Choosing Birds for Pets
When choosing birds for pets, you can either enter into this experience completely based on seeing a bird you like in a bird store or you can do the research and decide based on your personality and preference.
There is also the alternative of seeing someone else's pet bird and liking what you see.
While it is helpful to have a list of the best choices of birds for pets, the actual choices are hard to make.
Some lists say that the top 5 birds for pets are: 1) parakeets or budgies, 2) cockatiels, 3) canaries (or finches), 4) lovebirds, and 5) African Grey parrots.
Another list suggests that the top 10 choices are canaries, finches, parakeets, cockatiels, Quaker parakeets, parrotlets, Pionus parrots, pyrrhura conures, Amazon parrots, and peach-faced lovebirds.
Clearly there is a pattern in these lists as the same birds show up on most lists.
The choices among these types of birds become a personal choice.
Some are more affectionate, some are more vocal, some are easier to handle.
Here's a brief highlight of the basic characteristics of each: Canaries and finches don't like to be handled.
Finches are more social and it is best to get a pair so they can keep each other company.
Parakeets are highly social and cockatiels like to be handled.
Cockatiels live up to 30 years and are great for children.
The Quaker Parakeets are great pets with lots of energy and they like to chat but they are banned in some states because they are a threat to crops if they are in the wild.
The states where they are illegal include California, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Hawaii, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
You can own but not breed or sell them in Connecticut.
Parrotlets, Pionus parrots and pyrrhura conures are loving and quiet pets and considered ideal for children.
Parrotlets and Pionus parrots live for a long time--30 to 40 years.
Peach-faced lovebirds also live for a long time and they love to fly free in the house and cuddle.
Amazon parrots get bored easily and when bored they like to peck at you and screech.
African Grey parrots are perfect mimics so you really do have to watch what you say around them because they will repeat it--in your voice.
This can be quite embarrassing under some circumstances.
They live for 70-75 years and are extremely intelligent.
As you can see, choosing birds for pets calls for some serious consideration.
Some pet birds are great with children and for children.
Some are high maintenance.
And some will outlive you so arrangements have to be made.
There is also the alternative of seeing someone else's pet bird and liking what you see.
While it is helpful to have a list of the best choices of birds for pets, the actual choices are hard to make.
Some lists say that the top 5 birds for pets are: 1) parakeets or budgies, 2) cockatiels, 3) canaries (or finches), 4) lovebirds, and 5) African Grey parrots.
Another list suggests that the top 10 choices are canaries, finches, parakeets, cockatiels, Quaker parakeets, parrotlets, Pionus parrots, pyrrhura conures, Amazon parrots, and peach-faced lovebirds.
Clearly there is a pattern in these lists as the same birds show up on most lists.
The choices among these types of birds become a personal choice.
Some are more affectionate, some are more vocal, some are easier to handle.
Here's a brief highlight of the basic characteristics of each: Canaries and finches don't like to be handled.
Finches are more social and it is best to get a pair so they can keep each other company.
Parakeets are highly social and cockatiels like to be handled.
Cockatiels live up to 30 years and are great for children.
The Quaker Parakeets are great pets with lots of energy and they like to chat but they are banned in some states because they are a threat to crops if they are in the wild.
The states where they are illegal include California, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Hawaii, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
You can own but not breed or sell them in Connecticut.
Parrotlets, Pionus parrots and pyrrhura conures are loving and quiet pets and considered ideal for children.
Parrotlets and Pionus parrots live for a long time--30 to 40 years.
Peach-faced lovebirds also live for a long time and they love to fly free in the house and cuddle.
Amazon parrots get bored easily and when bored they like to peck at you and screech.
African Grey parrots are perfect mimics so you really do have to watch what you say around them because they will repeat it--in your voice.
This can be quite embarrassing under some circumstances.
They live for 70-75 years and are extremely intelligent.
As you can see, choosing birds for pets calls for some serious consideration.
Some pet birds are great with children and for children.
Some are high maintenance.
And some will outlive you so arrangements have to be made.
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