When I was 11 I wanted a bird so bad , so my parents bought me a cockatiel (also thinking it's a good starter bird) now I'm 25   and he's still with me. Also a rescue African grey joined the family.

*Funny thing is the cockatiel (a male) makes more noise then the African grey (a female)

I noticed when talking about how noisy parrots can be, Smokey was laughing in the background...too funny !

I wish I had better words, but I don’t. This man is right...
My daughter had a sun conure....cute, colorful.....LOUD, louder than my macaw now full-time...sadly it went back to the pet store.
My macaw is looooooud but just twice a day or so. That’s the usual behavior, he’s a rescue and I’m a stay home dad but he literately needs people 24/7. They build up a trust that cannot be under estimated.  They love, we get annoyed and pass them on. Then they hurt, and never forget.
Good luck

I love seeing my birds drink water when they’re really thirsty. It’s so cute. My Grey makes this cute little sound when she’s drinking. 😊

I have two budgies- the supposed “starter birds”. They aren’t. They aren’t too loud sure, and they’re not as prone to plucking as other parrots, but they still need a good diet, lots of space, and they aren’t easy to tame. They’re very skittish by nature so it takes a lot of time and effort. Like, a lot. They also make lots of noise and make a huge mess for such little birds! Also, people with allergies shouldn’t get birds. They produce dust that can really aggravate them. There are some birds that aren’t as dusty but that is something to keep in mind.

I have a conure!!! He is very shy so he dosent normaly sqwark but when he does...
O.  M.  G.

Thank you for pointing out the 'starter bird issue'. no bird is disposable, to be gotten rid of when you're ready to 'move on'. Are you still planning to get another grey?

Totally agree! Amazing video, as always, Jon! Dear students, birds are definitely not the best for students. Parrots are best for people who have life all figured out, where they are going to live, and also who have their career and financial income all figured out because these pets are NOT cheap! If I got a parrot back when I really wanted in my early twenties, it definitely would have done poorly and eventually rehomed. 15 yrs later, I've built my businesses and even relocated to another country, and thanks to that, I now have the time, money, and stability to own a CAG parrot and give it all the love and stuff it needs to be spoiled and happy. Building my first house currently with a 3 storey aviary right in the middle of the home just for the bird! Listen to Jon, guys. He knows what he's talking about!

PS - Oh yeah, and can we talk about the mess they make? 5 yrs old mess that live for decades. Even human kids grow up eventually and learn to be neater, and kids don't cover your furniture in dust nor tear it up at every given chance! Leather and wood furniture owners, you've been warned! 🤣

My name is Stephen and I live in SC.  I am 10 years old.  There is  a pet store in my town that we visit a lot.  There is an African Grey named Charlie there that I think would make a great friend for your Smokey.  We were warned that he bites when we first started visiting him and he would screech when I got near his cage... but now when we go see him, he seems to remember us, whistles instead of screeching, and even bows his head for us to pet him through the bars of his cage.  I really would love to know that he has a good home! He is at Pet Lovers in Florence SC.

We have two suns and they are noisy. They have their "screeching periods" where they just scream and scream. But we taught them if they want to hang out, they have to be quiet (or more like squawk and beep). Fortunately we have them in the farthest part of the flat, so they don't annoy neighbours, but in a regular flat it might be a problem. It's not that much, they are noisy like 15 minutes a day in total. Sometimes they are worse days, screaming for longer periods, usually when we didnt let them have enough of sleep. The girl is really quiet on her own, the male had made it screamier, but we are slowly decreasing the noise amount. They can be taught, fortunately :)
Otherwise they are sweet as hell and we love them <3

11:15 🤣🤣🤣 after 100  hundred years...







The carrot won.

I’m in middle school and every second I am with my bird. And really my parents like my birds.  A LOT. So my bird is my parents bird really. And I just take care of it.

My African grey deafens me when I walk past him

I cant believe i missed this vid, i was dif missing ur vids lol. I dont have a bird (yet), i wana make sure im ready in as many ways as possible, coz to me wen i get my bird, itll b for life. I want to b the best guardian I can be. That's why i luv ur vids, ur honesty and gr8 advice has taught me alot.
(sorry for the multiple comments, i had to catch up ☺️)
🐦 🐦 💙 🐦 🐦

The fact that makes me super amazed! That u always make time to help ppl online! U help 100's of ppl!

Do you have a video with a full list of foods allowed and not allowed for Smokey? Btw Smokey chomping on that carrot is satisfying asmr for parrot lovers 🤣

Thank you for making this video! More awareness is needed when getting a parrot. I have a Black Capped Conure. She's lovely but a lot of work.

You were one of the main reasons I took a great interest in African Greys! Months of research later I'm happy to say I'm the owner of a charming little boy! Thank you for all your wisdom!

Thank you for making this. I wish I saw this video before I got my budgie last summer :( I love him to death but I am still in college and I’m worried I won’t have time to commit to him when I transfer to a university. Luckily I will still be living at home, but I wish I had waited until I had finished school... 😞

Very good advice, a bird is a lifelong commitment and need as much care  as a child or dog