Parakeet or Canary?

[barbaraann]

Today my husband and I are going to be looking at some pet birds in the pet store where my grandson works. He hasn't worked there very long, and yesterday, he was super busy. However, as he was getting ready to leave for the day, he noticed that the store got in some new birds. He's not sure if they are all parakeets or if some of the yellow ones might have been canaries. They did have some blue parakeets, and I have been teasing my husband to buy me a blue parakeet.

So after some shifting of furniture, and giving up the idea of a fish tank, we decided to go look at the birds. As much as I'd love a blue parakeet, I'm kind of leaning toward canaries if they have them. I guess a lot depends on what type of cages the store has, since we are starting from scratch.

Any tips, or recommendations from anyone out there?

I have been reading up a lot lately about small birds such as parakeets, and canaries, and finches. I think I am ready to become a bird owner.

 

[RedAngie]

Parakeets are about $25 or less. Canaries are usually over $100. Some varieties of finches are inexpensive too.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

If you love to hear birdsong, then get a canary. I used to have parakeets years ago and enjoyed them. My daughter wanted to get a bird, and I told her parakeets were fun pets, plus you can teach them to talk. She got lovebirds. I had no experience, but we've had them since October, and they are so stinking cute.

 

[King Schultz]

If you love to hear birdsong, then get a canary. I used to have parakeets years ago and enjoyed them. My daughter wanted to get a bird, and I told her parakeets were fun pets, plus you can teach them to talk. She got lovebirds. I had no experience, but we've had them since October, and they are so stinking cute.

View attachment 185062

Them are some stinking cute birds Mary Jo. . .





Willy

 

[wenrob]

I've had many kinds of birds over the years and they all have their plus and minuses. A word of warning, all birds are noisy and messy. The smaller ones don't have great life spans and they need just as much attention as a cat or dog would. My last bird was an American Singer Canary. He had a beautiful song but it could be VERY loud. Back then he was close to $200 and that did not include cage, feed, toys etc. he lived five years.

 

[barbaraann]

I didn't realize that canaries were so costly.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Neither if you want a cuddly, hand tame bird. I would go for a cockatiel. They're usually super sweet, and fairly quiet.

 

[wenrob]

I didn't realize that canaries were so costly.

We went to a shop that was birds only and I don't remember specifically why he was so much at the time (this was close to 15 years ago) but yes, they are going to be much more than a parakeet. I had a look online and was getting prices in the $75-100 range for an American Singer but it will depend on the shop, bird's age etc.

Also, I wanted to point out that vet care for a bird can be hard to come by depending on where you live. We had one vet in town that dealt with birds. I would suggest doing some research on types of birds, their personality traits and care before diving in. Even a parakeet can be pricey to get set up properly.

 

[sonnyjane]

Today my husband and I are going to be looking at some pet birds in the pet store where my grandson works. He hasn't worked there very long, and yesterday, he was super busy. However, as he was getting ready to leave for the day, he noticed that the store got in some new birds. He's not sure if they are all parakeets or if some of the yellow ones might have been canaries. They did have some blue parakeets, and I have been teasing my husband to buy me a blue parakeet.

So after some shifting of furniture, and giving up the idea of a fish tank, we decided to go look at the birds. As much as I'd love a blue parakeet, I'm kind of leaning toward canaries if they have them. I guess a lot depends on what type of cages the store has, since we are starting from scratch.

Any tips, or recommendations from anyone out there?

I have been reading up a lot lately about small birds such as parakeets, and canaries, and finches. I think I am ready to become a bird owner.

Most birds that come into pet shops have underlying health conditions (think "puppy mills" but for birds) and as mentioned, vet care can be difficult to find.

Also, check shelters. I know they're right there at the store, but birds are very challenging pets and are relinquished often. If you could provide one in a shelter a good home it would be fantastic if you're not really specific on what you want.

 

[low-key]

when it gets right down to it, nothing is better then a fried chicken, thats my pick, although they do look good

 

[usnuzuloose]

I used to have a parakeet many years ago. I don't know what happened to him. But I was thinking about getting a Parrot.

 

[maryandtyson]

Do your research before getting any pet. Parrots are super high needs and love VE a very long time, like 40, 50 years. We have Budgies (parakeets). They are cute. We purchased from a reputable breeder and each bird was $100.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I used to have a parakeet many years ago. I don't know what happened to him. But I was thinking about getting a Parrot.

Parrots are LOUD. No way could I do that. My brother has had birds and fish. Too much work for me. His sun conure could split your ear drums with his voice.

Plus you have to have a well bonded "babysitter" for your bird. They can be picky with who takes care of them to the point that they make themselves ill.

And then there is hygiene. My brother who was very, very careful with care of his birds got salmonella from his conure. He had to go to the hospital for IV antibiotics. It was a fluke thing, but it happened.

Parakeets and finches are not so picky and are easier to care for.

Cockatiels are fun, but they are NEEDY NEEDY NEEDY just like parrots but small. You will be a "pirate" with a bird bugging you all the time, lol.

 

[North of Mouse]

Today my husband and I are going to be looking at some pet birds in the pet store where my grandson works. He hasn't worked there very long, and yesterday, he was super busy. However, as he was getting ready to leave for the day, he noticed that the store got in some new birds. He's not sure if they are all parakeets or if some of the yellow ones might have been canaries. They did have some blue parakeets, and I have been teasing my husband to buy me a blue parakeet.

So after some shifting of furniture, and giving up the idea of a fish tank, we decided to go look at the birds. As much as I'd love a blue parakeet, I'm kind of leaning toward canaries if they have them. I guess a lot depends on what type of cages the store has, since we are starting from scratch.

Any tips, or recommendations from anyone out there?

I have been reading up a lot lately about small birds such as parakeets, and canaries, and finches. I think I am ready to become a bird owner.

We have had several parakeets since I was a child at home, and they are great fun. Ours were all trained to come when called (we let them out) and we also trained them to say many words and phrases. A friend had a canary - yes, they are beautiful birds (don't even look like a parakeet, so can't be confused) but they can sing and that's it!!

We've also had a Quaker parrot/parakeet which we trained to talk. They both are really 'social' birds so cannot be left alone for too long - they become withdrawn and stop eating. We found out the hard way after keeping my sister's bird for her for a couple weeks. She missed my sis so much she nearly died.

Just a note though - they can be plenty noisy and messy!!
We would cover their cages at night, but sometimes had to do it during the day if they got too noisy.

 

[King Schultz]

Neither if you want a cuddly, hand tame bird. I would go for a cockatiel. They're usually super sweet, and fairly quiet.

Good idea! I could go for a cocktail myself!

 

[momz]

I agree with the cockatiel. I had one for several years. Named him Pepper. He learned to imitate noises around the house. He could make a sound like water dripping, could imitate the phone ringing and he could call the dog by making a song like a tongue click. He could whistle a short tune and wolf whistle too. He would follow me around the house and liked to sit on the lamp shades. But, I would sometimes have to cover his cage to trick hm into thinking it was night time. This was because I worked nights and needed to get sleep. I had to give him away when I moved to an apartment that wouldn't let me have him. One caution about any bird, they need to chew on things to keep their beaks trimmed and will chew on things around the house too (also will leave droppings wherever they go). Yo have to supervise constantly when the bird is out of the cage. Love my Pepper.

 

[King Schultz]

Okay, now I want a cocktail and a cockatiel.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I had to google to find out the difference between a budgie and a parakeet... It seems as if there really is no difference so I will just say parakeet because it is more fun. Parakeets have a personality, it seems that finches just do not. It may just be my perception. I don't really know anything about canaries except they are a lot more expensive.

I used to have a parakeet. They are cute, but mine never really learned any tricks or anything like that. They can be a bit annoying. Mine was really loud and threw birdseed everywhere. I ended up giving mine away, it was a safety issue. I got a cat, and my cat was constantly trying to think of ways to get the bird.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Here is an excerpt from a decent article about noise. Very interesting. Worth the read imo if you are considering a parrot. If you live in an apartment, parrots are out of the question imo. Basically when you get a hand tamed baby bird, they are like a human baby. They will be vocal for food and attention. As they grow up they will find their voice and as the excerpt below states, you have to KNOW how to train the vocalizations, otherwise your bird will develop bad habits that you can't break. Larger birds are really for people that know how to care for them. Many are given away when the bird gets older and it is annoying because you did not understand how to socialize your bird as a baby.

Living With Parrot Noise
How do you achieve a harmonious household with a loud parrot? First, do your homework. Understand the species you are considering bringing home. Prevent problems from arising by building a strong foundation of rewarding sounds you like and ignoring sounds you don’t like. Work on correcting issues as soon as they arise. Don’t let them get out of hand before addressing them. Problematic behaviors will not go away on their own.

http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-beh...ird-behavior-issues-screaming/bird-noise.aspx

 

[barbaraann]

We ended up buying two parakeets. I have named them Spin and Marty. So far they like each other pretty well, but are a bit squeamish when anyone puts their hand in the cage to add food water or anything else. They love the mirror that we put in there. They have been sharing it quite nicely. I took a few photos, and they keep chirping when the camera beeped. I guess they thought it was another bird.