a black headed caique? They're small and can become incredibly tame and friendly. I fully intend to get one at some point.

I've got a blue and gold macaw and 2 african greys, they are like kids to me and I adore them all. Pedro, my macaw, comes to school with me several times a year and has a great time sitting at the front of my classroom showing off his wings to the kids. He's a natural classroom resource and loves every minute of it!


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Here, what about one of these!?

Maroon-Bellied Conures are lovely parrots, not too noisy & get very friendly & playful.


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Derrrrr.............forgot to post the link!

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/dome...79078-hand-reared-maroon-bellied-conures.html


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## leggy (Jan 18, 2007)

I got my 2 greencheeks of Ken they are the best :flrt:


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

a green cheeck aint a parrot, i find them quite nippy, id rather eat my hat that own one and id struggle because i dont have a hat, but im probably biased because i have a personal vendetta against them i hate them!!! 

senegals, brown head-very underated bird!!, meyers, even a jardine or caiques very popular, or again the pionus family


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Of course a Green-Cheek is a parrot! And lovely little parrots they are! You big meanie!


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

Been given some great ideas, thanks everyone


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

its a member of the parrot family, but id say it was a parakeet, 


and ive never pocessed a green cheeck for more that 2 days thank god!


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

They're conures (Green cheeks that is) and are not members of the genera usually referred to as parakeets. They're closer related to macaws


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## Lover (Apr 3, 2007)

our cockatoo is only 4 and he has a long life yet he acts like a kid he started talking now i have a vid to upload of him playing silly.
i think african greys are very amusing but macors sp? i find scary.


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## jonny snake (Apr 27, 2008)

Mephitis said:


> I keep greys and in my opinion they are not very demanding and usually trouble free birds.
> 
> They are a joy to keep and are not as noisy as you would think.
> 
> John


same here great birds:no1::no1::no1:


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

Sarah-Jayne said:


> I really really love parrots and would love to have one as a pet, I just wondered which parrots make the best pets? I absolutely love macaws, they are my favourite...but I certainly dont have the money or the room for one of those just yet lol
> 
> I love conures too but I heard they are REALLY noisy...don't think my Dad would like that very much!
> 
> We have kept budgies, canaries and zebra finches before so I am not totally new to birds lol


 Just out of interest, what part of keeping a parrot is it which attracts you most? What do you imagine it will be like keeping one?
I have around 40 and have done bird rescue for some years. I think the idea of keeping a parrot is often more exciting than actually doing it. People imagine a big tame bird which talks and does little else other than be amusing. In reality, they are destructive, loud, amusing, noisy, they may talk or may not (not all parrots will talk), they will chuck food all up the bars of the cage and the wall behind, make loads of poop, they shed feather dust like crazy so your room is always dusty, they lose feathers and blow seed husks all over the carpet oh and they bite. Even nice sweet hand reared ones, will bite at some point in their life. They can be moody and hormonal when they hit adulthood too. I mention all the bad bits because often, when people imagine owning a parrot, they only imagine the nice bits. And their diet is not easy. No just putting a pot full of petshop crappo seedmix in once a day. If you want a healthy bird, they need fresh fruit, veg, flowers, a decent low sunflower seedmix, nuts, some safe human food occasionally, sprouted seeds and pulses.
All larger parrots will be noisy so if noise is a problem, perhaps hold off until you have your own place. When my cockatoo is happy (or sad, or lonely or angry or wants to hear from me, or if the wind is blowing or the sun shining) she will scream and people can hear her in the village half a mile away when she does. If people come to visit me and look in my aviary block, we have to lip read as all the parrots want to greet them and me all at once. And indoors, the want to pet my african grey who is terrified of everyone except me and who doesn't talk.
A macaw is a bit like a wilful, stroppy destructive 2 year old human with behavioural issues.
Not all conures are noisy, mostly the arantinga ones or the patagonians are (I didn't name one of my patagonians 'decibel' for nothing).
LIttle green cheeked or maroon bellied aren't noisy, pionus aren't particularly noisy either. Personally, if I could only have one parrot as a pet, I think I would have either a hand reared lovebird, or a meyers. I used to have a smashing lovebird named 'Bogey' (he was green and on my finger) who was a little acrobat, a real clown, very agile, who would sit on top of my head while I was on the computer and slowly slide don my fringe until he was dangling right in front of my eyes and swinging back and forth as though to say "don't look at that, look at me". He would nip my nose if I took no notice of him. For a little bird, he had a massive personality.
I would much rather be asked to take in a lovebird than a macaw.


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

teshu said:


> one of my rescues was a hahns. now don't know if it was just mine with being a rescue but she was very nippy. tame as anything but nippy. and she used to call for attention a lot, and she was loud. from my experience i wouldn't recommend them as a first bird.
> but (and it's a big but) my only experience of hahns is the one i've rescued so prolly not the best bit of advice i've ever given lol.


 Hahns are know for being very loud and also nippy.I think yours is normal lol.


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

cooltom28 said:


> a green cheeck aint a parrot, i find them quite nippy, id rather eat my hat that own one and id struggle because i dont have a hat, but im probably biased because i have a personal vendetta against them i hate them!!!
> 
> senegals, brown head-very underated bird!!, meyers, even a jardine or caiques very popular, or again the pionus family


 Green cheeks are a true parrot a real mini parrot and one of the nicest pets. I have around 8 of them in an aviary and even the parent reared ones are tame and will sit on my head and pull my hair when I go into the flight.
You say you find them nippy yet recommend a senegal which invented the word nippy. They are known for being nippy are senegals.
I can second Jardines though as I have one of those too. Mine is a rare fantiensis subspecies. Been trying to find her a mate for the last 5 years with no luck.


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

cooltom28 said:


> its a member of the parrot family, but id say it was a parakeet,
> 
> 
> and ive never pocessed a green cheeck for more that 2 days thank god!


 Want to tell a true parrot from a parakeet?
Only a true parrot can hold a bit of food in it's foot and eat it. Parakeets can't do this. Yes they are true parrots and if you had managed to keep one for more than 2 days you would have discovered that they are in fact lovely little birds.Since you don't know the species because you've never kept them, then surely you can't give an opinion on them?


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Hey Fenwoman,

I agree, its extremely important to know all the negatives of parrot ownership as well as the positives! See, we are agreeing on something again! Is this the start of a loving relationship? hehe

So what species of parrots do you have Fenwoman? And when can I come & visit? hehe


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

fenwoman said:


> Want to tell a true parrot from a parakeet?
> Only a true parrot can hold a bit of food in it's foot and eat it. Parakeets can't do this. Yes they are true parrots and if you had managed to keep one for more than 2 days you would have discovered that they are in fact lovely little birds.Since you don't know the species because you've never kept them, then surely you can't give an opinion on them?


 
where did you get that definition from? because personally i reckon its false! i think a true ''parrot'' should have a short tail, i dont keep any birds i dont like, and they are nippy little things, i owned marroon bellied when i was like 12, why would i keep a green cheeck for more than 2 days i have what i want lol,


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

cooltom28 said:


> where did you get that definition from? because personally i reckon its false! i think a true ''parrot'' should have a short tail


Macaws aren't parrots then? And are parrotlets - who have short tails and are more parakeetlike - actually parrots?

Having owned greencheeks - for several years rather than just a couple of days - I can tell you they are absolutely parrots, with parrot personalities in tiny bodies.


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## coopere (Aug 6, 2008)

I must have the exception then because my Hahns is not nippy at all, possibly due to regular handling when young, although he is obsessed with bra straps at the moment! As I mentioned before on another thread, Hahns can be noisy, but nowhere near as loud as a larger macaw. Solo only does his calling for a while in the morning and at night when we walk the dogs and feed everyone, as the 'group' are all together. Im a bit rubbish with computers, so don't know how to put pictures up, but it is recommended they have a cage about the same size as a large conure as they are similar in size. Check out www.parrot-link.co.uk it is a good place to find out stuff and discuss parrots.


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

Zoo-Man said:


> Hey Fenwoman,
> 
> I agree, its extremely important to know all the negatives of parrot ownership as well as the positives! See, we are agreeing on something again! Is this the start of a loving relationship? hehe
> 
> So what species of parrots do you have Fenwoman? And when can I come & visit? hehe


 
There is little chance of you and I haveing any kind of love unless you have feathers or fur hehe.
I keep mainly the noisy ones lol. I have one disabled originally wild caught grey in the house, plus a pair of white fronted amazons and my little Jardines. None of them are fit or able to be out in the aviary block. All the rest are in a large custom built aviary block. In the main I have cockatoos, conures and amazons. I do have one quaker and a pair of meyers but mostly amazons and conures including patagonians, mitred, red masekd and in a large communal aviary I have my little birds which include maroon bellied and green cheeked, cockatiels, budgies and the like.
I'm afraid I don't 'do' visitors. They upset my dogs, which them make a noise, and I'm usually too busy. Plus I'm simply pretty antisocial and like keeping myself to myself.(shrug).


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

cooltom28 said:


> where did you get that definition from? because personally i reckon its false! i think a true ''parrot'' should have a short tail, i dont keep any birds i dont like, and they are nippy little things, i owned marroon bellied when i was like 12, why would i keep a green cheeck for more than 2 days i have what i want lol,


 Whether you accept it or not and whether your personal definition is something different, scientifically, it is the accepted method. So by your own reckoning, macaws are not true parrots? They have long tails after all.
I don't know why you would keep a conure for more than 2 days if you don't like them. Why would you get one at all if you don't like them? I wouldn't go out and buy something I didn't like. And it's a pity you judge a whole species on one bird you had once when you were a child.None of mine is nippy.Certainly not more so than any other species and certainly a whole lot less nippy than say senegals or lovebirds. I have a red masked conure in the aviary block who will bite to the bone given half a chance, however, I wouldn't decry the whole species based on my experience of one sole bird. 'Wilf' and I understand each other. I actually like him and we know each others boundaries. I mess with him and I get bitten, if I go into the flight to change the food and water, he keeps his distance as he is a bit afraid of my whole body but isn't afraid of just my arm or hand. So while my whole body is outside the aviary flight, and just my arm inside doing the food and water, he is a demon, but when I step in, he becomes less so and just sits far away cursing me. When he goes outside the aviary block to fly about in the trees on my land in the nice weather, he gets fairly tame and will even sit on a dish in my hand to eat his dinner yet if I tried to get him to do the same in his aviary, he would bite me.
I don't just like creatures which are docile or which act as though they like me. Nice or nasty, nippy or not, talkative or dumb, I like them all.


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

agree with everything fenwoman has said.

going back to diet, yes it can be tricky. parrots need a varied diet, more than most people realise. a poor diet has been link to behavioural problems like feather plucking. 

mine get, 
seed mix
various fruits & veg (apples, carrots, tomatoes, sweetcorn, broccoli, grapes, sprouts) 
cheese
cooked pasta
plain biscuit like rich tea
cooked egg
pulses and sprouts
cooked chicken

the first 2 on the list are given daily, the rest as an occasional treat/supplement.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

so does that mean a rossella is a parrot? 

im a dealer thats why i had them but i no longer cater for that market, im more into selling the rarer stuff, red tailed amazons, scarlets, moullucans, etc

if you search for definition of parrot on google it mentions nothing about how they eat or tails,


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Hi Fenwoman,

I was only joking about visiting your parrots. I am a big fan of the Conure family. I have a hand-reared Sun Conure & am looking to get a breeding pair of Conures, though I'm unsure of the species as of yet.


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## Bradders100 (Feb 3, 2008)

fenwoman said:


> Want to tell a true parrot from a parakeet?
> Only a true parrot can hold a bit of food in it's foot and eat it. Parakeets can't do this. Yes they are true parrots and if you had managed to keep one for more than 2 days you would have discovered that they are in fact lovely little birds.Since you don't know the species because you've never kept them, then surely you can't give an opinion on them?


**********so does that mean a rossella is a parrot?******

I wander the same thing, my rosella always held her food in her feet and my cockatiels did too.

Are these small parrots then?


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

cooltom28 said:


> if you search for definition of parrot on google it mentions nothing about how they eat or tails,


so where did you get the idea from that true parrots have short tails?


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

fenwoman said:


> Just out of interest, what part of keeping a parrot is it which attracts you most? What do you imagine it will be like keeping one?
> I have around 40 and have done bird rescue for some years. I think the idea of keeping a parrot is often more exciting than actually doing it. People imagine a big tame bird which talks and does little else other than be amusing. In reality, they are destructive, loud, amusing, noisy, they may talk or may not (not all parrots will talk), they will chuck food all up the bars of the cage and the wall behind, make loads of poop, they shed feather dust like crazy so your room is always dusty, they lose feathers and blow seed husks all over the carpet oh and they bite. Even nice sweet hand reared ones, will bite at some point in their life. They can be moody and hormonal when they hit adulthood too. I mention all the bad bits because often, when people imagine owning a parrot, they only imagine the nice bits. And their diet is not easy. No just putting a pot full of petshop crappo seedmix in once a day. If you want a healthy bird, they need fresh fruit, veg, flowers, a decent low sunflower seedmix, nuts, some safe human food occasionally, sprouted seeds and pulses.
> All larger parrots will be noisy so if noise is a problem, perhaps hold off until you have your own place. When my cockatoo is happy (or sad, or lonely or angry or wants to hear from me, or if the wind is blowing or the sun shining) she will scream and people can hear her in the village half a mile away when she does. If people come to visit me and look in my aviary block, we have to lip read as all the parrots want to greet them and me all at once. And indoors, the want to pet my african grey who is terrified of everyone except me and who doesn't talk.
> A macaw is a bit like a wilful, stroppy destructive 2 year old human with behavioural issues.
> ...


Yeah I totally understand what parrots are like, I have a few friends that keep African greys and they tell me about all the silly things they do and how annoying they can be etc. 

I have always liked parrots, and we have kept birds for alot of my life too. We have had budgies, zebra finches and canaries so I know how messy birds are. They were all noisy too and it didn't bother me, I liked hearing them.

I wouldn't want a larger parrot, my house isn't massive and I wouldn't think it would be fair to keep one in this house. Although I would probably have the room for an African grey I wouldn't get one. I would prefer a smaller parrot, like a conure or something of that size.

Its funny you mention lovebirds actually, because a couple of years ago we used to go Pets at Home quite alot and they had lovebirds in there and my Dad really wanted to get them. I cannot remember why we didn't at the time, I think maybe we hadn't had our dog very long and he was still a maniac (we got him as a rescue and he was very badly behaved).

I like birds alot, but I don't want one that just sits in its cage all day long and I would feel bad about keeping (like the zebra finches). I don't like the thought of a bird living in a cage all its life....

Parrots have just always interested me, for as long as I can remember. When I was little and all my friends wanted ponies I wanted a parrot lol


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

cooltom28 said:


> so does that mean a rossella is a parrot?
> 
> im a dealer thats why i had them but i no longer cater for that market, im more into selling the rarer stuff, red tailed amazons, scarlets, moullucans, etc
> 
> if you search for definition of parrot on google it mentions nothing about how they eat or tails,


 What a pity that you are a dealer who can't even properly spell the names of the birds you deal in. Hopefully you will also have all the correct CITES paperwork for your red tailed amazons since they are critically endangered and in the CITES list. That goes for the Moluccan cockatoos aswell of course.
So, do you have a website?


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

Zoo-Man said:


> Hi Fenwoman,
> 
> I was only joking about visiting your parrots. I am a big fan of the Conure family. I have a hand-reared Sun Conure & am looking to get a breeding pair of Conures, though I'm unsure of the species as of yet.


 
Well if you don't mind the noise of sun conures, I can highly recommend patagonians. I now have 3 of them and they are stunningly beautiful, large and very intelligent. Decibel will wave her claw if you wask her to "wave" and if you don't wave back she says all offended "waaaaave....I'm waving".
She will also hang from the roof of the aviary by just her beak with her body totally limp hanging down and yell "Help", and if you say "wingies" she'll open both her wings wide and repeat "wingies". I adore patagonians and think they are probably my favourite conure. They are also pretty unusual in that, in the wild, they nest underground in burrows, although they will use a normal nest box in captivity I think it might be interesting to build a fake nest burrow for them with drainpipes.


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

you sound a lot like me, sarah-jayne. i had finches and budgies as a child but always wanted a parrot. and it's nice you''re exploring other types of parrot & not just the african greys. greys are wonderful birds & i have one myself but sometimes i wish that people would research other parrots first before deciding that they want a grey. in all honesty, if i'd have done more research, i'd got a blue headed pionus first. 

smaller birds i'd recomend are conures, senegals, caiques, or pionus. if you can, go and visit someone with the type of bird you're interested in and go from there.


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

Greys are very nice but a bit big for me, don't get me wrong in the future I would love a big parrot, but not right now.

I don't know of anyone that keeps birds unfortunately  my friends boyfriend used to keep and breed them though so I will ask him what he used to keep, but I think it was mainly budgies and stuff...


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

just noticed where you are, too far from me unfortunately. but if you're ever in this area, you're welcome to visit me. and i mean that, i've had a few people come round who are interested in buying a parrot. some are put off the idea after seeing mine lol. i have a grey, blue headed pionus and a senegal.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

fenwoman said:


> What a pity that you are a dealer who can't even properly spell the names of the birds you deal in. Hopefully you will also have all the correct CITES paperwork for your red tailed amazons since they are critically endangered and in the CITES list. That goes for the Moluccan cockatoos aswell of course.
> So, do you have a website?


 
agh well spelling, isnt really an issue when you deal with europe its the latin names that count, i fully understand cities, i dont advertise my company to the english


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

Lol I don't think I would be put off, I have seen pleanty of parrots at pet shops, aviarys, zoos etc  but then so has everyone...


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

cooltom28 said:


> agh well spelling, isnt really an issue when you deal with europe its the latin names that count, i fully understand cities, i dont advertise my company to the english


 What countries do you sell to? What is your company called?I have family and friends all over Europe who are into parrots (and other animals)so they might have heard of your company.. Why don't you sell to the English, surely money is money at the end of the day?


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## gecko_steve (May 14, 2008)

is a cockatiel a parrot then? I only ask because Ive never seen mine use its feet to hold food to eat.


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

gecko_steve said:


> is a cockatiel a parrot then? I only ask because Ive never seen mine use its feet to hold food to eat.


Cockatiels do not hold onto the perch with one foot and bring the food up to it's beak with the other. They may use one foot to hold onto a bit of m,illter hanging from the top of the cage, or hold it while it is on the perch but parakeets are unable to use the foot to bring the food to it's beak as a human would use a hand to put some food into their mouth.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

fenwoman said:


> What countries do you sell to? What is your company called?I have family and friends all over Europe who are into parrots (and other animals)so they might have heard of your company.. Why don't you sell to the English, surely money is money at the end of the day?


 
holland, belgium, france, portugal, germnay first danish shipment going out in 4 days and we have enquires from malta at the moment, 

i dont advertise my company anywhere in england so i wont be naming it also keeping up with demand is hard at the moment, i dont sell to the enlgish because most dont have a clue!!! and also arent willing to pay for the bird unless its cheap or free to a good home, also the europeans prefer the young birds which we get direct from the breeders, and they pay more:whistling2:


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

cooltom28 said:


> holland, belgium, france, portugal, germnay first danish shipment going out in 4 days and we have enquires from malta at the moment,
> 
> i dont advertise my company anywhere in england so i wont be naming it also keeping up with demand is hard at the moment, i dont sell to the enlgish because most dont have a clue!!! and also arent willing to pay for the bird unless its cheap or free to a good home, also the europeans prefer the young birds which we get direct from the breeders, and they pay more:whistling2:


 Was going to ask my German and French relatives if they knew you or had business with you. You could have had some more customers but since I wouldn't know who to tell them to contact I guess you won't then. Never before met a business who didn't want anyone to know who they were. Very odd.
Oh well. If you get stuck for a translator, get in touch, I speak fluent German and my daughter in law, who is Italian, speaks Italian (obviously) French, and Spanish.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

babelfish does me fine:no1:

when we get really stuck we go to other people who we work closely with


iv just bought a pair of canindes in belgium:2thumb:


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

so are you based in the u.k & just deal with europe or are you based in europe?


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

yes we only sell to europeans but are based in england


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

cool, i was just curious.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

we used to deal with the british but i now aim for the higher end market we sell to a couple english but these are mainly the breeders we buy the babies from for export, usually again the rarer birds


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

i know a guy in swindon who'd deals mainly in rare birds. he had some amazing red tailed black cockatoos. hyacinth macaws and the like. everything had was on the cites list apart from a pair of amazons he had been given coz they weren't wanted. he had an amazing collection and never advertised his babies, only sold to people who were recomended to him.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

i think i know who you are talking about


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

last time i spoke to him was a few months ago & he was in the process of selling his entire collection. again not advertised, only to recomendations & (i think) some went to europe.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

sounds like the same guy


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

thought you'd know him. i'd be surprised if you didn't.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

you never know whats in the uk, i go to some collections im the only one outside of the family that have seen them and im only 19 so im not sure why i get lucky, but hey its great lol


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

I am about to get a male Jardine fantiensis from Belgium. There is only one breeder in the UK who I know of and he has nothing available. Got gulielmi and massaicus but they are far too large to be trusted with my little 'fanti' female and she needs a cage and preening partner.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

ive some p.g.g coming from portugal next month,

he also has some yellow jardine possibly another un recorded sub species

pure p.g.m are quite rare!!

you obviously know birds cost an arm and a leg across the water then


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

The UK breeder I know of has some massaicus for sale. I must admit, I don't find birds to be particularly expensive in Europe. Certainly when I look at some of the prices UK breeders and dealers are asking.
I don't know why Jardines aren't more popular as pets. I find them delightful, but then I like most of the poicephalus species.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

why sell them as pets?


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Hi Fenwoman,

I do like Patagonian Conures, I must admit! I also love Red-Masked, Blue-Crowned & Jendays.


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

cooltom28 said:


> why sell them as pets?


wyh not? I personally don't breed nor sell parrots any more. I do rescue and simply enjoy keeping them. However I imagine that most of the parrots bred are destined to go to pet homes. I just wish people could be more imaginative and see more than african greys when they think of owning a pet parrot. I suppose jardiens could be called 'african greens' :lol2:


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

Zoo-Man said:


> Hi Fenwoman,
> 
> I do like Patagonian Conures, I must admit! I also love Red-Masked, Blue-Crowned & Jendays.


 I do have a red masked and have had a blue crowned in the past and they simply don't measure up to Patagonians. They are somehow 'more' than just a conure. For a start they are larger, they are also much more colourful and certainly more macaw like than the others. I adore them. Mind you I like my little quaker aswell.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

jardines are been bought thick and fast by the europeans, even the hr ones we get go for breeding


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

cooltom28 said:


> jardines are been bought thick and fast by the europeans, even the hr ones we get go for breeding


 
Go for breeding where though?

I assume as you dont deal with the UK you mean you sell them on the continent?

Have you anything exciting that you have imported ready for Stafford show next month?


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

private collections, some dealer

no im not doing stafford, dealers aren't allowed to and my personal birds are to young for breeding


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

cooltom28 said:


> private collections, some dealer
> 
> no im not doing stafford, dealers aren't allowed to and my personal birds are to young for breeding


 
I meant which country not who :blush: ie UK or Europe?

Were you not at the July Stafford with a table?


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

no i wasnt at july stafford with a table,

any country really most of the poicephalus goes to portugal, belgium, denmark

but when south africa opens it will all drop especially the red bellys but its a matter of when now and not if


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## POAGeckos (Jul 11, 2008)

I LOVE parrots. I am not to keen on the original macaws, I prefer African Greys, Hyacinth Macaw Parrots and red winged parrots. We have a few Hyacinth Macaw Parrots at my exotics facility, and they are just so gorgeous.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

i saw a hyacinth yesterday cruel git was breeding it to a blue and gold:devil:


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## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Oh I hate hybridising parrots! All these macaw hybrids with stupid names like Harlequin macaw, Catalina macaw, Shamrock macaw, etc. Makes me so mad. Each species should be viewed in its own beauty, not bred with another species to make new colours, etc. :devil:


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## kirsten (Jan 13, 2008)

i will agree with you there zooman, i feel the same about snakes as well, in fact all animals in the pet trade, they should be left as they are in the wild and enjoy the animal for what it is, not change it to what we want, many of the new colours are useless and only serve ourselves in looking pretty. i mean it's so hard to find a good looking normal for the breed, especially royals, it all started with corns because they can develope some amazing variations, and people just try to do it with others now.


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

fenwoman said:


> wyh not? I personally don't breed nor sell parrots any more. I do rescue and simply enjoy keeping them. However I imagine that most of the parrots bred are destined to go to pet homes. I just wish people could be more imaginative and see more than african greys when they think of owning a pet parrot. I suppose jardiens could be called 'african greens' :lol2:


i agree. the parrot forum i belong to, i'm getting so fed up of 'i want an african grey' threads. i don't even know why greys are so popular, there are more brightly coloured parrots out there, and less stressy parrots. i have one and i love him but i can't even put my finger on why.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

because greys are renowned for talking


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

cooltom28 said:


> because greys are renowned for talking


 
and they are more readily available than many other species.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

teshu said:


> i agree. the parrot forum i belong to, i'm getting so fed up of 'i want an african grey' threads. i don't even know why greys are so popular, there are more brightly coloured parrots out there, and less stressy parrots. i have one and i love him but i can't even put my finger on why.


Because they're known as the best talkers (and face it, most people on seeing a parrot ask "does it talk?") ... and from my own experience with a Timneh Grey, they are amazingly intelligent and great fun to work with IF you're their friend.

Granted my "dream bird" is a blue-and-gold macaw... but if I had a second choice it would be another Timmie.


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

i always fancied a blue & gold, until i looked after a rescue for a bit. nothing prepars you for the noise. would look after another one for a bit, but would definately not buy one.


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## *mogwai* (Feb 18, 2008)

carlycharlie said:


> and they are more readily available than many other species.


but which way round does it go? are they more readily available coz of the high demand. or is demand high coz there's loads being bred?

did that make sense?


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

you can only supply the demand, 

blue and golds are the only bird i have covered my ears for about the noise about 12 in belgium they were still in quarantine needed some superglue for there beaks!


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## Satans Little Helper (Sep 11, 2008)

Cooltom, Im very curious about your attitude towards the animals you have under your care. You dont actually seem to care about them very much, just the status and money they give you. I accept that you are still young but you come across as a spoilt child who wants to play with the big boys. Im sure you do very well at your chosen career but if this it want bird keeping is coming to then quite frankly Im worried.:censor:


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

whats your name satan?? gary???

want to see the vets bills? i travelled 2 hours the other day to take a bird to the vet!! not just take it to the standard crap local vet, spoilt child :lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2:mmm i wish all my own funding im afraid,


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

Ssthisto said:


> Because they're known as the best talkers (and face it, most people on seeing a parrot ask "does it talk?") ... and from my own experience with a Timneh Grey, they are amazingly intelligent and great fun to work with IF you're their friend.
> 
> Granted my "dream bird" is a blue-and-gold macaw... but if I had a second choice it would be another Timmie.


 But who decided that they are the best talkers? I seem to remember in some talking contest once a mynah bird actualy won it for several years running as did an amazon. Out of all of my parrots, my best talkers are the amazons who not only talk, but talk in context, ask for food or water or a specific treat, tell me "quickly" if I don't get it fast enough, sing several songs and will sing the one I ask for and then say "izzat nice singin'" at the end, meanwhile the african grey whistles, blows a kiss, says hello and ooh you look and that's it.


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

maybe its because they breed so freely as well,

amazons were generally imported as young birds the south americans harvested them from the nests then hand fed them its why they genrally came in a lot tamer especially the yellow wing blue fronted amzons, obviously they take longer to mature been babies, also need to be kept in bigger spaces as they can get fat easily

greys more were imported as adults so would be relatively easy once aclimatised, of course you can keep them in bloody cubes, i dont like them for looks at all, id rather an amazon, but also i think its probably easier to have a higher reproduction rate

mynah birds are obviously a bit more specialist needing livefood and fruit etc to breed, and of course the poo isnt exactly present also mynah birds now cost as much as greys and blue fronts but they tend to go into breeding set up, the scotish buy lots for some bizzare reason


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## SnakeyPete (Sep 22, 2006)

my grandfather many many years ago ( well my father was about 15 at the time ) saved up for absolutely donkeys to buy a Mynah bird. He ( g/father ) breed many secies of birds . Anyways , bird got delivered , all parceled up in a box/cage , grandmother was terrifefied of birds , so left it for g/father to deal with when he came home from work .

He comes home and is his haste to see Mynah , forgets to check kitchen window is closed ( it were'nt ! ) goes to transfer Mynah into proper cage , Mynah flies around kitchen , its spots open window ......gone .This was in the late fifties , poor old g/father felt rotten for weeks , cause he knew what would probs happen tho the Mynah with the local crows and gulls ( we lived on an island ) etc. Only mention this cause you said a lot seem to go to Scotland !!!


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## cooltom28 (Mar 9, 2006)

i sent about 5 up there and another dealer i bought some off was also sending a few up there, 

there seems to be a shortage of males with them


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## Satans Little Helper (Sep 11, 2008)

cooltom28 said:


> whats your name satan?? gary???
> 
> want to see the vets bills? i travelled 2 hours the other day to take a bird to the vet!! not just take it to the standard crap local vet, spoilt child :lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2:mmm i wish all my own funding im afraid,


 
Actually my name is Becks :2thumb:


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