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I am still flip-flopping over what kind of bird to get next. I have noticed than many posters here are multiple bird owners, and pretty well informed to boot. So I have a series of questions as to which bird , in your opinion, is more:
Funny
Loving
Smart
Trainable
The ONE to have

Also, is it possible to have succesfully have one of each, of course, but able to be out at the same time with "adult" supervision?

I'm pretty sure the answer to the last question is,"NO!" but I had to ask....

Noboby could answer your questions without knowing more about you but I'll try to answer .

Funny---depends on what you think is funny. Birds make their own funny.. Soon as they find out what makes you laugh they will repeat to please you.

Loving--- Depends very much on how the bird was raised from a baby and how you treat the bird.

Smart---Parrots are usually smarter than 3 year olds. Some are way smarter than some of their owners.

Trainable ----Depends on you and your training methods.

The ONE to have-----Again depends on you. You can fall for any bird.

I know you want a specific bird named Any conure will fill the bill.I love my conures . They are all funny, love to please, they have me trained just fine and are loving and lovable.They are very intelligent --all of them. Also they are quite noisy at times.Since I am not overly fond of lovies ,I would take a conure any day over a lovie. Why not visit as many kinds of birds as you can & let one pick you?-----Yogi

Fair enough, Yogi. As a matter of fact, my current Lovie did pick me. For that very reason I would never nake a long distance purchase, no matter how good a breeder's reputation. I have left a message on an answering machine to schedule an appointment to meet a local, highly recommended breeder's conures. I have only met one gcc ever, at a different breeder's That bird was the breeders personal pet, not one for saie.I wan't too impressed with the bird but then I wasn't too impressed with the breeder, either! So far everthing I have read about the gcc is appealing but I must admit the looks of the bird I met ddi not particulaly appeal to me And every time I see a picture of a Lovie I kind of melt. Bottom line, however, appearance is pobably the last feature that draws me to a bird. I know I have to make my own decision, and decesion. And making up my mind is achallenging task for me. Or, maybe, the bird will make the decision for me!
Moe

Good Luck . You have a good attitude & that should find the perfect bird for you. ---Yogi

I have met two green cheeks before.....one belongs to my neighbor and one to a girl I work with. Both of these birds were very attached to their owners and would cling to them enough that they would go outside with them on their shoulder and the bird would never leave them. The girl I work with brought hers to work one day and he was just the sweetest thing ever! He was playing and not freaked out at all by the new surroundings or people. I love the appearance of a green cheek......something about that white eye ring against the dark color head.....I think they are adorable! They seem fun too!
Now..... the lovie..... my lovie is a great bird! SO funny! but SO mischeivous! such a high energy level! I have to shake my head at him every day because he's such stinker! What I like about him though is that he is very social.....he loves any other birds, even dogs! and any people.....not very picky about who his company is! but I'm sure that's just a personality thing that may not be in some lovies. What really amazes me though is how smart this tiny little bird is......he seems to be so alert and aware of every little thing going on around him. Also lovies I hear can be very independent......and mine definitely is. He wants nothing to do with hands, no way! BUT on the plus side, he is not really much of a biter, which I know lovies can be alot of times. He does like to nip other bird's feet......I really don't think to be mean.....and he fools you because he doesn't do this often, and you think he'll behave and be just fine, because most of the time he is.....then he nips.....just for no reason, out of the blue, you can just never trust them! Stinkers! they are little stinkers! but they are so darn cute! those beady little eyes and cute little feet that just seem to cling to anything like little suction cups! such cute little monsters they are! They just love having fun, and really seem to enjoy life!

mytielwoody, you just described my Buddy to a feather--except that she doesn't mind hands as long as they approach very slowly, and she is a she. Actually, you described what I like about Lovies better than I did. So I guess what I am really asking is how many of the traits you mentioned about Lovies are equally true about a gcc? Oh mercy, decisions decisions But, Buddy is still with me so I don't have to decide yet. The good news of that is that Buddy is still with me The bad news of that is I have more time to stew about what kind of bird should pick me next

They really are little cuties! I got my lovie kinda on a spur of the moment thing......someone was giving him up for free.......I never planned for a lovie.....I planned for all of my other birds, and he sure gave us a lesson on lovies! I think were a little in shock at first! He shoved his way right out the front door of his cage within minutes of his other owner leaving......I was only playing around with the door of the cage and it opened just a tiny bit and out he came! These little guys really are something else! I love the green cheeks too though and if I was in your spot I think if I already had the lovie, I might go for the green cheek. With my lovie, what's nice is he seems to love everybirdy, so whatever bird came into this home, I'm sure he would like.......he is madly in love with my pionus Ivy!

Actually, I'm not planning on a new bird until Buddy is gone. She is 14 and in poor health I am totally hooked on lovies--Buddy is not my first, just my best
The only reason I am considering a change is that first, gcc live longer so I won't have to go through losing another bird as soon as if I got another lovebird, and second, Buddy has been such an extrodinary companion that I fear I might compare all furture lovies to her. She really has been the best bird I have ever had, in 60 years of having some kind of bird! That's why I was wondering if it's possible to have a Lovie and a gcc at the same time. Then, I could have the best of all worlds. I really question if that is possible, since lovies can be so aggressive to other birds (I have heard), but it sounds like yours is doing okay with non-lovie parrot friends. I'm off now to my shift at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where I get to hang out with rescued (unreleasable) shore birds and, of course, fish and other wonderful ocean creatures---my second-favorite non-human friends! (I do like humans, too , even if my neighbors think of me as the "crazy bird lady"

As long as they aren't in the same cage, I see no problem with having both kinds of bird! I have an Indian Ringneck, three tiels, and 14 finches at the moment. We all live in harmony.

Also, do you ever run into a worker there at the aquarium named Makenzie? I used to work with her years ago before I was finished with college. If you do run into her, tell her that Christie says hi.

It's such a small world!!

do you ever run into a worker there at the aquarium named Makenzie?

Christie, do you know if she is paid staff or volunteer? If paid, do you know what catagory? It is a small world, but the Aquarium isn't exactly small. There are about 350 paid staff and 1000 volunteers! I'm a volunteer, going on 18 years, and still am totally addicted to the place. If I knew a little more I might track your friend down. The aviary is my favorite exhibit. I spent about an hour and a half in the aviary today (poor me). There is only a railing (no glass) between the people and the birds. Invariably, some/several) visitors will say how peaceful it is in the aviary. Today a visitor said to me, "I could just hang out for hours in here!" I agree, whole-heartedly. If you are interested, there are live streaming web cams during daylight hours ( http://www.montereybayaquarium.org ) where you can watch the birds in the aviary or the penguins in their exhibit. We also have common murres and an albatross (not on camera). I guess if it has feathers, I can sit and watch it for hours! As long as I can come hold and actually hold a bird. The breeder left a message while I was out today, saying I can arrange to come by most any day. So, I guess I will go meet some GCCs this week! Maybe the decision making process won't be as hard as I think. Wish me luck!

Moe

I honestly don't know. I do know that she recently finished some work in Alaska, but I've been remiss on keeping up with her. I'll have to find out.

Let us know how the visit goes!!

Ohhh, I am so very sorry your Buddy is in poor health. I know what you mean though about comparing another lovie.......Pip is quite the character, and although he has his little "lovie" faults, he is cute as can be, and so just so smart! Even though he hates being handled......I totally understand why he does, and he does step up in certain situations. Yes, Pip does ok with the other birds.....he really seems to love any other bird! still will nip at feet though from time to time, so gotta watch him! I have a video of him trying to impress Ivy......it's the cutest thing! He dances around her, standing all tall and thin, with his chin up, flaps the wings out and chirps to her......in the video Ivy is not very impressed and not really in the mood! I think Pip is a little much for her a times!
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OMG! Is that just not too cute!!!! Reminds me of a peacock I once saw trying--unsuccessfuly--to impress a peahen.

I played your video a number of times. Buddy watched it attentively all the way through one time--after that I guess she thought she's already seen that movie. But she answered Pip's chirps every time for 5 or 6 playings. Then she went back to sleep. It was too funny.

It's clear Pip, like all Lovies, doesn't know he is little. And watching a younger lovie just makes me want another all the more. I'd almost forgotten how they move-- before they get to be "seniors" with arthritis. I just love everything about them. Except for their ways of demonstrating why they are called love birds.

My last male tried repeatedly to feed me massive quantities of upchucked, partialy digested bird seed! When I wouldn't eat it he'd try to put it in my ear . He also demonstrated his love for me in another, more embarrasing way. His vet tried giving the twerp female hormone shots for a while. They calmed him down for about 3 weeks per shot. At $20 a pop, I decided to live with it. But he was too cute. And absolutely beautiful--I called him Bo, short for Rainbow. He was a Peachface/Masked cross and just about the prettiest lovie I have ever seen.

Buddy, on the other hand, is more muted, almost pastel. She is a pied. Her obnoxious habit is shedding any and all pieces of paper/cardboard in the house and then building nests in every drawer I own. She has shredded newspaper, paper bags, the covers and the first and last few pages of every paper back/telephone book I own, sometime before I finish the book . And money, checks, bills, freshly typed reports needed for work....the list goes on. There used to be shredded paper everywhere! It would clog up my vacuum cleaner so I had to sweep it up. The vet told me not to let her have any nesting material. Fat chance! But she doesn't shred anymore--just a strip or two now and then, for old time's sake. I guess she has gone through birdie menopause.

But I ramble. Thank you for sharing the video. I REALLY enjoyed it. I wish I had a video camera so I could record Buddy stuffing herself into a toilet paper tube. I put my hand over one end to give her traction & she pushes herself inside. When the top half of her body is in I move my hand & she surges forward in a huge hop. Sometimes she falls over & rolls around until the tube comes off. But she charges in again. Sometimes she runs around with the tube on her head & chest, bobbing her head up & down with the tube waving up and down, too. And, every once in a while she manages to gets all the way in, where she attacks a stick I wiggle in front of her. When she gets ahold of the stick I can pick her up, TP tube and all, and wave her around in the air. Eventually she squeezes on out, having made it all the way through the tube. It's her favorite game in the world. She still plays it but not nearly as vigorously--or for as long--as she used to.

I'm not too obsessed with her, am I? I should stop before I put everyone to sleep! Buddy is already asleep, snuggled up against my neck where she belongs. Even an old, not too active Lovie is a joy to have.

Moe

Oh yes, Pip is something else......it's like he's saying....look at me!! Look how cute I am!!!! He never gets tired of trying to impress Ivy, but as you can see......Ivy does! She really does like Pip though most of the time......she even tries to feed him! and yes you can tell Pip is a typical lovie.....very brave and thinks he is big! Pip's way of demonstrating why they are called lovebirds, is his humping his favorite rope toy! He usually runs right to it first thing when he wakes up in the morning! One time I had my parents over and my mom starts tapping my arm and I look and shes pointing at Pip and says......what's he doing???? Ohhh, he's just humping his rope toy!
Yes, I can tell you are obsessed with your Buddy! she sounds like a special little birdie.....I saw some babies one time in the pet store and I went over to them and said......Ohhh you guys are SOO cute! but I know what little monsters you are! lol They are little stinkers! but ya just gotta love em. I hear stories about people having lovies who are mean and they just aren't as impressed with them as you and I are, so I'm thinking we may have lucked out and got ones with really great personalities.....or maybe it's how they were raised.... Pip was not hand fed as a baby, but besides the no hands thing, he is pretty social and tame.
All the best to you and Buddy......may you still have alot of time together yet and hope she is doing well.