My sister's bird passed on last year and she's ready to get a fid. I told her I'd talk to you guys. She's 9. Is there a bird suitable to this age?

A quaker or a cockatiel. Quakers are good beginner parrots evenm though there fine for anybody.

Good she's here with me and she likes both birds! Thank you!

Yah quakers are fine with my experience i have a quaker and cockatiel, it depends on the personality if they will be more likely to bite or not. If you get a baby in either species you will be fine.

9 years old...is she totally responsible for the care of the bird or are you or a parent there to make sure the cage is cleaned and its water is changed daily etc etc...?

Is she going to be able to take a HARD bite with out over reacting and then end up just leaving the bird in its cage?

No 9 year old should be made totally responsible for the birds care and its training, especially a quaker. She may be a very responsible 9 year old, but as she gets older, ideas, and interests change dramatically. Is there going to be someone around to fill in the gaps for when or if that happens? Either of these birds will be at least a 20 year commitment if given the proper care...Is the whole family prepared for that responsibility?

I agree somewhat but i assumed you would help a little bit with the basics. A Quaker requires a bit more physical attention than a cockatiel.

I agree with Connie, is she (and her family) ready for the responsiblity and does she have help? I might recommend a Budgie. Why kind of bird did she have before?

Yah what bird did she have before. Has she ever been bit. Does she know how to handle a bird. Does she know how to clean and give food and water. If she knows all that and and if she can tell when their something wrong your fine.

I recommend a Cockatiel or a Lineolated Parakeet! I just took in two linnies and they are fabulous birds!!! Males can learn to talk and they are super friendly birds. They are relatively quiet and love to cuddle. They are a bit bigger than a P'let and slightly smaller than a Budgie. But I find they are loads of personality.

I would have to agree with a couple of people here. After dealing with my QP for a few days, this bird is definitely for an experienced bird owner or for someone who is more committed to taking care of it for a long period of time. Granted they are more outgoing and LOVE company, they require more care than a parakeet or a cockitiel.

Now if the family is willing to help raising it and interacting with it, then I would recommend it. A parrot taught me a LOT about taking care of a pet properly.

And yes, I would completely agree with the biting issue- they can draw blood if they're really agitated. Can be a good learning experience of approaching animals or a traumatic experience. It all depends on how a child would take it.

I cant say that i agree at all. Quakers can be very good beginner birds. Sure they require attention but begginer owners will be more fascinated and will give it more playtime. I have read many places that quakers can be good 1st time birds. Cockatiels are good too. Usually the bigger the bird the more experienced you have to be. Any bird can bite.

Why not look into a Caique? They are real clowns always
rolling around on the floor with a ball theyre fascinating little creatures upside down inside out always keeping themselves occupied! If I were to get another bird future wise this will be my choice!

Personally, I wouldn't recommend a quaker for a 9 yr old. I have a 9 yr old, and had a quaker. I know my daughter couldn't withstand the bites she would get. She actually came to be afraid of Casey. Casey knew he could bully Katie, and would at every opportunity. I would recommend a tiel for a 9 yr old. They're sweet and lovable, but much less demanding and high maintenance than a qp. I honestly never really understood why people say quakers are good first time birds, other than that they're hardy lil guys.

I also have a tiel. They dont bite as hard but you can easily train a quaker not to bite. I have never had a hard bite in about a year from Gizmo and i handle him a lot.

JMHO, cockatiel would be much better for a 9 year old. Quakers require more upkeep and attention than tiels do. Cockatiels are gentler amd soft spoken. If you get a male and spend time teaching they can be good talkers.

females dont talk? My opinion is that a younger kid would spend a lot of time with a quaker so you wouldnt have to worry about that.

I would lean more along the lines of a budgie.

Hi

What kind of bird did she have? It must have been very difficult for her to loose it.

I don't think a 9 year old child should have full responsibility for any animal.

I think her parents or guardians must want the bird as well, and then let her take responsibility as much as she can, and be willing to take over, if and when she gets other interests.

Kids grow up, and often get other priorities as they get older, so she probably wouldn't want a bird, who might live till she's 40.

Some kids are very mature and very animal orientated. My daughter played underneath my 3 year old stallion, when she was 2. I couldn't get near him. She loved all animals until she became a teenager, and even now at 30+ she's not much interested.

Just some thoughts.

Cockatiels in general dont bite as much as quakers if you areconcerned about biting.