Birds for children

[Tari]

I would like to discuss birds that are good for younger children. Like 12 and up. Not little little children but a child that is old enough to expect them to feed and clean up after a bird.

What bird would suggest and why.

What bird you would not suggest and why.

I had a lady come and look at my blues a couple weeks ago and found out she wanted a quaker for her 7 year old. I very quickly suggested (strongly) that a quaker is not a good idea for a young child.

Even though they are great birds they do go threw a nippy stage and can get very aggressive around their cage and most small children are just not equipped to handle this.

So what you would suggest for a child?

[judygram]

Budgies and parakeets are good first birds for children. I had them when I was young, they are not too nippy and don't require a lot of attention.

 

Nothing any bigger than that, certainly no greys, conures, toos or macaws.

[Tari]

Just in case anyone is wondering Budgie and Parakeets are the same thing. But you can get a budgie or and English Budgie the english being a bigger bird and calmer they just don't live as long.

[danmcq]

A Sun Conure for 12 and up.

 

They are great little fellows with a HUGE personality and from the ones I've been around in households that have children this age.

 

They are not very "Bitey" and are they center of many families with younger children's attention.<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2007/07/25 15:44

[Tari]

Karma for Judy and Dan. Thank you.

[Tari]

One other thing to keep in mine when thinking of getting a bird for your child. In the end more likely then not the bird well wind up being yours.

Even it they love the bird very much your child may go to collage and in most cases wont be able to take their pet.

So make sure another bird is something you want as well as your child.

[deedee]

hmm i think a cockatiel is a great first bird my son is 10 yrs and loves ours but any bird can be nippy we have had charlie 5 yrs and he is great

[judygram]

You are right, Deedee, cockatiels are a great first bird, I didn't think of them because I never had one.

[Tari]

Well there you have it sounds like a budgie and tiel are your choices for a child. Maybe a sun conure for an older child. I personally would go for a quiter conure like a peach front maybe not not a green cheek to nippy.

[dblhelix]

I agree that a budgie or tiel would be ideal (hey a rhyme!). However, do not underestimate the time these guys need and intelligence they have. BTW, a budgie is a parakeet (from Australia) and then there is the very simlilar though slightly larger English budgie. However, there are many other parakeets and some (from south america) are actually quite large and totally different from the australian or english budgies that most really think of when referring to "parakeets".

 

Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/07/26 05:26<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2007/07/26 17:44