# Birds for beginners? Help me decide!



## BlackAce (Apr 18, 2013)

Hey so I've touched on this in a couple previous threads but I'll briefly reiterate because I am really interested in hearing some feedback! Okay so I have pretty bad asthma and along with that allergies. I've had a bad year this year and been in and out of the hospital, although I've been instructed to rehome my pets I choose to manage it with medication. Bad patient  But with my health being so poor I've been thinking about not getting any more animals. I've been tested for allergies for many, many animals and I'm allergic to all of them. Except birds. I'm beginning to research them but this is completely new territory for me. I've had all the rodent pets you can imagine; like I mentioned though I'm thinking about moving into the bird realm of things as I need to start taking better care of myself. 

So for those with bird experience, what is a good bird for beginners? I know a lot of people say parakeets, but do these birds enjoy the company of their owners?
I know not to start out with parrots. However, the two most important things to me are that they are suited to someone with my lack of experience and that they enjoy their owners rather than just tolerating them. Of course I plan on researching so don't take lack of experience as ignorance! 

I guess it all boils down to, what is an affectionate bird for beginners? I appreciate any comments/advice people are able to give me!


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I would try a conure. 

No bird is affectionate by default unless by some miracle or wonderful hand raising. Parakeets are really nice but take a lot of work and aren't found handreared often. 

Cockatiels would upset allergies. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## BlackAce (Apr 18, 2013)

A conure is one that hasn't been brought to my attention before, so thanks for that input! Others that I've asked have mentioned cockatiels but I was unaware they would affect allergies so that's helpful.


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Yep. If you react to dander, cockatiels have it awfully. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Pan&Lou (Jun 14, 2013)

Yeah my cockatiel has tons of powder on his wings used for cleaning. I imagine, especially if your not allergic to it it wouldn't be that bad. Except when he's been preening then he shakes and he is mounting right now so a ton of powder and feathers go flying every where. He is my only experience with birds though so I can't really recommend any others. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## QueenB1958 (Apr 27, 2014)

Pretty much all birds have dander which will probably upset allergies and asthma. However, giving regular bathes can help reduce the amount of dander flying around in the air. Health issues aside, I would recommend getting a cockatiel for a first bird. I have had parakeets/budgies in the past, but even the ones that we could handle we never really friendly. My cockatiel, Ben, on the other hand is an absolute baby. He is as sweet as cherry pie, and loves attention. He's not too loud either ( which is good if you live in an apartment). While I have never personally owned one, I have heard great things about green cheek conures making good first birds, however conures tend to be on the louder side.


----------



## mimsy (Jun 8, 2014)

On conures-suns tend to be very sweet for first time owners but they are known for being loud, so if you or your neighbors would have a problem with that it's not a good choice. Green Cheeks can be more work, they tend to demand a lot of your time and can be pretty beaky. Green cheeks tend to be very quiet compared to most birds.


----------



## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

I used to have a parakeet when I was younger. He was very affectionate. They are good beginner birds, but one thing you have to know about birds is not to clip their wings. I've had a few friends with birds who clip their wings, and they were slightly miserable compared to my bird. My bird had unclipped wings and had the run of the house during the day. He would not fly outside. He had his "flight" range and went no further than that. He loved sitting on people's shoulders during the day and talking endlessly. I was told that male parakeets are going to be more interactive with you than females. They also need a big cage (one that they can spread their wings in when you are not home). They can even learn to talk and learn small things. Mine learned the garage door noise. They can not be potty trained so you will have to learn to pick up after them. They are also very loud. XD


----------



## Charlottesmom (Nov 27, 2013)

nanashi7 said:


> I would try a conure. No bird is affectionate by default unless by some miracle or wonderful hand raising. Parakeets are really nice but take a lot of work and aren't found handreared often. Cockatiels would upset allergies. Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I would agree with a conure Only If you don't have issues with ear splitting screeching. We had a Cherry Head Conure and I worked in a pet shop for two years with a bird room. All the conures were LOUD!!! Cecil our conure was a great pet but boy did he have a voice on him. I would reccomend a cockatiel, or a pair of cockatiels, our pair was awesome and both loved me! Get hand fed babies!! In general I would stick to African parrots or Australian parrots both groups are generally quiet and make great pets. Cockatiels are great first birds though. Read up on them BEFORE you get one (or two) though. Cockatiels would possibly flare up your allergies if you are allergic to dust as their feathers produce a dust like coating as do African Greys and Cockatoos. My son and husband are allergic to cats and my son is also mildly allergic to hay and possibly our rabbit, but neither have any issues with Kelly our African Grey. Bird dander could in reality set off allergies so be careful.


----------



## Charlottesmom (Nov 27, 2013)

I used to say no wing clipping too, until I was dork enough to go outside with Kellie our African Grey on my hand and off she went! I spent a day scouring the neighborhood crying my eyes out because I thought I'd never see her again. A neighbor found her in their apple tree, I was never so glad to see my baby!!!!! Her wings got clipped that very day...and lesson learned, I do NOT take her outside anymore. Now every spring she gets clipped because she has free run of her room and flies to other rooms if her wings are left unclipped, she is an extreamly cheerful girl and her personality is exactly the same clipped or unclipped, I do both wings and only clip the first 4 feathers so she can still get around but without so much power. My parakeets are free flying but never come out of their flight cage so they are fine with all their flight feathers unclipped.

Just wanted to add that my female parakeets were always the clowns of the bunch, Rosie and Cloudy's daughter Windy was such a great female, always full of fun, she was a big goofball. Unfortunatly she died after a failed attempt at releaving her egg binding by a vet did not go well. She died in my hand last year.......


----------



## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Just like we wouldn't let rats free range in a room with exposed cords, holes in the drywall, etc. don't hesitate to clip your bird's wings if your house is not 100% birdproof.

I would skip on budgies/parakeets, personally - they're not extremely affectionate birds by nature (though there are always exceptions). Even my budgie that I spend a ton of time with is only tolerant of my handling. They are pretty and fun to watch, though. If you think you can handle the dust and dander, go for a Cockatiel - otherwise you may want to look at Lovebirds (though they can be loud), Conures, or Quakers (if they are legal where you live).


----------

