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My first parrot

21 16:00:56

Question
I'm 18 years old got about 900 quid saved in my bank and have always wanted a parrot since my nanny had one when i was bout 3 or something like that. anyway i want to have a playful pet and an intelligent one like one that can talk and probably easy to manage as it will be my first time owning one.

what would you suggest for me to get and how much do you reckon it would cost me altogether for a decent cage and the parrot plus toys?

if u could give me a monthly cost to look after the parrot as well would be nice.

i have done research on al sorts of parrot's but i need some further advice.

Answer
-- Each bird of each species has their own personality.  I've met some pretty aggressive, cranky cockatiels - while others have been incredibly sweet and gentle.  The same applies to every bird, from the smallest of budgies to the biggest of macaws.
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A good deal of how a bird behaves is how the human treats them.  If you're patient, understanding, compassionate and give them unconditional love, they tend to be the same.
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Just like a parent who encourages and supports their child tends to have good children.
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And we all know that in some cases no matter how perfect we are as owners of animals or parents of children - sometimes things just don't turn out the way we'd like.
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Some birds are outgoing and talkative; others are quiet and retiring.
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Aggression is something that usually happens as the result of fear or nervousness.  So a confident bird that feels safe and loved is not likely to be aggressive.
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As for speaking, all psittacines (parrots or birds with 'hooked bills') have the capability of mimicking or 'speech'.  Even some other birds like Mynah's have the ability.
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When it comes to them actually wanting to DO this, to use words, that's another individual thing.
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Probably the best talkers are male cockatiels and any African Gray parrots.  Amazons are also very good.  
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With this said, the biggest mistake a human can make is to try to find a bird to provide conversation.  
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You're better off looking for a bird that's a good listener.  
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Birds aren't 'easy care' animals.  If they aren't interacted with every day - which includes at least two hours of out of cage time, touching, bonding with you, they can quickly become what a human perceives as "unfriendly".  
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And when it comes to food - well, if you're not one to cook for yourself or make a fuss over meals, this has to change when you have a bird.
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They need a base diet of quality pellets (not seeds - birds living with humans should never be fed a diet of seeds) and fresh fruit and vegetables.
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That means lots of slicing, dicing, chopping and in many cases, cooking.  They need things like cooked rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta, beans and so on to accompany their fresh diet.
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Take a look here http://www.4animalcare.org/birds

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The bird's care costs will depend on the size.  I specialize in macaws and their cages alone will cost about half of what you've got saved.  Possibly more where you are.  The macaw (if a blue and gold or similar sized ) would cost nearly all of what you've got saved.
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African Greys are everything you seem to want - or possibly an Amazon, but since these are extremely intelligent birds you have to commit to spending a LOT of regular time with them, in particular OUT of cage time - or they will become screamers, self pluckers, biters and even worse, they are known to go insane from neglect.   Once a bird has become insane there is no going back.   And there is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing a bird with the potential that these beautiful creatures have, having lost their minds and living out their lives in insanity.
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So of course I beg you to keep in mind that the bird needs to be a priority not just this year, but 5 years from now.  Where will you be in 5 years?  What will you be doing?  How about in 15 years?   The bird will still be with you and needing to be a priority in your life.  In 15 years will you still be ok with this?  

How about in 30 years?    This bird is a child that will not grow up and move out.   Depending on the bird you choose it could very well out live you.   Are you ready to make provisions for its care and support after you pass on?
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You're doing a fine job in trying to find out all you can first rather than just pick a bird and hope it's like you've seen in movies or t.v. shows - or even in someone else's house

That's very, very wise of you!

Keep it up