Last Updated on February 16, 2023 by Mitch Rezman

Kayla writes to ask:

I’m stuck between getting a conure or a quaker (ok maybe an Indian ringneck too), and could really use advice on what current owners think.

I’m hoping to find a best friend who wants to be involved, cuddly, silly, and maybe even say a few words eventually.

I mostly don’t want one who screams and screeches all day.

Is a quaker on the right track?

Catherine responded,

I think conures are beautiful, but the volume of their calls kept me from getting one. I did get an Indian Ringneck baby and taught him to talk early. I find that he, they, Ringnecks, seem to prefer to talk over their natural calls. 

Even with each other, they will chatter in their cute baby voices “Hi, hello, kisses, etc.” their call is loud and piercing but doesn’t go on for long unless they are upset. 

We now have a quaker and he chatters on and on all day. He does know a few words but usually only uses them when his head is in his food dish or inside his hut. 

Otherwise, he is commenting on anything and everything and every one morning until night. 

The calls are not especially piercing thankfully.

If you have a home with curtains, padded furnishings, carpets, the calls of most birds won’t seem as loud as if you have wide-open rooms, no curtains, wood floors, and little to absorb the calls.

MitchR adds:

Despite the coin shortage I’m going to jump in here and add my two cents

.

Kudos for exploring multiple species but you are not granular enough in your search.

Our rescue African ringneck Keto talks, he knows a few phrases.

He will say “pretty bord” and if you engage him he will say “pretty bord” 7 times in a row ~ 9 times a day ~ be careful what you wish for.

Quakers are plump little birds with short tails.

Ringnecks are long-tail birds so right off the bat you have housing considerations.

Ringnecks also come in assorted flavors like African ringnecks, Indian ringnecks, and assorted Australian ringnecks.

Three sizes three continents.

Asking about getting a conure makes me chuckle.

Respectfully there are probably a hundred and twenty species of conures.

How Many Conure Species Are There? You’d Be Amazed.

The green cheek conure weighs in at about 64 grams almost half the size of a cockatiel.

The Patagonian conure weighs in at about 280 the size of a Timneh African grey.

So asking what kind of conure I should get is like asking what kind of car should I get a Ford or Chevy?

You can’t get reliable information without asking the right questions.

Mitch Rezman & Catherine Tobsing collaborated on this post.

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