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Anonymous
Anyone know anything about pet lovebirds?
>> Anonymous
We had a lovebird as our class pet in 4th grade.

I freaking loved that bird, he'd sit on my shoulder and play in my hair. So cute!
>> Anonymous
How about suitability for a small space? Thinking of getting one or a parakeet (or cockatiel, maybe, but I basically just want the friendliest bird possible) after I graduate from Uni, and will likely be sharing a one-bedroom or studio apartment with my fiancee.
>> Anonymous
>>339982
samefag
Anyone? Care tips, experiences with your own, anything?
>> Anonymous !ww.sneyT9A
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Cockatiels are more likely to be friendly than lovebirds, which have a tendency towards territorialism and aggression (especially females.)

I have two cockatiels. They're my little buddies, but the usual recommendation is that you get only one bird if you want it to socialize more with you and your family than the other bird.

As for space concerns, you only need a big cage if the bird(s) is/are going to be inside it all the time, but the "cockatiel" cages that pet stores sell are really only appropriate as sleep cages, with the bird outside it all other times. The place where I work sells a decent small cage that'd be excellent for a single cockatiel- it's small enough to fit into a teeny weeny studio/1BR, but it's still big enough for the bird to be able to move around comfortably and play while you're at work. Here's a picture of the cage I'm talking about. It's 18" x 18" and about 4.5 feet tall.
>> Anonymous
>>339992
Sweet. How much is the cage? Also, do cockatiels poop everywhere like parakeets? It'd be a little hard to keep them out all the time if they do.
>> Anonymous
I had one.
It was such a terrible little devil bird.

It only liked my dad, and would attack anybody else.
>> Anonymous !ww.sneyT9A
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follow-up: Nutrition is very important for the happiness (and by extension friendliness) of any bird, but don't worry about breaking the bank- even the high-end pellet foods like Harrison's and Roudybush are only about 15 bucks at the most for a 2-month supply when you have a small bird. And you can also share your own fruits and vegetables with a pet bird, provided they aren't loaded with preservatives.

Pictures of pellets are boring so here's a shot of one of my birds.
>> Anonymous
>>339994
>>339993
Cockatiel or Budgie then.
>> Anonymous
I had one as a child. Same upkeep as any bird and make sure to keep the wings clipped. Also handle it as much as you can. Lovebirds need companions to be happy. If you can't bond with it that much, get it a mate. We didn't and i have horror stories.
>> Anonymous !ww.sneyT9A
>>339993

We (and other retailers that have the same one) sell it for about $200. If you're in the US, this website (not mine) does free shipping: http://www.mybirdcage.com/playtop_parrot_cage.html

It may seem a bit expensive but it's really a good investment, you don't want your bird being pissed off all the time because it's stuck in some tiny little 12x12 box all day. Solid construction, too- buy it, put it together, and never think about it again.

As for the pooping: Cockatiels and other small birds typically pick 3 or 4 spots in the house that are "theirs" and they will poop there with impunity unless you train them otherwise. Their poops are very small, odorless, and easy to clean up though, so it's no big deal unless you're a neat freak.
>> Anonymous
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45pZyomwsns
>> Anonymous !ww.sneyT9A
>>339998
>make sure to keep the wings clipped

This is a good idea for a new bird or some territorial nutjob like a female lovebird but unnecessary and frankly unsafe otherwise.

Little birds can panic at things like the doorbell or phone ringing or seeing a spider or even something imaginary in the middle of the night, and you don't want some poor flightless creature jumping off a 4 foot cliff and smacking into whatever it encounters first.

Once the bird is used to you and/or at the very least knows you are the food source, it very probably will not make any escape attempts, and generally be more content with the quality of its own life if it's able to fly.
>> Anonymous !ww.sneyT9A
While we wait for the OP to respond, here are some adorable cockatiel videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe_StC1BUf8 talking!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhjbazNuqvs dancing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl5lN3ImYjg whistling!
>> Anonymous
>>340005
But i had my bird for over a year and it never stopped trying to fly away. We even let its wings go unclipped for a while and it would fly at everyone's face with its claws out. Lonely Loverbirds are brutal.
>> Anonymous
Man, I got a cockatiel, but he's total crap. I feed him, he has a nice cage, we leave the door open for him whenever, and he hates us. We've had him for months and although he showed promise at mimicry early on, and used to ALMOST be able to do simple tunes, he now doesnt even try to mimic tunes or sounds. How the shit do you train a cockatiel?
>> Anonymous
>>340033
Whatever simple phrase or sound you want it to copy, repeat at him frequently. And lower your expectations because it's not a parrot.
>> Tieria Erde
I have a Green Cheek Conure. I have to say he is the most socialized bird I have ever owned and is very kind and loving. He chatters and even sings.
I had a cocktail..it was moody, mean, and smelled awful. The cocktail liked my other bird but it wouldn't socialize with me. I tried to be friendly, but for the most part I left it alone. I gave it to my aunt and I guess they get along fine. I think the reason it was mean was because they had to share terrorites with me..and I guess three was just too many.
I also had a lovebird, we had a love hate relastionship.. but I did love that bird. Dog ate it one day when I was out..poor thing was too good at getting out of it's cage. So make sure you get a cage that's proofed and there's no way it can get out.
>> Anonymous
I had a pet lovebird, and that thing was a ball of pure hate and violence. I found a breeder that had many incredibly docile hand-fed lovebirds and bought one. We read that it was better to let them adjust to their new environment for a few weeks before attempting to handle the bird, but this seemed to have turned the bird into a very nasty little devil! It would bite the hell out of you if you approached it in any way. I suggest hand feeding and constant handling a very young bird so it gets used to you when it is still dependent on you.
>> Anonymous
>>340106on't

Also, I had umbrella cockatoo that was the most friendly and docile thing on the planet, but after a relatively short period where it was somewhat isolated and not handled much it's temperament changed completely and it was a bit more nasty. Basically in my experience if you want a bird that lets you handle it and is docile you have to do so constantly.
>> Anonymous
I used to breed love birds. I had atleast 20, but we started selling eventually. Got a fair bit of money, but that's not the point. Love Birds can be affectionate, and feral. They can be feral and love you at the same time. If you hand train, they're always pretty well off with you. My Grandad took one of the babies mine had, and she's still alive today. (I bred them maybe 5-6 years ago.) He taught her to kiss him good night and chirp to say goodnight, too. So they can be affectionate, dont go all *grabby grabby* with them, but talk to them everyday and show them kindness and they'll warm up to you eventually.
>> Anonymous !ww.sneyT9A
>>340033

Pet store cockatiels are rarely hand tamed so you have to do it yourself. Look up clicker training or just try bribing him to step up with millet sprays.

>>340043
>not a parrot
Sure it is. Cockatiels are better talkers than several larger species I can think of.

>>340107
Yeah, Umbrellas and other larger cockatoos can go off the deep end when they hit sexual maturity, around age 4 or 5. If anything, you probably cuddled with it too much and then stopped- that's usually what does it. Head scratchies and treats in moderation is the way to go.
>> Anonymous
I have a pair of lovebirds. They were normal birds for several years, but then suddenly, they started plucking the feathers from their chest. It's weird, I read that it's because they're stressed out or something, but I'm no bird shrink so I wouldn't know what the hell they're so stressed about.

I let them fly outside and everything, too.
>> Adjutant?TACELBAT?????? !FUX4cHAN.6
A long time ago, I took my pair of lovebirds to the beach and let them run around on the shore. Shit was SO cash.
>> Anonymous !ww.sneyT9A
>>340306

If it wasn't freedom and it wasn't loneliness, it was probably malnourishment. Seed alone isn't enough for these little guys, you either have to supplement with fruits and vegetables and an iodine block or just convert them to a high quality pellet diet.
>> Anonymous
How do birds replicate sound so perfectly? It's insane.
>> Anonymous
>>340043
>And lower your expectations because it's not a parrot.

'Parrot' is the common term for members of the order Psittaciformes, aka hookbills, which includes family Cacatuidae, aka the cockatoos. Cockatiels are the smallest members of the cockatoo family.

That being said, cockatoos aren't generally considered that adept at mimicking human speech.
>> Anonymous
are birds good pets?
>> Anonymous !ww.sneyT9A
>>340406

They can be. It depends on you and it depends on the bird.
>> Anonymous
>>340005
OP here
My parents' parakeet's wings are clipped just so that he can slow his descent and sort of glide. That said, we've only had him for three months. Either way, I think it's a good balance.
>> Anonymous !ww.sneyT9A
>>340422

Yeah, a light clip can be fine. Lots of places go overboard though. My smaller cockatiel's former owner clipped him so badly that whenever he tried to fly he would crash into the ground and break a tail feather. Eventually all of them were broken and he couldn't even slow his descent. He has his wing feathers back now but hasn't grown in all of his replacement tail feathers, so he's still pretty clumsy in the air.