# Pigeon or Parakeet?



## ladyliv (Oct 4, 2015)

Hello Guys!

So ever since I was in high school I have wanted a dove/pigeon for a pet, and now that I have graduated college I feel that I have the time needed to devote to one. However, when I was looking for bird cages on my local craigslist I could help but look at all the cute little parakeets and cockatiels the were in need of new homes, and now I'm conflicted about what kind of bird I might get, especially since handfed doves are hard to comeby where I live. I've researched the care and need for each kind of bird extensively, and I'm not conflicted about the ease of care for each bird, I'm just wondering which kind of bird is perhaps more enriching to care for....if that makes sense.

So for those of you who have had experience with both, which is your preferred bird for ownership/ I started started considering the cockatiels and parakeets because they seem more fun/entertaining in all the videos I've watched on youtube, and on other bird forums people like to say that doves are boring pets more for looking at, but from all the time I've spent reading threads on here I'm sure you guys might know better. 

I know all these birds are amazing in their own ways, but for those of you who have had experience with doves, parakeets, and cockatiels, which has given you the most joy over the years?

I know this might be a difficult question to answer, but I'm very conflicted.

Thanks


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

I had two parakeets, one female I had since she was a squab and second was male who was someone's pet and flew to our house. When he came we thought he can be a good mate for our female but she just hated him and never allowed him in her cage. They could never bond with each other but they were very much bonded with us. Very interactive pets we have ever had. They were Indian ring neck and very wise. They would talk to us and call our names, the female since brought up in our house, she knew when we laugh, she would laugh with us. I too was kid then and grown up with her and when our mom scolded me, she would scold too loudly and she was so loud that our mom would stop, but she would continue. Lol
There are countless moments we lived together and they were amazing and I will keep missing them through out my life because not only we treated them as a part of our family, they too treated us the same. 
On the other hand, pigeons love to be with their flocks. If you keep a lone pigeon, he/she too would most likely bond with you but if they see another pigeon they would like him /her more to be with, some may be exceptional though but I am talking in general. 
So if you want to adopt a lone bird, better will be parakeet, cockatiels or even a needy pigeon who is non releasable and needs human intervention for survival. We do see such birds here in adoption forum if you keep an eye on that. 

If you are inclined towards having other pigeons then adopt two, they will be fun to have. They too are great pets and can get tamed if given some time but doesn't seem better to have them alone. They are flock birds and love to be with their species, they are much happy with their mates. My cock and one of his baby is quite tamed but others don't want me to touch them. So that all depends on them, also on us how much time we give them.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Have had parakeets and pigeons and definitely prefer pigeons. If you want just one pigeon the best choice would be a nonreleasable rescued bird. Try local rehab places, bird clubs, animal shelters, Craigslist. Organizations such as Palomacy are begging for homes. We had a nonreleasable feral, Phoebe, who came to us after severe injuries. She was awesome! Most pigeons prefer to be in pairs. If you have a lone pigeon you have to give several hours per day of attention and have a large indoor flight cage or aviary that is predator proof if outside. Parakeets are fun because they talk but pigeons seem more rewarding, to me. Currently we have two. Keep us posted.


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## The Blue Barred Loft (Oct 1, 2015)

If you are just looking for a single bird to have as a companion, a parrot, parakeet, or parrotlet would be a better choice than a pigeon. Pigeons prefer to be with their own species and like to be more free rather than be in a small indoor bird cage, though there are exceptions. Once they are grown up they often don't want to be petted much and won't cuddle up to you, while a parrot enjoys those things. Like I said though there are exceptions; I have a pigeon who's indoors living with a finch that doesn't mind the cage and will wear a harness to go on walks with me in the evening and I've even had a rescued sparrow that loved to go camping and backpacking. My parrot-another exception-on the other hand won't do anything like that. 

If you are set on getting a pigeon as an indoor pet, adopting a handicapped pigeon may be an option. They often require special care (depending on the handicap of course) but because they rely on you they are are normally much more friendly. Doves like the ringneck dove, also known as the turtle dove, tend to be naturally friendly even though they are pigeons. 

Maybe go to a large pet store that has birds. You often can find doves and parrots or parakeets in the same store and you can pet them and hold them and that could help you make your decision on what type of bird you feel would be the best choice. Just remember, whatever bird you chose, they can live for many many years so be sure to chose carefully because you may have that bird for 20-30 years depending on the breed and how well they are cared for. A parakeet like a budgie or a cockatiel can live for around 10-20 years, many parrots can live to be 30+, and pigeons under proper care I have heard of living as little as 5 years to as much as almost 30.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I love pigeons and have a rescue loft of them, but I think that unless the bird is for some reason handicapped and cannot be with other pigeons, that it is mean and unnatural to keep it alone in a cage. I guess all birds are alike in that way. Even parakeets that live in the wild are happier than kept as pets. But growing up, my Mom always had parakeets. You would want a male, as those are the ones that talk. They are small and easy to keep, if trained and get a lot of attention, they will be very friendly and once you teach them to say a few things, they will then pick up your language more readily, and often come out with things that will shock you. My Moms birds were so often out of cage and spending time with us that they were part of the family. I got one for myself when I was in high school, and just adored him. I kept him in my bedroom, and he was always out of cage when I was home. I would be trying to do my homework, and he wanted attention, so he would grab my pen, chew my papers, and stand there and bob his little green head up and down and scold me loudly till I would put aside my homework and pay attention to him. His name was Ronny. Gee, I loved that bird. My Moms would fly down to the table at dinner time, and pick at your salad. She would hold her hand under a warm running faucet in the kitchen sink, and they would run up and down her arm to run under the shower in her hand. I love my pigeons, but for a single house pet, I really don't think you can beat a parakeet. Just my opinion, as I don't care for large parrots, as they can be very loud and I don't like that. I haven't had experience with cockateils though. I know someone with a small parrot, I think it is a green cheek parrot or something. Very small, just a bit larger than a parakeet. He is adorable also, so there is another choice. I hope you will come back and let us know what you decide and how it is going.

Another thing to add, pigeons are much messier in the house. They throw seed, and you need to cover things more because their droppings are much messier. Even with a pigeon, you would want a male so as to avoid egg laying problems that many hens eventually will have. It's often hard to tell which gender you are getting in a pigeon. You think it's a male and it turns out to be a female. With a Bugie or parakeet, the male is the one you want, and he will have a blue cere, where the females is brown. Look for one where the head stripes go right down to the beak. He is younger. As they age, the head becomes bald (white feathers), as the stripes are more to the top or back of his head. Budgies also aren't as messy when they molt. Smaller feathers.


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## The Blue Barred Loft (Oct 1, 2015)

As Jay3 stated pigeons are messy and their droppings are messier and also larger. If you do decide to get a pigeon one thing you could consider is checking out this website: http://www.flightquarters.com/bird-diapers/category/pigeon-products.html. This goes to their pigeon section but they also make things for other birds. They make what they call a flightsuit that works as a harness that has a diaper on it. Just fold up a tissue to line the inside of the "poo pouch" and replace the tissue every 3 or so hours. I have used it for when I had the birds out for a while and the birds never minded it at all and with some practice it is fairly quick and easy to get on and off.


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