After out of college, I want to get a bird. What should I get? A conure? A cocketial? What do you think?

Hi. If you would like a bird that is easy to teach to talk, I would recommend an African Grey. They are large parrots. They do need quite a bit of care, though. I don't have any experience with them but I do know they are very time consuming and need lots of attention. Before you buy a bird, do much research (A LOT) on the parrot you want to buy, or the parrot(s) you are thinking of buying. African greys need human contact and love. A lot of love. They will also need lengthy periods outside of their cage so they can fly and exercise. Human contact is VITAL for an African grey's health. If you cannot provide the needs for a bird that you want, PLEASE do not buy it. It is unfair for the bird. DO NOT BUY AN AFRICAN GREY IF:

* You are at work all day and your bird will be left on its own for long periods of time.

* You holiday or travel lots - especially if there is no family members who your bird will recognise and feel comfortable with, to care for it in your absence. Your birds routine will need to remain the same in your absence to avoid stress. Many birds stress when suddenly they are not allowed out of cage time.

* You do not have lots of time to devote to your parrot. Owning an African Grey is very much like having a small child. They are very time consuming and require lots of attention, regular prepared meals, lots of cleaning and lots of expense. Remember bird sitters will be required in your absense!

Please consider all of these facts BEFORE buying an African Grey!

Now I got your update: African greys are not subtle for kids, as they are typically nervous birds and cannot handle children's level of energy. When the parrot is fearful, fearful will progress into aggression. All birds make a mess :) but the one that is easiest to keep up with would be a parakeet. Parakeets are very friendly and kids love them. They may bite at first, but if you want to get past that you have to keep messing with it and just ignore the biting. If you do not make a reaction when he/she bites you, he will stop. If you plan on getting a parakeet, get a male. They are easiest to train to talk. At first, if you get a few months old parakeet, spend a lot of time with it so that you can build a good bond (like you said they are hard to bond with, doing this should create a bond you will have for the rest of your life.) Another great bird for kids and for talking is a Quaker (Monk) parakeet. They are cute and cuddly and they are very calm and good around strangers. They are (to some people) the best chatters and they have a very high voice. Most are not noisy, most do not bite, and most aren't territorial. They also speak very clearly. Before you get a bird I would do some research on what birds are good for kids and are easy to train to speak. Here are some good websites I will list in the sources. I suggest you look at all of them or do some research on your own. Owning a bird is a very large responsibility.

Birds require a lot of cleaning cages and requires alot of time to train. they arent exactly idead for college unless u become experienced

they need to spend time out of the cage to streach their wings and they will poop in ur room