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Hi
Iam a stay at home mom with 2kids . I was looking into getting a cockateil but then I saw a sun conure and fell in love with this bird. I am wondereing if anyone can give me any info which bird is better . I diffently want a bird to interact with to teach it to come to me and talk and fly around play with toys all that.
Any info is greatly appreciated so I can make an informed decision.

Thank You

Those gorgeous sun conures are widely considered the world's loudest small bird. Listen closely before taking one home!

Yes, I second that. However, I've known some tiles who wont shut up either. I'd say listen closely to the one you are thinking of buying and ask the breeder of the noise too.

oliveira wrote:Iam a stay at home mom with 2kids . I was looking into getting a cockateil but then I saw a sun conure and fell in love with this bird. I am wondereing if anyone can give me any info which bird is better . I diffently want a bird to interact with to teach it to come to me and talk and fly around play with toys all that.
Any info is greatly appreciated so I can make an informed decision.

These are two very different birds. I wouldn't call either bird "better" than the other, but one or the other would most likely fit in better with your family. I would recommend getting a book on each and reading up on their personalities. Just like different dog breeds, there are bird species that are better for some people. Unfortunately, many people do not do enough research before buying a dog, cat, or bird.

Suns can be REALLY loud. They are generally not as loud when they are young and get noisier as they mature. Suns are considered one of the noisiest of the conure species. If you (and the rest of your family) have a good tolerance for noise, they can be fun and playful pets. I have a breeder pair, and they are by far my favorite pair because they are such nice birds.

Getting a bird because you want something that talks is not a good reason to get a bird. Not every bird will talk. Occasionally, you will hear about a Grey, which are known for being some of the best talkers, that doesn't talk and will only mimic a few sounds. If you get a bird, it should be more for companionship. Talking is the icing on the cake. Also, some people don't realize what comes with a talking bird. Your bird will talk while you are on the phone, while you are trying to watch your favorite TV show or a movie, while you are trying to take a nap, etc.

If you get a bird, I would recommend that you clip it's wings rather than let it fly around your home. Fully flighted birds can have accidents - fly into windows, fly into the ceiling fan, fly into a pot on the stove, etc. I just heard about another bird that somehow got out of it's cage and is lost outside. Some people do well with fully flighted birds, but from what I've seen here and other boards, those people are more experienced owners, not a first time bird owner.

I don't have a cockatiel and have never lived with one. I think they are adorable little birds though and can make a great first time bird. Cockatiels are basically mini cockatoos. They do have a powder/dander like cockatoos so if anyone in your family has allergy issues, I would not get one and instead look into the other species. The Cockatiel and Conure forums would also be good for you to check out.

Excellent post! Thanks

Have you considered a budgie? My love of birds started 60 years ago with a budgie named Pretty Boy. He used to sit with his head in his bell & say "Pretty boy, pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty boy" over and over. He was very helpful, too. He helped me set the table by dragging the silverware, piece by piece, to the edge of the table & dropping it off. He helped my dad play solitaire by flipping the cards over. He helped my mom sew by pulling out the pins as she tried to pin a pattern to fabric. He also liked to pull the pins out of her pin cushion & drop them off the sewing machine, carefully watching each pin fall to the floor. He loved to bathe & you had to watch him or he'd jump in the sink when I was doing dishes. One night he jumped into the gravy boat on the dinner table. My mom made a grab for him but he took off, flying around the kitchen, splattering gravy every where. My mom wasn't too pleased but my brother & I nearly choked we laughted so hard. I won't go into the details except to say that he would have lived much longer had his wings been clipped--and I cried & cried & cried. (We lost our second budgie too because he was fully flighted & my mom was so used to having him on her shoulder she forgot he was there & went outside to get the mail. All my birds now have clipped wings.)

Budgies are excellent first birds. They are easy to tame, don't bite little fingers too hard, are funny, lively, make lovely happy little noises, and don't cost too much. Although their veterinary expenses are just as high as any other bird. Vet care needs to be included when figuring out the cost of a companion bird. A noted avian vet spoke to our bird club once & was asked what bird he considered to be the ideal pet. Without hesitation he said, "A hand fed male budgie". My best budgie ever--and I have had some wonderful budgies--was hand fed, but they are hard to find. Mainly because budgies are so easy to tame most breeders don't want to go to the added trouble of hand feeding.

I'm not saying a budgie is better than a 'tiel or a conure. As already mentioned, the personality of the bird needs to meet the pesonality needs of the human. I like my birds lively. Tiels are wonderful birds but are a bit too sedate for me. And sun conures are absolutly beautiful but definately too loud for me. My avian vet told me they get more surrendered sun conures than any other bird, because of their volume. I currently have a hand fed green cheeked conure baby who is wonderful, and a geriatric love bird who is the love of my life! Much as I love lovebirds, I don't think they are the best choice for a first bird, especially in a home with children. I actually got my first lovebird ffrom a family who couldn't teach their special needs toddler to keep his fingers away from the bird's formidable beak! Lovies are small but can really bite when they want to!

You've already gotten some good advice from earlier posts. I just hope you will look into a budgie before you decide which feathered friend is right for you!

Budgies are often one of the best talkers too. Not that ALL talk, but enough that they've gotten this reputation.

Love your post too, Bubblelady, except for your birds' sad endings. I lost my first bird, also a budgie, the same way when I was only 8. Ohhhh, did that hurt I bought him after meeting my babysitter's budgie and trying to play Canasta with him rearranging all our cards Goosey little birds!

Well, first of all, I'd like to say that I am glad you came here to ask before jumping into anything. Too many people rush things these days.
Go slow. Research, research, research. It is impossible to understate how important that is.
You need to figure out which bird is going to fit best into your home, especially since you have children. If this is your first bird, I do not suggest starting with a conure. You will be better off starting with a budgie or a tiel and then moving up to the bigger birds (personality-wise, not size-wise).
That said, conures can make good first birds if you do enough research on behavior, but because you have children, it would probably be better for you to gain experience with a different bird known for being a "beginnner bird." Conures may be small, but they take more knowledge and work than a tiel or a budgie. Because your kids come first in your life (as they should), it is likely you will not have as much time for training and may be more likely to let behavior reinforcement fall by the wayside.
If you have never heard a sun conure screech or a cockatiel scream, I would suggest you do so. Some people cannot handle these sounds. Whenever I go to a zoo or something of the sort and I hear birds screaming, it is always easiest for me to pick out the suns!
Cockatiels also create a powder on their feathers that can coat everything in the room in white dust if you are not very diligent about cleaning. This can also be a problem if you or any of your children have allergies.

How old are your children? How involved will they be with taking care of this bird?
Cockatiels, suns, and budgies can all make incredible pets if you know what you are getting into and are prepared for it. Remember, there are a ton of great books out there and Google is your friend.
(Try looking at a couple of the Barron's handbooks and books like Sally Blanchard's Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior. These can all be found on Amazon.com)

I have heard that conures are loud. Louder than a cockatiel or a lovebird would be.

If you are worried about two different types of birds getting along with one another, I do not think that should be a problem. I have a cockatiel and a lovebird who love each other. It just depends on their personalities. You could get another cockatiel and they hate each other.I think which bird you get depends on the amount of noise you can handle from a bird.I recommend you do some research about conures to find the pros and cons.