Hello budgie loving friends! I would like to ask for a little more of your wisdom today. As some of you may know, a couple of days ago our beloved budgie, Spiral, passed away. These have been days of hard grieving, especially for our ten year old son, Alex. However, he has begun to ask, through the tears, if it's wrong to think that he might like another bird someday. We have assured him that of course it's not wrong, and what a tribute to Spiral- you loved your time with him so much that you might one day be willing to open your heart to another precious feathered friend!
As mom here, I had begun to think about bringing another bird into our home a couple of months ago, before Spiral's death. Now, of course, we are in a little different situation. Spiral was an "only child"- he was our only bird. As we look forward to a time when we might choose another feathered companion, I am finding myself wondering what the best choice for our family might be. I am hoping that I can share with you all a little about our family and our needs, and that you avian experts might recommend some species that I could research to see if they might fit our family. I have of course noticed that many of you have mixed species flocks or entirely different birds, and would love to hear your thoughts.
We are a small family- just me, my husband, and Alex. Alex and I are bird nuts. My husband, while not bird crazy, is so encouraging and supportive of our passion, provided a couple of contingencies are met. Here they are:
1. Noise level. We need a species that is not known for screaming. Chattering, singing, whistling, and talking are lovely. Screaming is a deal breaker.
2. Size. We are not interested in a very large bird. We have a brand new, lovely cage that measures 22 W x 18 D x 27 high with an open playtop. It was quite expensive, and we bough it intending to upgrade Spiral, but sadly he was never able to move in. It is very decked out with rope and natural perches, swings, etc.
3. Mess. At this time, we are not interested in cockatiels due to the powder issue. We would also prefer a bird without exceedingly loose, messy droppings. This is a concern of my husbands- the seed and feathers are enough for him to deal with. It is really important to me that he can enjoy our home
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Some of the things we loved about Spiral were things that I don't think are necessarily budgie traits. He was super loving, enjoyed his scritches and kisses, and was so tame and gentle, even with friends and family. He was playful and interactive. So those things would be important in a new bird. We learned a lot from Spiral, and although we are FAR from experts, we are willing to do the research and get the education we need to care for a new type of bird.
Part of the problem here is that in our part of South Georgia, we are in a bit of a bird desert. It is very hard to know from internet research alone what a species is like. We are thinking that over the next couple of months, we will focus on getting some home projects done to make our house more ready- some painting and cleaning, etc. We also need to find a better option for boarding a bird when we are away. Then, in May, there is a well respected exotic bird fair coming to a nearby city. We will NOT be purchasing a bird there, due to possibility of disease and lack of knowledge about the vendors showing. Instead, I thought that after narrowing down species of interest, we could attend in order to see the size and behaviors of the birds we are considering. Then once we have made our decision we will seek out a reputable breeder. That also gives us a nice amount of time to grieve our sweet friend- we are not looking for a Spiral replacement, as that can never be.
We have lots of time to spend with a bird friend as we homeschool our son. Spiral was rarely in his cage during the day. Because of that, we have considered even getting two birds, so we could have the additional enjoyment of their interactions, but are undecided on that. We do not want to breed. Some species that we have considered are more budgies, English budgies, parrotlets, green cheeked conures, canary winged parakeets or grey cheeked parakeets. What do you all think? Is there a species I am overlooking? Is there one you would rule out? Are we even going about this in the right way? Thanks in advance!!
