Birds!!

[Lakea]

Maybe you could check out the classifieds or craigslist for birds, there are a lot of birdies out there that need homes. I don't know what experience you have with birds and I myself have never had a budgie or cockatiel so I don't know what they are like. Just know that parrots can be very destructive and get into lots of trouble if they are carefully watched. My scoobers loves to tear up anything his beak can reach and he goes through a lot of toys.

[NickFish]

Lol, I've seen those loris before.

You can go to a zoo near me and they sell you little things of nectar, then you walk into the aviary and 20 million loris fly at you trying to get at your little thing of necter. Very funny.

A very good friend of mine breeds parrots for a living. She works at petsmart with me. I'm sure that I could get a nice hand tame anything for a lower price.

The only reason I didn't put nandays up there, is because I have never seen them anywhere near me.

[Lakea]

Yeah suns are very popular, I have never seen a nanday in a store. I actually got Scooby from the classifieds and he originally came from a store that specially bred amazons and conures. I actually wanted an amazon, but I quickly fell in love with the conure.

[sandy_n]

I'd shoot for a baby sun conure. Or at least a very young one. If you get an older one, unless it's from someone you know, there's always the possibility it may not have been handled much and could have been left to sit in a cage all the time without much human interaction. Training will be much easier with a younger bird also.

PS I guess this depends on what you're looking for. Do you just want more birds or are you looking for a bird that will bond with you?

[sandy_n]

Lovebirds do not have to be kept in pairs. I've kept them singly and they bonded very well with me. They have tons of attitude. And yes, they can be shrill. I've also had 2 amazons...a Mexican Red Head and a Double Yellow Head.
Out of your choices I'd personally go 1. Conure 2. Cockatiel 3. A single Lovebird.
Good luck with whichever you choose!

[Lakea]

I had a lovebird, he was a sweetheart, loved to interact with me, but hated the hands Hand raised birds are always best. But sandy reminded me, lovebirds may have an unbearable chirp, but a conure's squawk is much worse. I can hear scooby squawking when I am outiside on the other side of the house, he can squawk loud, and it is sharp. I don't know if suns have the same squawk but that'll take some getting used to.

[NickFish]

I had a lovebird, he was a sweetheart, loved to interact with me, but hated the hands Hand raised birds are always best. But sandy reminded me, lovebirds may have an unbearable chirp, but a conure's squawk is much worse. I can hear scooby squawking when I am outiside on the other side of the house, he can squawk loud, and it is sharp. I don't know if suns have the same squawk but that'll take some getting used to.

LOL, ya. They not quite as quiet as my fish....

[Rue]

Sun conures are beautiful...but are also one of the most rehomed birds. They have a deserved reputation for being VERY LOUD. Unless you and your family can deal with noise - and the neighbours can deal with the noise - and you can deal with complaints from the neighbours - I would not get a sun conure.

If you want a bird you can handle - do not get 3 more budgies. If you have 5 budgies you have a flock. I would love a flock of budgies. Watching the flock dynamics would be wonderful.

Lovebirds are cute. However they tend to be nippy and pugnacious. Probably not the best bet for a hands-on bird.

Cockatiels are the best bet on your list. Get a hand-raised one. They are quiet (esp. the girls) cute, inquisitive, love to be scritched and love to hang out on your shoulder. I can't think of any drawbacks to cockatiels...other than they are not as interactive as some of the larger parrots.

If you want something quiet, small - but more interactive - try a Green-cheek conure. They're personable, very amusing to watch! The worst I can say about them is that they can be nippy - esp. if you don't deal with them properly.

Whatever you get - make SURE you get a large enough cage. Anything sold as a starter cage is TOO SMALL! They should be outlawed! For all intents and purposed you can't get a cage that's too big - but what is critical is the bar-spacing. Little birds need smaller bar spacing so they can't get stuck between the bars and injure themselves.