So the decision is made: I am getting a parrot! But with that other questions arise like: which parrot, where will we place the cage, how much are we going to spend, are we ready for it, what will it eat, how will we call it, etc.

While all these go through my mind, I found it important that me and my boyfriend take our time and research the topic and all our questions and make an educated choice when deciding all the above.

Below are a few actions we took before deciding on buying the green cheek conure but also some characteristics of this specific bird.

First interaction with a green cheek conure – the local breeder

As we did not know anybody who owns a parrot in our circle of friends, we decided that it would be nice to have a look at the local breeder. We checked the pictures, it looked promising and there we were in the middle of hundreds of birds singing and screaming all around us. From large to small parrots and from completely quiet and almost freaked out to totally anxious birds, we found ourselves in the middle of it all.

While looking around, every parrot in there seemed like a good fit for us (we both love animals, especially parrots). But we knew we wanted one parrot for now and we had to stick to our decision.

Our choice

Some parrots were outside of their cages and walking freely in their dedicated corner with seeds and toys. We discovered that the sun conure and the galah cockatoo were among the cuddliest and most social birds. They would allow me to pick them up, cuddle and pet them, even put them on my shoulder. Other species like macaws, cockatoos, African gray’s and Amazon parrots distinguished themselves by the displayed intelligence. For example some would greet us the moment we approached the cage, others would reply to us when we left, while others would perform and dance for us while looking and talking to them.

While on our way out, happy and disoriented with regard to our choice still to make, there it was: a huge cage full with many joyfully playing green cheeked conures!

We watched them for a while and noticed how well they interacted with each other. Also, as I was speaking to them they showed interest as they were approaching me and looking curious. We noticed as well that their voices were not very loud and they were not that noisy in general. They were also beautifully colored, many various colors on one single conure: green on the back, orange on the belly and tail with black or white heads. We knew then and there: one of them will be our family in the near future!

A good fit for our apartment

As we returned home from the breeder, we had more research to do. We discovered that the green cheek conure was one of the most quiet parrots (exactly what we noticed while watching them at the breeder). That was a plus point for us, as we did not want the bird to announce even the neighbors across the road when it would be left alone at home.

We also assumed that once it is a small sized bird, the poop is also a small sized one 🙂 That made me recall my childhood experience with the budgies when the poop was small and almost unnoticeable after 30 min when it would dry out. This concern was one raised after the breeder’s visit and noticing the flooring under the big guys like macaws, cockatoos and large Amazons.

We also learned that there are many types of green cheeked conures:

• Yellow-sided green cheeked conure;
• Cinnamon green cheek conure;
• Pineapple green cheeked conures;
• Dilute green cheek conures;
• Dilute yellow-sided green cheeked conures;
• Sun cheek green cheeked conure;
• Turquoise green cheek conure;
• Turquoise cinnamon green cheek conure;
• Turquoise pineapple green cheeked conure, etc.

All these types of conures are is just a modification of their feather colors, in essence it is the same kind of parrot 🙂

We have not decided yet what color would suit us best, but we have decided that this parrot will definitely suit us.

The budget

Money is involved of course as well. While a green cheek conure costs around 200 euros at the breeder, a mature galah, cockatoo or macaw is priced well above 1,000 euros.

And that is only the price for the parrot itself. What about the cage, toys and food? All of that needs to be counted in before making a final decision.

For more information on how to choose a parrot cage, please visit my article Small parrot cages or LARGE parrot cages – which one to choose?

The Name: Mr. Green Cheeked Conure

For me it is important to have as much ready as possible before the arrival of the green cheeked conure in our house, up to having decided the name. In my opinion, once the parrot has a name, it makes him/her an integrated part of the family, it feels more personal.

So we scratched our heads and looked through the options. We thought he is (mainly) green so it has to be some name related to that. The options were: Green, Greeny, Gru. I also remembered that I like the pistachio ice cream which is green and then we thought that hazelnut is also a nut just like the pistachio so why not call the bird Hazel. Then we realized that hazel wasn’t green so we turned to Google for names.

We decided that Elvis was a representative name for a parrot, as hopefully it can talk or sing just as nicely. So despite the green color of the feathers we thought that the green cheek conure’s traits might indicate better an Elvy or Elvis 🙂

That is my experience, what’s yours?

Choosing a parrot involves many things to consider given that it is a long term commitment. But keeping the important factors in mind (like the ones touched upon above) can lead to the right decision and the best fit companion for many years!

Feel free to share with me your experience in the comments below. I would love to hear your story!

To all the Parrot Lovers,

Tatiana

Founder of Best Parrot Toys

Disclaimer: I am not a parrot expert therefore the information in this site represents my opinion based on my experience. Please do not make decisions based solely on my articles. It helps to do further research.