Any bird can get you thrown out of a thin-walled apartment with intolerant neighbors, and every "pretty quiet, for a parrot" species has plenty of OMG WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUR VOLUME KNOB individuals. :> I adopted a blue-headed pionus with a screaming problem three years ago, and it took me several months to shape his hollering into something I could live with. (Fortunately, I live in a house, so didn't have to placate the neighbors as well.) Were I you, I would read this, as a start: how to deal with a screaming issue, and how to help prevent your bird from making noise excessively.
I would add to that the fact that you can also adjust your bird's day period to help keep its "just a bird" noise at a socially acceptable level. Birds are likeliest to make noise at what they perceive to be "dawn" and "dusk": by uncovering the bird's cage later in the day than sunrise, you can let your neighbors sleep in.
I have three classically "apartment-friendly" parrots: a green-cheeked conure, a Poicephalus (Senegal parrot), and the aforementioned blue-headed parrot. (My partner has three cockatiels, also.) I'll add to the chorus of "it's hard to go wrong with a Pyrrhura" -- of the various birds in my life, my greencheek was, by far, the most forgiving of my rank novice handling errors when I was a first-time bird owner. And he is kind of the perfect parrot for me. However, they don't make a single noise that's pleasant to listen to, even when they're not being obnoxious. Conures sing arias scored to Rusty Metal Gate.
Yes, I am also looking at apartments that allow all animals so in theory, the neighbors would be used to dogs barking and such. Also I would definitely talk to the landlord about getting the bird and ask if the neighbors have complained about noise at all before.
Yes, I am also looking at apartments that allow all animals so in theory, the neighbors would be used to dogs barking and such.
You'd think! But my condo complex allows "birds and fish only." (Weird two animals to be picked.) I haven't heard another bird in the entire complex while driving around. If anything, I've just seen people walking dogs - which are strictly not allowed. I haven't heard a single bark, either. *shrug* Strange stuff!
so in theory, the neighbors would be used to dogs barking
:/ Hopefully not. Parrots scream because they're parrots; dogs bark because they're poorly trained. "Allows dogs" and "allows unchecked barking" are two very different things.
That's because plenty of dogs are completely untrained. That doesn't mean it's okay or acceptable, or that apartment complexes which allow dogs must therefore also permit nuisance barking.
I have one of those "OMG WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUR VOLUME KNOB" birds. For a "quiet" green cheek, she sure is loud and obnoxious. Even when she has foraging toys and a new cage set up and the TV on, but I think that's because my dad won't let me have her cage outside of my bedroom, and most of the time there isn't someone in there. She's actually quite quiet if she's in a busy area of the house.
I think a lot of the GCC noises are very cute! I love the "squeaker" noise that at least three here have actually turned into the word "squeaker", and some of the cute little chatterings. But you're right, they're sure not /pretty/ sounds, or nearly as pleasant as, say, a budgie's chattering.
I also adore a lot of GCC noises. The little mumbly sounds, the mutters, the funny squeaks and hisses and exclamations when there is something New! and Exciting! to be getting into while no one is looking :D
Of course some of the -other- sounds have had me wondering if I needed an exorcist o.O
Aw, some of Dizzy's noises aren't so bad. She makes little duck noises when she's getting sleepy, and has a quiet chirpish sound for when she's investigating. I agree, any of her loud sounds are pretty awful, but the quiet "I'm a bird" noises can be really cute.
Her flock calls are SUPER LOUD. I'm actually surprised my landlord has never complained, because you can definitely hear her through a closed door and down the stairs. Her flock call is a high, piercing note she makes when I leave for work in the morning, or when I leave the living room and she can't see me anymore but she knows I'm SOMEWHERE IN THE HOUSE, PLZ COME BACK OMG.
I would add to that the fact that you can also adjust your bird's day period to help keep its "just a bird" noise at a socially acceptable level. Birds are likeliest to make noise at what they perceive to be "dawn" and "dusk": by uncovering the bird's cage later in the day than sunrise, you can let your neighbors sleep in.
I have three classically "apartment-friendly" parrots: a green-cheeked conure, a Poicephalus (Senegal parrot), and the aforementioned blue-headed parrot. (My partner has three cockatiels, also.) I'll add to the chorus of "it's hard to go wrong with a Pyrrhura" -- of the various birds in my life, my greencheek was, by far, the most forgiving of my rank novice handling errors when I was a first-time bird owner. And he is kind of the perfect parrot for me. However, they don't make a single noise that's pleasant to listen to, even when they're not being obnoxious. Conures sing arias scored to Rusty Metal Gate.
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You'd think! But my condo complex allows "birds and fish only." (Weird two animals to be picked.) I haven't heard another bird in the entire complex while driving around. If anything, I've just seen people walking dogs - which are strictly not allowed. I haven't heard a single bark, either. *shrug* Strange stuff!
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:/ Hopefully not. Parrots scream because they're parrots; dogs bark because they're poorly trained. "Allows dogs" and "allows unchecked barking" are two very different things.
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I think a lot of the GCC noises are very cute! I love the "squeaker" noise that at least three here have actually turned into the word "squeaker", and some of the cute little chatterings. But you're right, they're sure not /pretty/ sounds, or nearly as pleasant as, say, a budgie's chattering.
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Of course some of the -other- sounds have had me wondering if I needed an exorcist o.O
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But they do a kick ass job when singing along to Radiohead! (at least our fiery-shouldered conure does)
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