The "starter-bird mentality" gives first-time bird owners the wrong idea

We see parakeets, cockatiels and other small birds at pet stores and online. Who can resist the cockatiel singing the Totoro theme song, or the budgie who can mimic R2-D2?

Although small, both budgies and cockatiels are considered the most popular pet parrot to have, according to Petcha and The Spruce.

Due to the size and popularity of budgies and cockatiels, most people mistake them as a good "beginner's bird." Since budgies and cockatiels are smaller and can also learn to talk, people are more inclined to buy these smaller birds because they're "easier to maintain."

Although smaller birds might be less challenging, the starter-bird mentality gives people the false impression that cockatiels and other small birds are easy pets to care for.

Krista Andersen, an Orem resident, bought a baby cockatiel for her son three years ago. Her oldest son wanted a parrot that could talk, but Andersen was not committed to buying a large parrot. She found a breeder in Utah County and she bought, hand fed and raised a white-faced cockatiel they named Paco.

However, Andersen's son lost interest in Paco once he become involved in high school sports and other social activities. Andersen gave Paco to her younger son, Luke.

"If I had known that my son would lose interest in Paco so quickly, I wouldn't have bought him," Andersen said. She put Paco up on KSL in hopes someone would take better care of him.

KSL is an online classified where users in Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Wyoming can buy and sell items. It is common for parrots and birds to be sold through KSL.

Andersen knew Paco needed to go to a home where they would give him attention. When people would send texts about the KSL ad, Andersen wouldn't respond to people who would refer to Paco as "the bird."

"I would ignore people who wouldn't call Paco by his name or just wanted to buy him without seeing him first," Andersen said. She wanted to be sure that whoever adopted Paco knew how to take care of cockatiels.

Andersen understood how much time and attention cockatiels require and she wanted to see if whoever adopted him would give Paco the care he needed.

"I feel bad whenever [Paco] isn't out of his cage and getting the attention he needs," Andersen said. "He needs a home with someone who will give him the care he needs."

Much like cockatiels, budgies still require work and dedication. Budgies are well known for their size, plumage and popularity. Most pet stores like Petco and PetSmart sell budgies for $15-$20 per bird. Their price, popularity and accessibility make them a very popular bird. But even though they're small and cute, they are still high-maintenance birds.

Lehi resident Jan Maughan and her daughter, Jaimie own two parakeets. Jan stayed with Jaimie's birds while she served an LDS mission in The Netherlands. Jaimie was unsure if the birds would still be alive, but Jan cared for the two budgies diligently.

"Jaimie thought I was going to kill them," Jan said. "They're still alive, but I feel bad for not taking them out more often."

Jan doesn't mind having Snowy and Rio at her house, but they were a handful to take care of by herself while her daughter was gone. She had to clean their cage weekly, change their water and food regularly and vacuum their area often.

"They're really a handful and not a good starter pet," Jan said. "You have to dedicate your life and give them lots of attention while cleaning up all of the seeds they spill."

Both Jan and Jaimie admire budgies for their song and their ability to mimic a short tune. However, Snowy and Rio are both females, which means they don't whistle or mimic, Jan said.

Even if budgies have the ability to sing and mimic tunes, they're not guaranteed to do that when you bring a pair home. Instead of singing tunes, Snowy and Rio usually chatter and bicker, which isn't as pretty as hearing a nice tune.

"Snowy and Rio can be loud when they're chattery and when they yell, it's ear-piercing," Jan said.

Even though Jan didn't like dealing with high-maintenance birds, she is happy to have helped her daughter while she did missionary work in Europe.

"Budgies are really cute, but they're not ideal pets to keep," Jan said.

[Photo Credit: Mariana Chrisney]