We do!!! We've had several cockatiels and currently have a pair. They're amazingly smart and fun birds. Usually, only the males will talk and we had one a few years ago who had a huge vocabulary, he was a real joy. In general, they're super happy birds and yes, they can be loud during mating season or if they are stressed but there are ways to tone that down considerably. One thing we've always done is to keep our birds in pairs and never have just one. Some say this can interrupt how well they'll accept their owner into the flock but I spend a lot of time with our birds and have not found this to be the case in our situation. Since they are very social if they don't get enough stimulation, then it can stress them out and make them irritable or sad. We can be loud too when we're unhappy. :c)

We also house them in larger sized cages so they can get lots of exercise. Any cage should be large enough that the birds can spread their wings comfortably, they should also have grated bottoms to catch a lot of mess that can land on the floors; that helps a lot but you have to know that with any bird comes mess. They scatter seed, the hulls blow everywhere, there is feather dander and lots of feathers during their molts. It's natural and a lot of it can't be avoided though with most parrots including cockatiels, spraying them down daily with water helps to keep their skin from drying out which helps with dander control too. Our birds love to sit on the bench and take showers.

There are mixed emotions about wing clipping, but for safety purposes, we keep their wings clipped. That allows me to keep their cage doors open for most of the day. They love it because they're free to climb and play to their hearts content. Routine for them is key as is 12 hours sleep each night and a balanced diet of seed, pellets, fruits & veggies. I work from home so these things are not a problem for me but just like with any animal, you're smart not to have one if your lifestyle isn't conducive to their needs. Like our other animals they are an important part of our family dynamic, we've had them for so long now that I'd go nuts if I didn't have their noise in the back ground.

Finches are a fun bird too and can be equally as messy. I have a friend who has some and when it comes to laying clutches, they're very active and reproduce quick. I'd be sure to get a nice sized flight cage so they have plenty of room. They're not that expensive and will provide a very happy space for your birds. Also, it's hard to sex most birds until they are much older, I would make sure you have a shop or vendor lined up that will be willing to take any babies you don't want off your hands.

As far as buying some finches, I would try to find an avian store in your area that specializes in just birds. Store owners of these stores are typically people who have been handling birds for many years and they will have a wealth of knowledge on whatever type of bird you decide is right for you. They will also have a good knowledge about the feeds they sell and the basics of what your bird will need. The owner of the shop I like to go to is happy to take babies and even hand feed them.
I hope it turns out well for you, finches are really pretty and so fun to just watch. -- Lukki

lukki, thank you so much for all the info! Your birds sound like so much fun. And it sounds like you take great care of them.

I think I will probably get a pair of zebra finches. They're adorable and I love the little peeping sound they make. I didn't think about the babies- I'm hoping a same-sex pair can get along. Some of the finches require more specialized care (from what I've read) but I think the zebras are among the easiest to care for.

Thanks again!

I had a pair of finches. Their sounds were nice; a little peep vs. the squawk of larger birds. They were messy though. Seeds were all over the floor no matter what I did to contain it.

I've had parakeets most of my life, both in pairs and as singles. Right now, we have a single guy, a hand-raised male who taught himself to talk. If I had known that he was listening so closely, I would have been more careful with what I said, lol! His wings are unclipped, and he has limited flight hours, never unsupervised. He's a lot of fun. When he's in big trouble, he has been known to say, "I love you!" He doesn't know what it means, just that it works.

You're welcome Nancy, Zebra Finches are fun. I don't know specifically if breeders can sex finches any easier than other birds. As you probably know, it's not until birds get their adult feathers that one can usually tell their sex because that's when the males get their colorful plumage. With cockatiels that's at about 6 mos. I also find that with cockatiels the bodies of the males are typically more slender and smaller in scale whereas the females are larger and more pear shaped. The other way to sex them is via DNA, for breeders it may be different but for the average person that can be pricey. I wouldn't apply what I'm saying to the finches per say, because I could be wrong. Like I said before, the avian store in your area (Not a chain store like Petco or Petsmart) will be most able to answer any questions. Good luck!

Nope, birds freak me out. Years ago my GM kept a parakeet. When her bird died, I was sent to get another. I went to the pet store and picked out a bird. The employee proceed to put the bird into a lunch bag-type brown bag. I thought she was kidding me, but she really wasn't. I had to transport that bird in a lunch bag. Let's just say the ride home was a white knuckle affair.

My dad has a lot of birds. They are a very big commitment in time. He can't go away often, they live very long (depending on species) etc. I do think he is regretting it lately, but two is probably not too bad if you have someone that will watch them if you go away.

amj, I am sweeping up dog fur all the time, now I'll have more to sweep-
kelpermaid, I've heard that parakeets can learn to talk but have never heard one. Seems like they would have a tiny little voice. How cute.
lukki, you are so helpful.
work- a "white knuckle affair"- so funny. Although I'm sure it wasn't at the time.
boop- that is so interesting about your dad. Also, you haven't shown any pics of your dining room lately. I always loved that room and all of your beautiful things!

Nancybee, it is a high-pitched little voice, but it can be surprisingly loud. Right now, he is on my shoulder saying, "Baby budgie dude!"
I was in a gift shop in Cambria, CA, where I found a postcard with a cartoon-ish drawing of a little blue bird who had a caption over his head that read, "I'm three ounces of whoop-a$$." I think he weighs about half of that, but you get the idea.

Unfortunately our little budgie is no longer with us, but we had 2 males over the years who were prodigious talkers. I have videos of B.J. and Buddy saying, "I love you, gimme kiss" "BJ wants a cookie" and other stuff. Amazingly, even though they supposedly didn't know what they were saying, they often were very appropriate. They were unclipped and pretty much had the run of the large kitchen area under supervision. We purposely bought a house which didn't have an exit to the outdoors from the kitchen.

Yes, they make a mess, but they are very good company as they sit on your shoulder whispering sweet nothings.

I miss my little guys....

Helene

kelpermaid and blubird, I love your budgie stories. If I could "turn down the volume" on them, I'd get one in a heartbeat! It seems like they can be so affectionate and they are so pretty. (I think I'm overly sensitive to noise).

I'm sorry about B.J. and Buddy, Helene.

We have an African Gray who we declared a grown up after 18 years. Mojo moved in with his sister, Aimee. Robert is the bird lover in our family but turns out he is extremely allergic. It's not so bad, really. I can see him a few times a week and Aimee has to clean up after him.

He is so smart.

My brother has two cockatoos, both female. They are very funny. One is aggressive and I won't hold her but the other one is fine to be held, sitting on your arm.

He had another male cockatoo that was like a rottweiler with feathers. That thing went after everyone who came into my brother's house. If you walked around in bare feet, he bit your toes. He'd pull himself up the furniture and bite your neck or whatever else he could reach. He had screaming fits every night and totally destroyed anything he could get his beak around, including the mantle around the fireplace. I made my brother keep him the cage when I was there. He did talk a blue streak and learned some really clever tricks.

The two new girls probably don't get as much attention as the old one (who died in a freak accident)so they don't have as extensive a vocabulary.

They sure do make a mess. Feathers and seed everywhere, as well as huge poops. Here they are eating pasta.

golddust, I think the african grays are fascinating and I think I've read that they're the best talkers. Seeing one a few times a week and not having to clean up after him sounds pretty good!

dedtired, the male cockatoo sounds awful. I heard one in a bird shop once and it wouldn't stop (picked this up from a dog) barking. LOUD! The girls sound sweet, and I love the picture.

nancybee,

While parakeets can be talkers, they really aren't very loud, unlike some of the larger birds. When they're on your shoulder and talking, it can sound somewhat loud as they're right by your ear, but in their cage or flying around they are quite 'softspoken.'

Apparently pasta is a bird favorite. Here's a picture of my BJ eating his pasta...never could have spaghetti without him pulling strands off my plate, or anyone else's.

Helene

Love that, lbubird! LOL! We've got a bad case of "I'll have what she's having" around here, too.

Blubird, how cute! One of my neighbors just sent out an email to all the neighbors saying that a parakeet with a band was found and she was trying to find the owner. I haven't heard anything yet, but I bet someone is looking for it.

Oh, yes!!! I've got a Yellow-naped Amazon, Mr. Coqui, and he is the King of the Universe (just ask him, he'll tell you!) He'll also tell you when it's breakfast time, when it's dinner time, when it's time to come out to play, when the coffee machine beeps it's swan song, tell the dogs to stop barking, tell the dogs to stop when they're playing too roughly, etc. He's a riot, and a much loved member of the family, but he does take a lot of work and attention (as do my two dogs and two cats - really, I joke about having to work just to buy pet food and toys and then spend the rest my time feeding and playing with them!)

Finches are a good bird to start with if you're interested in birds, because they are very self-sufficient as long as they've got room to fly, nest and amuse themselves. A flight cage is ideal. I've had birds most of my adult life, and highly second the suggestion to find a bird store locally and talk with them - it's not a high income profession, so the people that own bird stores do it for love of the species and have a wealth of knowledge and advice.