From: oday@lobster.gsfc.nasa.gov  (Orin Day)
Subject: Re: questions on getting a parrot
Reply-To: oday@lobster.gsfc.nasa.gov  (Orin Day)
Organization: Goddard Space Flight Center
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 22:59:52 GMT

In article <1992Nov9.133854.17254@husc3.harvard.edu> mlevin@husc8.harvard.edu  
(Michael Levin) writes:
> 
>      I am thinking of buying a parrot, and would like some information
> before I do (or don't do) it. In general, I would like to receive
> information about any of the following concerns I have, or references
> to books which address these issues:
> 
> 1. I want a moderately large bird (larger than a budgie, but not as
> large as some of those huge Macaws; something the size of an amazon
> green, or maybe a little bigger than a cockateil (sp?)). I want a
> pretty bird, which will talk, is intelligent, and will adapt well to
> life indoors (i.e., won't bite everyone, won't mind spending nights in
> a cage, etc.). Finally, I can't spend more than $200 or so. Is this
> feasible? If so, what kinds of birds should I be looking into?

I'd recommend a Quaker parrot - a bird larger than a cockatiel that
can be had in your price range.  The Quaker, or Monk, is green with
a grey chest and blue wings (except for the afore posted mutation).
I think it's a good looking bird - no sun conure, but no grackle either.
My bird is intelligent, talks quite a lot, is happy with toys in his 
cage, and doesn't bite everyone, though some adjustment is needed to
new people - people who just show up and stick their fingers into most
any cage will be bitten, but people who hang out with him, such as a
fellow who took my bird for Christmas one year did just fine.

> 2. where should I be trying to buy these from? I assume that Mall
> pet-shops are not a good idea. Should I be trying to get a baby? Does
> the age and sex matter?

As a first bird, I'd look for a BREEDER and buy a baby that has adapted
to eating on its own.  I wouldn't worry about the bird's sex too much.
A mom-and-pop type pet shop can be OK, but avoid the malls.  You will
pay less at a breeder and almost always get a better "product" :) 
I don't know about breeders in your area, though...looking in American
Cage Bird Mag the only ad from MA I see is for a big pet store in Agawam.

> 3. What kinds of things should I be worried about? I live in a
> 2-bedroom apartment now (with my wife), but will be moving into a
> house in the near future. Anything that I need to know, that might
> drive me nuts later?

Well, noise is one thing.  My quaker CAN be loud, but isn't loud 
too terribly often.  I'm in an apartment and have received no 
complaints.  You may want to wait for the house, though.  My 
birds live in cages in my living room.  Generally, if you give
a bird enough attention and don't let making noise be the trigger
for that attention you should do OK.

> 4. is there anything that can be done (or is this not a problem) to
> prevent the bird from pooping on everything in sight as it flies
> around the house (when we take him out of the cage)? 

Well, birds don't fly all the time.  One route you can go is wing
clipping, so he/she can only glide.  Another route is to keep the
bird on your shoulder when out of the cage, or on a perch.  The
quaker seems to not crap in flight too much, and when he's hangin
out with me, there are "signs" that something is coming, so I take
him back to the cage or place him on his potty (a basket handle, with
paper towels in the basket) and he does his thing.  He's learned that
if he poops in the wrong place he'll be put away, so he's pretty good
about it.  

But if you let your bird run loose, you may be opening the door to
danger, and almost certainly will have a mess and a less tame bird.

> 5. miscellanious: how long do the birds live? is it possible to take
> one outside (with some sort of leash contraption perhaps)? how easy is
> it to get them to talk? will they imitate the voice of the person who
> teaches them or do they have their own voice? 

The Quaker lives about 20 years, I am led to believe.  Outside - no,
I wouldn't really recommend this, because a small bird can glide away
on a gust of wind and end up far away, or climb the tallest tree in
the forest, etc.  And think of a leash if a hawk flies over - the bird
could panic and maybe lose a leg.  Not a good idea.  

My Quaker loves to talk, noodle around whistling when music is on, etc.
He says many phrases, some in my voice, some in the voice of the lady
who brought him up (I got him when he was about 8 months old) - though
it's clear that the bird is saying it, not me.  With African Greys the
story can be different, but for the most part his voice is a little
gravelly.

Hope this helps.  I'll e-mail you a copy on the off chance that you
don't read this newsgroup regularly.

Orin

> Mike Levin

--
************* "How about a little fire, Scarecrow?" **************
Orin Day, Code 664.1                    oday@lobster.gsfc.nasa.gov
Hughes STX/NASA       GSFC Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics
*******"Think that this is NASA's opinion?   NO, NO, NO!!!" ******