What is the Right Parrot Species for a First-time Owner?

Last Updated on July 25, 2024 by Mitch Rezman

Choosing the right parrot species as a first-time owner is crucial to ensure a happy and harmonious relationship between you and your feathered friend.

Here are some popular and beginner-friendly parrot species per the “experts”

Spoiler alert at the bottom of the list

Budgies (Parakeets)

* Small, colorful, and playful

* Easy to care for and handle

* Quiet and relatively low-maintenance

Cockatiels

* Gentle, affectionate, and relatively quiet

* Easy to train and interact with

* Medium-sized, with a calm demeanor

Conures

* Playful, curious, and social

* Medium-sized, with a moderate noise level

* Require attention, exercise, and training

Canaries

* Beautiful singers, relatively low-maintenance

* Independent, but enjoy human interaction

* No cuddling or handling required

Lovebirds

* Small, colorful, and social

* Require attention, exercise, and a pair or flock

* Can be noisy, but loving and affectionate

Remember to research each species’ specific needs, personality traits, and requirements before making a decision.

It’s essential to ensure you can provide the right environment and care for your new feathered companion.

Which of these species resonates with you, or would you like more information on a specific parrot type?

Higgins Versele-Laga Safflower Gold Parrot Size No Sunflower 3 lb

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a data guy BUT I have a couple of anecdotal stories to share with you.

A close friend let us know she was getting an African grey (Timneh), it would be her first bird.

I didn’t give it a second though because she’s been running a daycare out of her home for a quarter century.

I’m sure many of you have heard the expression that having a parrot is like having a 3-year-old in a feather suit – for decades.

Having cared for and nurtured literally thousands of hooligans over that time period taught her a lot about caregiving, more than enough to handle a young grey.

Having all those youngins around provided plenty of stimulation and socialization for the new bird.

The next story is a doozy.

Many years ago, a guy named Nick had not heard from his business partner fo about a week so he stopped by to check in on him.

What he found was disastrous and heartbreaking.

The gruesome discovery was his partner Lane dead in the kitchen leaving a German Shepherd, a Hyacinth Macaw and a green Wing macaw.

Most people after dealing with the partnership would have just called a dog rescue and a bird rescue to help retrieve the animals.

Nick chose to rehome the German Shepherd and take the two large parrots home for good.

He would come by our shop on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago that had a parrot playground.

All that was needed for your bird’s admission was a Veterinary health check no more than 6 months old.

The two big badass Birds love climbing up and down the ropes and after they got settled Nick said watch this.

He had brought a small sack of Brazil nuts with him not revealing the source.

Brazil nuts can be hard to crack open because of their complex mesocarp.

What Are the Three Most Nutritious Nuts for Macaws?

The green wing struggled to crack them open which Nick knew so he handed one to the big beautiful bird who rolled it around in his beak with his tongue and then just dropped it after failing to open it.

The Hyacinth without giving this a second thought climbed down from the Rope, grabbed the meaty nut with a smooth texture and creamy, nutty taste, from the floor, cracked it, climbed up the rope, and handed the Green wing a delightful snack.

I never saw anything like that before, or since.

Fast forward about 15 years when we happened to be at our favorite Chicago veterinarian shop Animal House of Chicago whose chief vet Byron DeLaNavarre is simply one of the best and brightest we know.

As we were walking out Nick pulled up on his adult trike with the two giant macaws on a fabricated bar on the back enjoying their daily Rickshaw-type ride around the city.

In conclusion, we now know that the species and or the size of the bird doesn’t have to be the deciding factor in choosing your first bird.

That said a budgie is certainly more appropriate for a young child than a macaw but I simply wanted to point out with this post that the “experts” know less than you think.

Written by Mitch Rezman and the Windy City Parrot Content Team