Is a pineapple conure a good starting bird to have?

Answer 1

First off, a "pineapple" conure is just a color mutation of the green-cheeked conure. It's not a separate species.

How appropriate a particular species is for you depends a lot on you. You should be aware that parrots, including conures, are loud, messy, destructive, and demanding. Birds' needs and behavior are radically different from cats, dogs, and other mammals that are commonly kept as pets.

Cost: This is not just the cost of the bird. Your bird will need high-quality food, including pellets (bird kibble), seeds, nuts, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. If you're the kind of person who eats a lot of fresh/raw plant material already, this should not be much of an adjustment, but if you eat a lot of processed or packaged foods it might take a while to get used to how much fresh produce costs and how to use and store it effectively.

Your bird will need at least two cages. One will be his main cage, which should be big enough for him to fly around a little even with all of his perches and toys. The second is a smaller travel cage that you will use for short trips or to go to the vet.

Your bird will need a variety of toys and they will need to be replaced fairly frequently. This is because birds are destructive. They have a physical and psychological need to chew, shred, rip, yank, and batter toys. They also need a variety so they don't get bored. A bored parrot is not much fun to live with because you won't like the new games your bird comes up with to amuse himself, like screaming and biting.

Birds also take a lot of time. If you can't set aside at least an hour a day for training and playing with your bird, you will not develop a good relationship and your bird will not be much fun to live with (again, screaming and biting play a role). You'll also need to clean up poop, feathers, and leftover food.

It's a good idea to get hands-on experience before committing to living with a bird. Try contacting a local bird rescue organization to see if they need help caring for their adoptable birds. You might be able to help at the shelter facility or they might want foster carers to take charge of birds in their own homes.