Why get a pet bird? What are the best reasons to own a companion bird?

Congratulations on your new bird! Conures are wonderful pets and can be lifelong friends. I'm not sure exactly what kind of advice you're looking for based on your question, but I'll try to give you my general new-bird-owner advice in hopes that it will help. If not, please feel free to post a more specific question. - Be sure that the cage for Felipe is not only secure, but large enough to allow for his complete wingspan and at least a little bit of flight. This is especially true if he will be spending a lot of time in his cage (like while you're at work). - Psychological stimulation is very important to conures - they're like toddlers. Offer several toys in Felipe's cage. Commercial bird toys are usually great, and you can find lots at your local pet store, or a big-box store like Petco. They love to tear things up, so paper to shred and cardboard boxes can be great, cheap toys for them as well. - If you're offering water in a bowl, you'll need to change it at least once daily. Most conures love to bathe, and Felipe will likely make a lovely mess out of his water dish while splashing around. Many conures also like to dip their food in their water, and this can also dirty it up quickly. - Most veterinarians recommend a pelleted diet for parrots. A seed-only or high-seed content diet is extremely high in fat, which can cause liver disease if fed consistently. There are a lot of great pellet diets for birds at pet stores, including brands like Zupreem (which is what I feed my own bird). You should also supplement your bird's diet with fresh veggies and fruits, if possible. Here's a good list of foods to avoid: https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/foods-toxic-pet-birds/ - The biggest concern most new conure owners have is behavior-related. For the first few days, Felipe may appear withdrawn and want to stay in his cage. It's important to let him come out in his own time. Sit by his cage and talk to him, and offer tasty food treats (fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc). He'll eventually come to the conclusion on his own that you're not scary, but if you force him, he may react aggressively. Conures do and will bite if provoked - if this occurs, ignore him. Generally, these birds want to be with their flock members (you!) and will learn quickly that biting does not get them the attention they crave. I hope this helps - as I mentioned earlier, please feel free to post another question if you'd like to know something more specific about conure ownership. Good luck, and I hope that you and Felipe have many great years together (depending on the species, this is at least 20 years!).

Thanks for reaching out. Choosing a smaller of the parrot species if probably the best. Cockatiels, budgieregars are lovebirds can be great companions, are intelligent and fairly easy to care for. Longevity should be considered, as cockatiels can easily live into their 20s, and possibly longer. Hand-reared parrots tend to be more socialized towards humans, but can also lack the some bird-like traits. Do a little research, visit some pet stores. Good luck.

Birds can be fun pets to have around the house, but I have to say that they are all high-maintenance. They require daily feeding, cleaning bathing and appropriate enrichment in order to keep them happy and healthy. If this is not provided, then you may end up with a miserable/sickly bird with no feathers. Vet bills can be very expensive when birds get sick, because there are limited veterinarians that are knowledgable and skilled with avian medicine. Providing as much space as possible is best for a bird. I think I have an idea of the type of cage you want, but this is not a very suitable cage for anything other than a small bird (tend to have shorter life-spans than bigger birds). Even then it's quite small for a bird, because birds are born with the expectation of having unlimited space. You will also have to consider the noise. If your place is small, then I'd assume you have close neighbors. Birds are generally very noisy and can easily make some enemies in close quarters. Unfortunately, there is not a pet bird that completely meets your criteria, but if you are determined to get a bird, then a Budgie would likely be the best option. Below are a couple of links with some more information about Budgies and caring for birds. http://www.budgerigar.com/ http://www.budgie-info.com/budgie-care.html I hope that helps and all goes well.

Parakeets, also called Budgerigars, are small members of the parrot family and they can become good mimics. The average adult size is 7 inches long, head to end of tail. The average life span is between 10 to 20 years with proper care. A well-balanced Parakeet diet consists of: Specialized pellets should make up 60-70% of diet, fresh vegetables and fruits and small amounts of fortified seeds Clean, fresh, filtered, chlorine-free water, changed daily. Do not feed birds: avocado, fruit seeds, chocolate, caffeine or alcohol; it can cause serious medical conditions. Avoid sugar and high fat treats. Things to remember when feeding your Parakeet: Fresh food and water should always be available. Vegetables and fruits not eaten within a few hours should be discarded. Remember, treats should not exceed 10% of total food intake. Housing Parakeets acclimate well to average household temperatures, not to exceed 80°F; be cautious of extreme temperature changes. The habitat should area that is well-lit and away from drafts. A habitat approximately 18"W x 18"D x 18"H, with metal bars spaced no greater than 1-2" apart, makes a good home for one Parakeet. A flight habitat is strongly recommended. It is best to provide the largest habitat possible. Perches should be at least 4" long and 3-8" in diameter; a variety of perch sizes to exercise feet and help prevent arthritis is recommended. Perches should be at least 4" long and 3-8" in diameter; a variety of perch sizes to exercise feet and help prevent arthritis is recommended. A metal grate over the droppings tray will keep the bird away from droppings; line the droppings tray with habitat paper or appropriate substrate for easier cleaning. To avoid contamination, do not place food or water containers under perches. Parakeets can be kept alone to bond with pet parent or in pairs to bond with each other. Different birds she not be housed together. Normal Behavior Parakeets are talkers, but their little voices are sometimes hard to hear. Active and need daily time out of their habitats to interact with family. Keep in pairs if unable to devote daily interaction time. Provide foraging toys, which provide important mental stimulation. Housing Maintenance Clean and disinfect the habitat and perches regularly; replace substrate or habitat liner weekly or more often as needed. Replace perches, dishes, and toys when worn or damaged; rotate new toys into the habitat regularly. Ensure that there are no habitat parts or toys with lead, zinc or lead-based paints or galvanized parts as these can cause serious medical issues if ingested by your bird. Do not use a lot of cleaning agents around your bird a natural cleaner. Grooming & Hygiene Provide filtered, chlorine-free, lukewarm water regularly for bathing; remove the water when done. As an alternative, mist the bird with water. Clipping flight feathers is not necessary, but when done correctly it can help prevent injury or escape; consult an avian veterinarian on what is best for your bird. Nails should be trimmed by a qualified person to prevent injury to the bird. Signs of a Healthy Animal: Active, alert, and sociable Eats and drinks throughout the day Dry nares and bright, dry eyes Beak, legs and feet normal in appearance Clean, dry vent Smooth, well-groomed feathers Common Health Issues Chlamydiosis: Appetite loss, fluffed feathers, nasal discharge, green stool. Seek immediate avian veterinary attention. Diarrhea: Fecal portion of stool is not formed. Multiple causes from diet change to internal parasites. Consult with an avian veterinarian and ensure proper diet. Feather plucking: Bird plucks own feathers; may be due to boredom, poor diet or other illness. Consult your veterinarian and relieve boredom with attention, new toys or new space. Mites (scaly face and leg disease): White deposits on eyes, beak, legs, and feet. Consult your veterinarian. Red Flags Beak swelling or accumulations Fluffed, plucked, or soiled feathers Sitting on floor

If your girlfriend knows what their favorite treats are, stock up on it! You'll want to begin slowly, and if at anytime the birds become stressed, take a break and let everyone relax. You can start by just offering them the treat by tossing it to them or their cage, until they are comfortable with you around. From there, you can work on offering a treat by hand, or letting them sit on your hand (most birds will bite if they come up on your shoulder and aren't used to you, so keeping them on your hand can help everyone feel comfortable!). As they get used to you, continuing to offer treats and just interacting with them can help you to bond. If they become stressed, bite, hiss, etc, placing them back in their cage and giving them a break, and then returning back to the previous step they were comfortable with is best.

Good conditions for mating are usually what spur breeding in captive birds. This includes a place to build a nest and lay eggs, a balanced diet suitable for rearing chicks and producing healthy eggs, extra calcium for egg production and a mate willing to pair and create babies. If you are attempting to breed your conures, making sure to read up on breeding and rearing of parrots is a good idea as you may have to provide extra care such as egg incubation and baby-rearing if the parents are unable to do it themselves. Hand-taming is another good thing to research to help raise babies that are comfortable being handled by and around people.

Whether or not a parakeet is a good pet for you depends on what you are looking for in a pet. In terms of being around other animals, for the most part they should be kept separate from larger animals like cats and dogs because they are small and easily injured and a dog or cat may consider them a prey animal and attack the bird or unintentionally hurt them through play. When we let our parakeet out we are sure to keep our dog outside. If your parakeet is hand-raised then it can be trained/handled and will sit on your shoulder or finger and interact with you. If you get a parakeet from a typical pet store like petsmart then these birds are not hand-reared and aren't likely to be hand-tame so they are entertaining to watch, but not easy to get out of their cage. They can be entertaining birds, and like to play, but they can be noisy at times, and can also be messy, spreading feathers and pieces of food around the outside of their cage.