hello wanting some help :)

[tH3 r3PtIle gUY!]

hello my name is sam bayliss and ive always been interested in parrots but i know nothing about them ive kept a budgie befor but thats it for my bird experiance. i have lots of reptiles and love animals so its not like im a idiot off the street just on a spur of the moment thing but i would like to know pretty much anything about them as i am willing to learn. i would also like to know what type of parrot is good as a starter parrot. really love blue and red macaws and the african grey parrot but if none of these are any good as a starter then you know ill have to stay away lol thanks for your time to read this sam.

[tH3 r3PtIle gUY!]

anyone

[fenwoman]

There is too much which needs to be learned and a few posts wouldn't give you all you need. What I will do is tell you some of the downsides. They all make a mess. They all make a noise, they will all bite occasionally. They are social animals which evolved to live in a flock so don't do well alone for great lengths of time.
I heartily recommend you go on ebay and see if you can get a book called 'guide to companion parrot behaviour' as it'll give you valuable insights in to what to expect from a bird and how to overcome problems. It also goes into some detail about the different species. Diet is also important. No simple pot of cheapo pet shop seed mix once a day. They need other things too like flowers, veg, some fruit etc. Source a proper avian vet in your area for when things go wrong. Normal vets just won't cut the mustard.
When you envisage a parrot in your life, what are your expectations?
If you get the basic husbandry right, then frankly, whether you get a macaw or a grey or amazon, the care is the same so no one parrot is better for a beginner than any other. My first parrot was an african grey and I read all I could (no internet back then) and worked on instinct , byut bear in mind that I already had many years behind me of caring for all kinds of animals. Parrots can be fun but they are a huge bind, more so than a cat or dog because finding proper holiday care can be very hard. Feel free to PM me if you have more specific questions. I am happy to go through things with you so that you might be able to narrow down what sort of parrot fits your lifestyle.

[sarahc]

I'd also recommend a book called the second hand parrot by Athan and Deter, as a lot of birds are past from pillar to post and have many behaviour issues. people buy hand reared babies and give them huge amounts of attention that they can't sustain.They manage to create tyrants that can't entertain themselves and screech morning noon and night and then pass them on to the unaware, because they can't cope.Macaws and cockatoos are more demanding in my opinion and not for the faint hearted.What about a caique,although they aren't renowned for their talking abilities.

[tH3 r3PtIle gUY!]

ive been having alot of thinking and chats with people who keep these bird and ive got my heart set on a macaw i do know what im getting my self in for and i know that it will be alot of hard work but it will defo be worth it. thanks you your comment tho and btw im trying to decide on witch macaw to look deeply into the blue and gold or the red how much should you pay for either of these and how hard are they to come by ive seen adverts for the blue but none for the red. thanks sam

[Zoo-Man]

I would not recommend one of the large Macaw species to someone who has never owned a parrot before! They are for the more experienced parrot owner. The same applies to Cockatoos.

As a beginner parrot, I would recommend Caiques, Meyers, Conures, Orange-Winged Amazons, & Greys.

Whatever species you decide on, do research them & try to talk to people who have experience in that species. Different species have different requirements & different quirks & temperaments. For example, Greys are often pretty sensitive & neophobic (fearful of new things), & many male Amazons will become extremely aggressive towards even the people it normally cuddles with when in breeding condition.