| Dave,
If noise is important than you should forget about a large parrot.
Period. Although some individuals may be somewhat more subdued than
others, they all can and will make quite loud noises to some extend.
All macaws(even the mini's) and all cockies are noisy, even amongst
parrots.
If noise �s a key factor then a Pionus species is about your only real
option.
Furthermore, hand-fed baby parrots make lovely pets but, BUT (a realy
huge but) they need the attention when they have matured as well and
they will "ask" for this in no uncertain terms.
If you forget about the noise and the attention, then a mini-macaw
might make you a good "pet". They are sweet natured and quite
intelligent.
This intelligence however raises the ethical issue of keeping a social
bird like that in solitary confinement. That's another one you will
have to solve yourself as it is (in my opinion unfortunately so) still
legal to keep one as a solitary "pet".
Be aware that ALL macaws are threatened species.
Although I don't know about the price in the States, over here they are
on a par with the lesser sulfer crested cockie.
IMHO: do not st�rt with keeping another young parrot as a soltitary
pet. Although, with a LOT of effort and care, you might make it happy
but that would take a life-time commitment as parrots tend to be
longlived.
A parrot is NOT a true pet animal species by nature. For the money
involved you could also get yourself something exotic that wouldn't
realy notice being caged.
Ask yourself what you want from the bird and what you can give in
return....
Peter(who "graduated" from keeping "pet"-parrots to breeding to none,
the hard way.)
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