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Stephanie,
I think you'd find either a Cockatiel or a Grey Cheek very suitable.
My personal preference is for the Grey Cheek (but I've got one that I
love dearly, so I'm *biased* ;-)
Some other small to medium-sized parrots which are generally friendly
and really sweet if hand-fed, but are still independant: Pionus,
Senegals, many conures (if you don't appreciate screeching noise, look
for blue crown, maroon Belly, or green cheek conures - they aren't as
noisy as some others), and any of the other brotegeris species
(relatives of the grey cheek, several varieties, commonly called beebee
parrots). While in general they are a bit more standoffish, you may
find some individual ringneck parrots or Alexandrines suitable. Also
consider some of the lovely mini-macaws available, such as Hahn's or
Yellow Collars.
You'll probably find that cockatoos are *not* a good choice for you -
they are far too demanding of attention for your situation. African
Greys are more independant, as are most Amazons, but both can be a
little quirky and intimidating for a firt time parrot owner.
Perhaps the best advice I can think of to offer you is that in most
cases you should make the choice based on the the individual bird,
rather than the species. Shop around, talk to breeders and quality pet
stores, be sure to take your SO with you, and look for that special
individual bird that steals your heart and chooses you.
Best of Luck/Rita
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You might want to look into a hand-fed indian parrakeet. They have
two hand-feds (one green and one lutino) at New England Tropical Pet
in Chelmsford, and they are very friendly.
Anyone can walk up and stick out a hand, and either of the birds will
climb aboard. Fully grown I believe they are a little bit bigger than
cockatiels and much bigger than grey cheeks (which are also very
friendly birds).
I believe that what ever bird you choose, the correct answer is
HAND-FED!
-dick
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| Hi,
I'll put in a vote for a hand-fed cockatiel, since you are used to
the smaller birds. They can sometimes talk, are very affectionate
when hand-fed as babies and taken out regularly as adults, come in
a variety of appearances, and are usually under $150, even for the
show quality ones. There are several breeders in the Southern
New Hampshire and Mass. area. Some are listed under the breeder note
here... if you are in another area, let me know and I'll try to
help you locate some breeders in your area.
Linda
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