I'm taking a poll! My husband and I are completely smitten with our Quaker, Ava, and birds in general....so we have decided to get a larger bird within the next year. We've been doing all our research, buying books, visiting bird fairs and breeders, and these are the parrots we have narrowed it down to...Just for fun, we wanted to hear your opinion! If you own any of these species, post a message or PM me about your experiences with your bird!
Thanks everyone.

Hmmm, I posted this a couple times and I can't get the poll part of the message to show...I don't what I did wrong. The choices are:
double yellow headed amazon
blue front amazon
yellow nape amazon
congo african grey

Aww, I am disappointed in you guys. I know I couldn't figure out the poll, but there have to be some people on here with those birds who can give me some personal experiences...

I don't personally own any of those species... so I can't give you any first hand knowledge. My friend breeds Greys (Congo's and Timnehs... have you looked into the Tim's they are sweet little guys, not too big and not too small! ) and Jardines as well. I personally would never get an Amazon, but that's just a personal preference I guess, just not a bird for me. In the future I'd love to get a Grey, they are just an incredible species...

Both Greys and Amazons are super smart and require a lot of attention, basically like having a five year old child in the house.

I think Connie (Andie's Mom) has had a lot of 'Zon experience so you might want to PM her. As for the Grey's you might want to join Dee's forum over at www.anafricangrey.ca they are a wealth of knowledge and would be able to answer all of your questions. A lot of members here are members over there too so it should be pretty familiar.

Good luck... and that's great they you're doing so much research first!

Hi!!

I'm NOT an expert but I have read a lot before getting my Timneh ...Amazons are very pretty, and great talkers,but.....I didn't choose one because of noise level....I don't want a very loud bird....(my QP is quiet!)
African Greys were my choice...the difference between a Congo and Timneh are size and personality. CAGS are bigger and many say Congos personalities are not as easy as TAGS....
Tags are more trusting and laid back.....and easy going...according to what I heard.

I've got Tango 1 month now...he is quiet..he make cute noises, give kisses and whistles but not loud by any means...he is playful..he is a baby afterall!! and I can see him being stubborn...I heard you need to be firm and consistent from the beginning...(not a problem here!!! have a teenage daughter at home..he..he)

Good luck!!!! and let us know of your decision!!

I only have my green chicken, so I don't know about the amazons or greys. Let us know what you decide, though!

How exciting!

Jen

If you have never owned a larger bird before I would think about a poinus. They tend not to be Nippy and all the birds you mentioned do have a tendency to be a tad nippy. If your set on one on your list- the greys both the TAG and The CAG are great birds I am so happy with my guy I can't begin to tell you how much Sarah has come to mean to me as well. I got Popeye from Sarah.

I don't know if you think you could handle a second hand bird, or adopting a unwanted but there is a great book out called second hand parrots that everyone should read even if they don't have or aren't planning to adopt a rescue.

Well, I don't have amazons or greys, but love them both. We have a caique that we got about a month ago, and I absolutely LOVE him...but he is no bigger than a qp. (he is an absolutely the funnest birdy ever tho!!!) Personally, my choice between the breeds you mentioned would be the CAG, simply because I'm not sure I could handle an amazon due to the noise. I love greys, and hope to have one someday, but probably not for quite some time as my finances are barely allowing me to have my 2 birdies right now. (wow vet care is expensive!!!!)

My friend has all 3 species of amazon you are considering. I have been around them frequently and they are all wonderful. Amazons in general seem to be quiet and cautious. Although she has one amazon who screams, but she is not one of those species. My friends' blue fronted is such a lover, never screams and likes to observe everything you are doing, as do the others. Her DYH amazon is a little more outgoing and talks a lot but isn't a screamer either. Her YN amazon is like the others too. They seem to be a little slower and deliberate in their movements, different than QP's for sure! The only thing is that all of my friends' birds were rescued and many came from bad situations so their behavior may be different than a hand-raised, well-socialized amazon. I don't know anyone with an African Gray personally but I hear they are very similar to amazons in their demeanor and personalities.

Thinking about your choices again...hm..??
have you look at the Hahn's Macaws???...they are sooo cute!!! there are small yet they have big personalities...and they talk a lot!!!


I don't have one but they have them at the Aviary I go...and they are cute, friendly and smart!!!

Just an idea...

I know from experience that CAGs (greys in general) are as prone to feather picking, overpreening, etc. as Quakers and Cockatoos. If you get an African Grey, you may end up with a plucker. My CAG is 10 months old and overpreening. Her health is excellent and her vet said that it could be a number of factors that contribute to this issue. So aside from the already enormous amount of time I spend with Qwynn because she needs the interaction, I now also spend a lot of time making homemade preening and foraging toys. They are very intelligent birds and can have some psychological problems. I love my CAG and wouldn't trade her but in the future, if I were to be faced with the choice you have now, I'd get a bird not prone to feather destruction. Amazons don't have the same tendency toward this as African Greys do. Then again, I've heard from Amazon owners that zons can be moody and bite for no good reason, that they hold grudges, and that they are awesome companions having said all of that. It's a tough choice. I don't have much experience with zons but my experience with a healthy, overpreening CAG makes me want to warn everyone thinking of a CAG or TAG of the possibility that they're getting into a huge committment they may not be bargaining for. I always thought "not MY bird". Then my bird started to do it and it's very unnerving and hard to watch and deal with. You'll make the right choice and if you get a grey and the grey starts to overpreen or pluck, you'll do what I did and you'll deal with it and love the bird anyway. But it's something to consider before getting the bird too. I'm actually a little scared of zons. Embarrassing to admit but true. Qwynn is bigger but less moody and much easier to "read". What made you think of zons and greys? Are there any other species you are considering?

Thanks everyone! I knew you had some good advice...
We have been considering a 'big' bird for a few years now, and since we got our Quaker Ava we've realized that we are pretty competent 'parronts' and have the time and money to spoil another bird. Although Ava has taken over the livingroom with her cage, playgym, and tree, we have recently renovated our office and have room for a new bird. We also have an extremely knowleable and reasonable avian vet virtually across the street from our neighborhood.
Besides the greys and amazons, we have considered TAGs, Hahn's macaws, eclectus, and the mini macaws.
We've been doing research for about six months... We've visited and interacted with several adult and babies of each species, and then narrowed it down to a CAG or an Amazon...
We went to a bird fair this weekend to get some more 'hands-on' experience, and we're leaning now towards an Amazon, most likely a blue front. We've always loved the CAGs and TAGs, with their quiet intelligence and cautious nature (that's just what we've experienced, I know every bird is different) but we're drawn to the loud, outgoing Amazons. Our Quaker Ava is loud and bossy and a big clown and we love her big personality.
We are aware of the emotional/physical issues...Amazons have the hormonal 'rages' and are very loud, and Greys often pluck...We are prepared to accept the bird's natural characteristics and complement that with proper training...We also will love our bird even if he plucks himself or never speaks 'human'.
I'm scared of the noise level of the Amazon, not for my family but for the neighbors...However, the people to the right of us are separated from us by a big lot that can never be built apon due to drainage, and the woman to the left of us is virtually deaf. The people across the street have a big noisy dog so they can't complain...(I've really tried to think this out, haha). We also have a house down the street with a big Macaw, he sits outside sometimes in his play cage and often hollers, so our neighborhood is 'bird' friendly, or at least previously exposed to them...
I also worry about our son, who is almost three. I'm not really fearful of him being attacked, as he respects Ava and will only interact with her when I am holding her for him (he can't reach her on her tree, gym, etc). I would certainly not let him alone with an Amazon! I am worried about the jealousy aspect...he's our only son and sometimes he gets frustrated that I'm caring for Ava and tells me "Mama, I'm a birdie, too!" I will make it a point to give him extra love!!!
Also, I worry about Ava, once again not from attack (they won't be allowed to be physically together, i've heard horror stories of big birds snapping Quaker's legs or worse) but of her being jealous as well. She is our spoiled baby and acts accordingly...
Then I get really paranoid and think of all the worse case scenarios, I've even gotten to the point where I'm harassing my poor husband about 'parrot support' if we'd ever get divorced , and we're planning on redoing our wills since Amazons live so long...I worry I'm going to be a broke and homeless old lady with birds crawling all over me!!!
Which brings me to adopting a 'Zon, I've been looking at all the bird havens in the area and I have to be honest, the idea scares me. There are only a few places who would let us adopt due to geographics (most havens want to visit your house several times and therefore you have to be in their area) and most of them are offering 30 year old ex-breeder pairs who don't interact with people or they warn you that if you have kids you can't adopt their birds. I feel terrible, I have always been an advocate of adoption and have never bought any of my dogs or cats. I even adopted a lot of my fish as a kid...It's still an option I will consider though...
I've just been going on and on, thanks for everyone who responded and even took the time to read my bird musings...

It sounds like you have done a lot of research and are very knowledgeable about parrot behaviour and training. Don't let the adoption agencies get you down. They just have the birds best interest at heart. I think if you can find an amazon to adopt that is "ok with children" than the rest can be changed through training and consistency. Remember that most birds in adoption agencies are in foster homes, and while those people love and care the birds they foster, they don't always know how to implement proper training. So unfortunately birds who have traumatic backgrounds are labeled as "aggressive," "unable to work with," "bites," etc., this isn't necessarily the case. Most of these "problems" are misunderstood birds without proper training or trust relationships with their keepers/owners. So not all hope is lost if you decide to adopt a "hopeless" case amazon I have a friend with many amazons, all of which were adopted and all of which were labeled as either "aggressive," "unable to be handled," "screamers," or "biters," and they are all fine. Luckily she is a professional bird trainer so they have been properly trained using positive reinforcement and consistency. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!!