Hi there! I'm (hopefully!) about to be a first time bird owner, and I'm stuck deciding between 2 birds: a green cheek conure & a cockatiel. I'm going to be at school 9 hrs a day starting late August, but otherwise I would be able to give my bird tons of love & attention. Which of the two would you recommend for a first time owner?
Hi there,
I would definitely go with the cockatiel in this instance. If you’re going to be gone for a long time during the day, it’s better to choose a bird species which will tolerate being on it’s own better. Budgies or cockatiels are the best at this, in my experience.
Cockatiels are small, relatively quiet (though you should expect there to be some noise, and it may be louder than you’d think), docile and most importantly, don’t tend to start plucking, etc, when left alone. You should always give the birdie as much attention as you can, of course, regardless of species, but ‘tiels will tolerate your absence better.
Green cheeks aren’t much bigger, and for conures they’re sorta quiet, but they’re a little more prone to plucking, etc, from what I’ve seen. They’re a little more demanding and when they do vocalize, a bit louder.
Ultimately the decision is yours, but I would probably go with the ‘tiel in your situation. Be sure to read up on good bird diets, etc, and locate an avian vet near you before bringing your new friend home :)
—Lucy (bootywraith)
