For those who were asking, here is the website where i ordered The Practical Pionus from. The website is owned by the author himself. Please note if you live outside of the USA you will need to e-mail the contact e-mail address so he can sort out shipping fees. The website also looks ... weird, but it was set up in 2004 and hasnt been changed since, so its the very old style of website, but i assure you it is correct. This is the same website i got my vopy of The Practical Pionus from. www.the-practical-pionus.com/
@Mr.ZachTV in my opinion yes! It's one of the most in depth books written on Pionus Parrots and the author is one of the founders of the Pionus Parrot research foundation and has studied pionus in the eild. Its a very good and educational read.
@@PionusTales I sent the author an email 4 days ago and have not yet received a reply. How long did it take for him to contact you? I would like to buy the book ASAP. Thank you very much :)
@estebanraspo3713 it did take a couple of days to get a response. I'd say send another one just to check if they recieved it as it may have gone into their junk mail by accident
im planning on getting a pionus parrot in the coming years and watching your videos have really helped me feel comfortable with the idea of owning one. i love how much you love these birds!
Thank you so much for making this. I got my 6 year old BH Pionus last summer from a rescue. A well intentioned owner got him as a baby because they thought he'd be quiet and bond with the family. He screams like crazy and cycles through beeping, shrill screeches, and donkey sounding honks. All in a row, endlessly. As you said here, they are individuals and the comparison is to other parrots. Sadly the previous owners accidentally reinforced lots of aggressive behaviors and screaming before ultimately surrendering him. He's my first bird so I didn't find his body language easy to understand at all. I was told he never bites, and maybe that was true for the experienced people at the rescue, but I've been bit many times. I tried everything for him: hiring a trainer, diet conversion, no fruit, new big cage, hormonal implants, more sleep, his own room, all kinds of toys. I was desperate for any information at all because a lot of the advice online was just not helpful or applicable to the sensitivities of a Pionus. He's finally improving and I attribute it to learning his body language and challenging training every day. I know there's a lot of differences between Amazons and Pi's, but they are the closest related genus and learning Amazon body language (since there is way more information about them) helped me immensely. Your video is the best I've found so far on their behavior. I'm sure it'll help a lot of people.
Thank you! And thank you for trying so hard for your little blue head. Keep in mind puonus do need some fruit in their diet, not a lot but a little bit each day is good for them. And you're right, there's not a lot of info on body language at all. And thankfully they do have a lot of similar body language to Amazons so it is helpful in learning it that way. Well done! And it shows learning how to communicate with them is the best option. Hopefully I'll be able to make a video explaining some of the different body languages one day but maybe after Lyra has finished puberty 🤣 good luck, hope you both build a loving strong bond
Absolutely amazing guide. Been doing research about good parrots for first timers, and Pionus appear on these recommendations 90% of the time, but for the life of me I wasn't able to find a proper, long form video explaining some other important stuff like their nap time, hormones, bite type until this one. It's understandable that every bird is a unique individual, but it's good to know about the personal experiences of someone just to get an idea, and what variations could come from that. Hopefully this video is seen by more people that are considering a Pionus as a pet bird, cause it definitely goes in depth into many topics that other videos/websites forget to mention 👍
Hi, I have a 13 yo Maxi. He is very quiet. (Except when I run the vacuum}. He says many words/phrases. He says "Hello and waves", "I want to go to the cage" "I want to go night-night", "Shake off the water", "Water," and "What's your name"? Both our names (john and Penny). He says most things in context. He goes in the cage when I tell him. He sometimes chews on things but does not like toys. I live in an apartment and it works out well. I am home a lot and spend a lot of time with my parrot and dog. I talk to them and treat them like people. Like any relationship, you have to put the time in.
What do you feed your bird and when? I mean when such as, "chop in the morning and pellets in the evening" ... do you feed chop? Pellets? A seed mix? What do you use for treats? Do you find your bird likes trick training? What about flying? Is he flighty or phobic?
@@carina9629 "Hello. I feed him a handful of seed mix without sunflower seeds every morning along with 7 pumpkin seeds. I used to give him pellets, but I want to start giving him pellets again. Apart from the seed mix, I also give him apples and frozen mixed vegetables. I don't really do any training with him, but I praise him and that seems to work. He only flies when he gets startled. I take him out of his cage every day and he is quite independent. He mostly likes to be around me, but he doesn't have separation anxiety." We've traveled a lot, by train, car, and boat. He is used to change
Thank you for this video! I had a white capped named AUgust years ago. He was a retired breeder and was THEEEEEEEEEE most laid back bird, even for a Pionus. I'm wanting another, and your video brought back lots of good memories.
I loved your explanation of LOUD 🤣 the ear piercing, tinnitus level loud, is very accurate 🤣 love my boy Muninn, but it doesn't half sting when he decides to scream right down my ear canal 🥹
Thank you for creating this! Your segment on the noises they make, pitch and duration is very important… When I narrowed it down welcoming either a Pionus or a Cape Parrot into our family, my deciding factor was the sounds that both made. I listened carefully to all of the calls both species make in order to figure out which one I can live with as I am noise sensitive. Although they both have a “reputation” for being “quiet,” I had to know that if I picked one whom happened to be louder than most of their species, that I was okay with their vocals. I chose the Cape Parrot, and for me personally, all of her cute sounds and wonderful vocabulary are just perfect for me, as well as her all-around being 😊. I truly do adore the stunning beauty of all the different types of Pionus, yet I strive to be practical and mindful when bringing a new family member home in order to set us all up for successful from the get-go, to hopefully live a long and peaceful life together. Doing months of extensive research on which parrot I’d be the best fit for, and speaking with experts like you (thanks bunches!), was essential in finding my most perfect match - having the honor of being my Cape’s person has been one of the greatest highlights in my life. She’s so interestingly complex, as are all birds, yet I’m not sure if that is widely know enough to those when embarking upon the human/parrot relationship. It is educational videos such as your beautifully put together one, that will absolutely help illustrate that, which I’m so grateful for.❤
Thank you so much for your kind words. And I cant put into words how grateful and happy it made me that you reached out to us on Insta and did as much research as you could when making your decision. Parrot ownership isn't for everyone. And I know preaching "don't get a parrot" will often fall on deaf ears. So my hope is to simply help people learn more and encourage researching into a pet before making such a life changing (literally) decision. I hope you are both doing well!!! I'd love to do a video comparing Cape parrots to Pionus one day as I've heard they're so similar. So maybe in a year or 2 I'll be coming to you for your input/experience of what they're like ❤️❤️❤️
Hello! Gosh, thank you for ALL of your help - your previous videos had actually introduced me to the Pionus species, and what life is like in general with being owned by a parrot… I watched each quite a few times, and was/am grateful that you’re very transparent in what it’s truly like to live with, train and care for a parrot/parrots . I love that you documented your journey right from the start, and how you and your parrots have grown together - the trust and relationship that you’ve built with the girls is so inspiring. I believe it’s the honesty which you share in your videos that’s so valuable in preventing unfortunate re-homing of any bird… After viewing your transparent videos, one may decide on their own to either pursue, or not to pursue getting one after seeing all of the never-ending time, work, dedication, thought, and love, which you clearly display. You present it in a non-judgmental type of way just by demonstrating that having a bird is a LIFESTYLE, and different than any other companion animal in so many ways. I’m quite certain that potential Pionus, and non-Pionus parents, are watching your content before getting a bird and witness the basic care and attention that you have to provide for any type of bird. I’m talking the basic basics, however, many different species require much more work and attention than others may. Thank you for asking about my little girl! She is approaching her first birthday, and my goodness, she’s such a dream. She’s just been a blessing to me in so many ways. It’s been a blast hearing her talk (she now controls our Alexa, telling it, “Alexa, skip,” and other commands!) and watching her understand what I’m saying by doing what I ask of her. Touching upon my previous statement about some birds needing more than others; I did choose a female Cape Parrot based on what I could realistically provide. I adore that Capes are pretty easygoing - she can be bossy if she objects to something, and yells, “Michael!” at me, which is our teenage son’s name, as I guess she hears and understands my annoyed inflection when saying his name! Ha! She plays independently along side of me, or alone (I have cameras!) which was very important to me because I’m not a Velcro type of person, so that narrowed down alot of parrots for me. I did, however, desire an intelligent bird, whom is interested in people, but can be chill on their own. That made the list even shorter, and her talking came as a happy bonus because I didn’t expect her to. It literally came down to a Pionus or a Cape Parrot, both of which I found and put deposits on way before they were weaned, so it was a tough choice. I reached out to a lot of people who had either one or both species and asked their about their personal experiences, which was very helpful… I kept a list of responses, and when information overlapped, I put it in the “most likely” personality trait for each. For me, the deciding factors were their sounds, energy levels and temperament. I was set on a female because they are supposedly less territorial and aggressive, in my very limited research. Well, long story longer, a female Cape Parrot was the correct choice for me, personally. I did my very best to make an informed decision and could not be any happier. Could I have been paired with a Pionus? Probably, but the subspecies that matched with me the best are very scarce, unfortunately. If I had to do it all over again, though, I’d definitely choose a Cape… We are preparing for puberty very early because I understand that she’ll change, so I am careful with how many hours of darkness she gets to sleep, her diet, respecting where to touch her and where to avoid, keeping our boundaries clear, and sticking with a regular schedule that she can rely on… Hormonal changes are hard on people, so I’m anticipating and trying to lessen the stress on her from now. Thank you so much again, and I look forward to your upcoming video on both species! Please feel free to contact me about my journey with our Cape - I LOVE talking about her, so I’d gladly help if needed!🥰
FYI ~ The type of Pionus that I had a deposit on was a White Capped, which I may not have been the right fit for… As you mentioned, there are a few types of Pionus, and I found that the only ones I could get were White Capped and Blue Headed, both of which seemed to me, personally, to fall away from whom I was looking for. Birds are a lifetime commitment (she has her own fund in our will and person whom she’d go to, just in case something happens to us) so I really, really wanted to be comfortable that I could provide my personal best towards the type of species I chose.❤
@TurtleyObsessedGirl I think you definitely made the right decision. And it's wonderful to hear about your research and I hope your comments help others to consider doing their own research too, in order to find the right pet for them. Hope you had a lovely new year! And wish you the best of luck through puberty ❤️ as it is by far the hardest part. Hope to chat to you again soon sometime 💓
I looooove birds. I admire them so much and loooove learning about them. Im slowly, very slowly, coming to except that they just arent the pet for me. I am home all the time, but am very very sensitive to noise. Pionus are my favorite parrots ever. Theyre so so so beautiful and clever and i adore the wheeze. I really hope to one day find a friend who has one so i can live out my little fantasy of owning one. They probably wont like me, but i think just being able to see one is person would be just the best. ❤❤❤
I'm really glad you have considered this and recognize that birds may not be a good pet for you. It seems like so many people don't realize what they are getting into when they get a bird. However, as another absolute bird lover who is sensitive to noise, I found that Bourke's parrots are absolutely perfect for me. They aren't pionus for sure, but lovely and quiet birds. I have 5 of them and they don't bother me at all; their little cheeps are so sweet. If you really want a bird, perhaps do some research on the Bourke and see if they might be a good fit for you!
We have a white crowned pionus (Sage) and have recently also added a baby blue headed pionus (Willow) to the flock. Your descriptions are quite accurate. She is super cuddly with me but a major grump in general and not very sociable. Took a few months for her to accept Willow as a flock member and my partner still gets the cold shoulder from her at times (especially if I'm in the room). Willow is just a baby so still a major cutie and unbelievably adventurous. They really are the most amazing parrots though. Definitely my favorite.
Quaffle is exactly the same as Sage. Took her at least 8 months, almost a year to really get comfy with Lyra and only very recently started contact calling her if Lyra calls first 🤣 such grumpy birds but love them all the same
Definitely the best talk about Pionus(es?) I have listened to. We have recently lost our beloved Green Cheek Conure and I am feeling the need to search for our next companion to fill the void. So, I am doing so much research on the matter. I came across the Pionus as described as the chill-out bird. So thank you for giving me so much actual information about these. They are definitely well anchored on my (our) list of possible next feathered partner. Thank you so much for your work.
Thank you!! And also thank you for doing your research! It always brings me joy knowing people do plenty of research before getting a new parrot. They are brilliant birds overall and after knowing multiple birds through my friends I can confidently say I chose the right one for me and my lifestyle. And all my friends comment on how easy going they are compared to their own birds. Don't get me wrong, they have their flaws as I tried to outline in the video, but from a personal opinion they are amazing birds. If you get a baby bird (of any species), get ready for puberty! It somehow takes every owner by surprise when their sweet cuddly baby turns i to an angry hormonal monster 😂 but it's only 2 years out of the 30+ they may live. Once mature adults they settle right back down.
I have a Blue Head as re-home. She is the fourth bird in the flock. She amazes me, and it was love at first sight. She is two and a half, and we are working on getting her diet in order. I enjoy all your videos. Thanks so much.
I do hope to do a video about diet but I want to do some fact checking first and make sure I get the information accurate before doing a video on that topic.
Absolutely amazing video on the wonderful pionus parrot! There is so little information out there on these little incredible birds, you really nailed it! Owning a white capped parrot for 16 years I learned so much. 55:31
Omg I loved the video! Already can’t wait for the next one. I have a Jardines parrot and I find so many similarities between my jardines and the pionus.
My blue head is a loud mouthed sour patch kid. He is 13 years old, can tell you he “wants a grape or a peanut”. Also says “poor baby”, and “hello” anytime a ringer or alarm goes off. Goes from a complete menace to a neck nuzzler in the blink of an eye. Will fly to see you and then bite you and say “haha” then fly off.
I love that description 🤣 I heard the blue heads tend to be more vocal and bossy 🤣 sounds like he fits that description. Sounds as cheeky as Quaffle too with thst attitude
This was well worth the wait! Such great information. I now see the siesta in our BH daily antics! 😂 The unique flock call information was illuminating as we listen to our BH vocalizing with our GC Conure and Amazon. We could tell they appeared to be talking with each other and often adopt similar sounds. We laugh that they’re each speaking differently languages but we think they’re trying to adapt a common flock call after watching your video. Thank you for all the time and effort you poured into this content. Happy New Year!🎉
Ashley this is great!! When you said you felt guilty about not getting your first educational vid out in a timely manner, I did NOT expect it to be an hour long! It absolutely paid off though - I really enjoyed watching the entire thing! I so appreciate your description of the cuddly factor; I've been asked if my girl is cuddly and I say yes, because it's cuddly for a pionus. She loves the constant scritches and prompts me to continue if I stop. (she is also only 19 months though, and just barely starting puberty, so time will tell). This was so well organized and informative for potential pionus parronts. Excellent video!
looking at maybe getting one of these guys and your video is by far the most informative and helpful. I'll probably wait til I'm not in an apartment, even though its big with very high ceilings, I still don't know if it's a good idea with neighbors and such. Hopefully one day!
wow, I looked down to see how long ago this was posted and I didnt expect 10 hours, its awesome to see fellow people in england interested in parrots especially pionus, Ive wanted one for ages & glad I now have a channel to go to! (currently have 4 budgies)
Thank you so much for this video! I can’t tell you how much I wish I had this kind of information when I first got my white-cap pionus Antonia 19 years ago. She was 6 mos old and I was only 10 years old! They are definitely very special birds and you are so right when you say they are forgiving 😂 I like to say Antonia and I grew up together and I often think about all the shenanigans she put up with during my college days bc she came with me and let’s just say her and I have some stories. She is still extraordinarily youthful at 19 and I hope I am blessed to have her in my life for many more years ❤❤
That's amazing!! So many people usually give up t On their birds when they go to college and university so I LOVE that she was with you through all of it! She sounds like a wonderful girl!!
Your presentation skills are second to none! Thank you so much for this very informative video - your research and knowledge is greatly appreciated! 💕 Hugs from Yorkshire 🦜xx
Wonderful video and so accurate! I have a 4 year old, female, Maximilian Pionus. Super curious, very active outside of siesta time and super talkative. The main difference I've noticed between her and other pionuses is that she doesn't have the raspy voice. She seems to have two vocal ranges and either sounds like R2D2 or Barry White. We love your channel and appreciate all of your pionus content!
Thank you! And your maxi sounds wonderful!!! I have a friend and her Bronze wing mimics R2D2's sound perfectly 🤣🤣 but I love the range in their vocal and whistling abilities.
But theres always opportunity to learn and improve 😊 it means you have a better understanding of what you need to learn before owning a parrot, or understanding why a different pet may be a better option.
My Dusky Pionus is such a darling. She’s under 2 years old so we will see.. I also have a family of 6 cockatiels and a mischievous and selectively bullying male Jenday Conure. Toward the end of 2024 around fall if everything is going according to plan we will welcome another pionus. Pionus are my favorite genus.
Awww how lovely. I love Duskys, if I can ever get a 3rd I hope its a Dusky. I love their colours. And they are amazing birds. Sounds like you've got a handful with your flock 🤣 good luck with puberty. And hope all goes well for the new addition ❤️
Yaaaaay, SO well done Ashley, you can definitely tell how much you have improved on editing, talking and also just the knowledge you have gained from owning Quaffle and Lyra
Thank you! I'm so glad!! Charlie is definitely like lyra and another great example that not all birds follow their stereotypes. Glad you enjoyed it!! I need to catch up on your videos, this video took up all my spare time 🤣
Aw no worries I've had a whole month of doing nothing, so I'm actually quite disappointed that I've only made three videos... Your channel is doing so well, fingers crossed you'll be monetized in the future
I was fortunate to hang about with a Maximillian named Maxi during an internship at a zoo’s insect house. He lived in the office so he got used to me inputting data for a project. He was half blind so a bit more defensive. He had a reputation for being picky about people and aggressive; especially about his cage. I made an effort to announce my approach and intention to interact with him and his cage as well as stay in view of his good eye so he was a bit more “lenient” about me cleaning his space. I about fell off the chair when he climbed up his cage and bowed his head for scritches while I was typing one day.
I'm getting a Dusky at the end of the year! So excited and we've done plenty of research. Plus they'll be from a breeder we know and have bought from before
Thanks A LOT for this amazing educational video! It helped me so much in understanding my two feathered friends. I had no idea about the siesta thing. Keep up the good work! Looking forward to the next video 😊
Wow. You pack so much information into each sentence, that I hang on every word and I pause the video to take notes. I plan on getting a Pionus and I am devouring up every tid bit I can from you. Your videos are the only informative ones in the zeitgeist. I live in the United States and am too lazy to go through the trouble to get The Practical Pionus. Do you videos cover the same ground as the book?
It's definitely worth doing the research before getting any pet. I'm glad the video was helpful!! I dont quote directly from the book, and if I ever do I will say so. But a lot of the more in depth stuff is largely from the practical pionus. I've read a few pionus books now and that is by far the most in depth one to date and covers a LOT of very valuable information and a large amount of the knowledge I've gained is thanks to that book and the in depth research the author themselves had done.
Agree, my bronze wing is what you describe. She will always rest lunch time, good because I work daytime so I can take care of her after my job to the night (to 7 am...)
Dang, the only pionus I can find around here are blue headed. And I've only read they are on the more on the calm side. Obviously each one is an individual, but I haven't heard that they are bipolar and can go from sweet to aggressive.
For blue heads I highly recommend checking out @stellaandcharlie (Stella and Charlie) here on RUclips. She does a lot of videos of what life is like with a Blue Head. Charlie is currently going through hormones and is extra screamy
@PionusTales haha I actually have that playing as we speak! I've watched through all of her videos a few times now, as well as been going through yours! It's probably a few months out still till the breeder has one available so I'll definitely be watching calls channels closely to lern all I can!
Great informational video! Thinking about getting a Pionus as I have heard that they where very chill and I was so happy to see this video taking about the NEGATIVES, as I have not found that anywhere else, so I also can everything into consideration, not just the positives, before comitting to a bird. They are still parrots so the have to have some of the parrot behaviour, unlike what the rest of the internet is saying. Still seemes like the bird for me, just have to have a long think about if I can take the screaming and about the risk of the parrot getting lonely when I am away.
That's what I was hoping for with this video, and this channel in general, to show the positives and negatives so people van make a fully informed decision and not be shocked when it's not what they expected
Great video and happy to see Luna making a star appearance 😀 Really accurate in my opinion based on my experience of owning two, one thing i notice you didn't mention is their smell, its something so special about them, i love Lunas smell it's so hypnotic 😅😍
When I saw that video of her on Facebook I knew she'd make a great guest appearance for the Noise section 🤣🤣 thank you so much for letting me include her in the video!! I didn't mention the smell because it's not a unique trait, several parrot species give off odours. But it will be getting me tinned in the mini videos that'll be going more in depth into each topic. But thank you for mentioning it in the comments for others to red ❤️❤️
Thank you for this video! There is indeed so little to find about the pionus parrot. I also want to mention about the smell! I have a blueheaded pionus, Terra. She is 1,5 years , so still very young. it is really amazing how she smells and when she is excited of mad/scared etc her smell is so much more noticeble. It's like she uses it also to communicate. Do you know of other parrot species who has this trait? I'm looking forward to see more videos in the future! Happy new year! (sorry, my english is not my first language)
There are several parrots who have smells or produce smells when excited etc. Parrot sniffing is actually a thing 🤣🤣 But their smell is not a behaviour trait or behaviour stereotype which is why it wasn't mentioned in this video 🥰
I've smelled the most sweetest honeylike smell from my WC pionus few times! It's a really lovely scent and I was amazed the first time I smelled it. But it has happened only maybe twice that she's emitted this scent.
I also have a parrot species that naps in the afternoon for the same reason, but they come from a different part of the world - Bourke's parrots! They don't need to take a break because they aren't out in the outback sun, but they're still designed to take it easy. And some birds handle it differently than others too. My oldest pair are most likely to actually take naps, my little boys usually sit quietly, but stay alert and sometimes preen a bit, and my youngest girl will take every opportunity to beak grind and preen, which she also likes to do when she's out in the evening sitting on my shoulder. My bourkes are also not "cuddly" parrots. Some individuals do like to be touched but it's rare. None of my 5 like to be touched with my hands, even though some were okay with it as babies. However, they all seem to like getting beak/cere kisses, and sometimes wing/belly kisses. They don't seem to mind my face like they mind my hands. But they do show affection by wanting to be close and they ADORE landing on my head and just sitting there and... eventually pooping in my hair 😆
The breeder I got Lyra from also breeds Bourkes Parakeets, and he said they're similar to pionus in personality but really wonderful birds! You're description also makes them sound wonderful ❤️
Hi there! I'm new here, planning on getting my bronze wing soon :) I am from Spain so had quite a laugh with the "siesta time" expression lol. I heard the pionus (specially BW) have a unique smell to them, is this true? Can they be potty trained or is this not recommended? Thanks!! Loved the video! All the best from Madrid, Spain!
Yes they have a unique smell, it's musky and sweet at the same time. They can be toilet trained but depending who you ask will depend if its a good or bad thing. Some people swear by toilet training, others have found it to be harmful. My girls are semi toilet trained. Most of the time they go on their perches or cages but quaffle still has accidents on my shoulder if I let her sit there too long
I wish you a happy, healthy and successful New year ✨️ 🎉 💖 I'm happy for you achieving the life style you want and having a calm partner who supports every step and is loved by both birds, as well. 🙌❤🎉 I love the content and the structure of it👏 I didn't know about the day cycle yet. Thank you 😊
Just wanted to add my observations about the pionus strut... because everything I see says to "watch out" when the strut begins, but this is not my experience. If my white capped does the pionus strut, I just look at him and ask why? Then he usually stops as if to say "I don't know, it's just a feeling I get". Maybe it's because he was so aggressive to start (adopted at 11yo with a bite for blood), but I actually find the strut does not mean he is more likely to bite?! Sometimes if I am working out at home, he will pionus strut/lunge in one spot along with my reps haha. He also struts if he finds a dark hole that he wants to claim... or if he hears the sound of wiping windows... Anyways, I love the personality in this video and I wish it was posted earlier when I first adopted! So much helpful information. Thanks!
My girls always strut when I'm exercising too. It's technically a territorial maneuver when they feel the need to defend their territory. I often wonder if the think when I'm exercising thats my version of strutting 🤣
Excellent video, thankyou! They are beautiful birds! I've been researching for years about getting a parrot. I love them all lol but my dream bird is a cockatoo but in my situation it wouldn't be a good idea, it's not me it's my neighbours that will cause problems.
Hope it was helpful. And I know how you feel, my dream bird was a cockatoo but couldn't take the risk of it over bonding to me or my partner and attacking the other. And neighbours would of also had issues with the screaming. It's a shame but sometimes it's better if we can recognise our restrictions instead of having to make a heartbreaking decision a couple of months or years later
Hey! What a great video, I've been hoping I'd stumble upon a very informative video about this rare bird, as I have a 2 year old bronze winged pionus :)! I was wondering if you could also do a video about free flight training your pionus parrots? I haven't dared letting my pionus try any form of free flight yet, but i really really want her to get the experience... would highly appreciate it if you could share your process and training ^^
As much as I do want to do a video about it, it would be irresponsible for me to do so. Just like any other free flier I recommend getting a mentor who is experienced in free flight. When I was training them I had multiple friends who were all very experienced in free flight guiding me through the training, and being there for support when things went wrong, like when Quaffle got out that 1 time before she was ready. Not only that, you need to learn about weather patterns, when is the right time of day or right weather conditions to take them out. You have to understand skill level of a bird, as well as research into habitat. For example my girls and Fruity Flocks conures are all canopy fliers, whereas big macaws are open sky fliers. So knowing where to fly your bird is also important. As well as researching Birds of prey, which are a risk, which aren't, how to check if there are Birds of Prey where you intend on flying. There's so much that goes into it that people don't realise. But these are things a mentor can teach you. If I just upload a video about how I trained my girls to free fly, I run the risk of everyone trying to use that advise to teach their birds to free fly. Which without proper guidance could result in multiple people trying to let their bird off too soon or before their ready and result in hundreds of people losing their birds, and then holding me responsible because they followed the guidance of my video. I'm not willing to take that risk. Its definitely possible to learn all this information and training yourself, but it will take 5x longer than having a mentor or friend who is experienced that can give you all that information on a silver platter. For Pionus I highly recommend Soaring Wings Training as a free flight mentor, as they helped me SO MUCH when I was training my girls and are the reason we learnt how to free fly successfully. Without their advice and guidance I can guarantee my excitement would of got the better of me and I probably would have lost Quaffle by trying to let her off in the wrong environment
Great educational and entertaining promotion for the great Pionus. Our Maximiliani (7 months old now) has not made any loud noise since we got him (from 4 months). Babble a little and softly imitate whistling sounds. Perhaps puberty will change that. Question (maybe for your species video) are there 2 significantly different sizes in the Bronzewing? (the Maximiliani has 4 subspecies with a single cm difference, but the Bronzewing is not clear to me).
Puberty has a 50/50 chance of changing the noise level. Other than baby begging Lyra didn't find her voice until about 9 months old. But there's still 30 years. And who knows, you may have just been lucky and got one that likes peace and quiet. I'm still researching I to the subspecies and their differences as theres not much information about their differences anywhere. I believe the Bronzewing subspecies has a slight colour variety but I would need to double check
@@PionusTales If I can find it back, there's a good text about the differences in the subspecies maximiliani. But I think they're crossed. Breeders don't know what they have.
@kromsnavelfun that's a common phenomenon in all captive pionus and something I'm going to cover in the video about the different species. Only the wild subspecies are true to their genetics. Almost all pionus in captivity are a mixture of a variety of sub species due to the very minimal difference in variation of some of them, and breeders back in the day not knowing there was a difference.
Thank you so much for creating such an informative video. My bronze-winged pionus parrot and I watched your video in its entirety, she perked up during some of the calls of the other pionus parrots. She is currently 21 years old and I have had her for 19 of those years. She no longer has flight but does still glide when she has her flight feathers. It was about 9 years ago when she got really sick and lost her ability to fly which the vet thought it was due to a stroke. I was wondering if you know how long bronze-winged pionus parrots live? I have found information saying that their average lifespan is 25 years but can be up to 40 years if well taken care of. Again thank you for such an informative video!
I've had a few people say their parrots enjoy watching our videos and chat back to the girls 🤣 All Pionus have an Average lifespan of 30-35 years. Depending on medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, fatty liver disease, borna and other diseases or illnesses, that lifespan can be shortened. But for a Pionus on a healthy diet (veggies, fruits, pellets and seeds and nuts for treats) they can live up to 40 years. But thats not taking into the fact that parrot care is improving every year! And the current generation may be able to live longer still due to that improved care. We just don't know yet! But a good life expectany for the average Pionus is arou d 30-35 years
Here's the website I ordered it through. Please note the website was created in 2004 and hasn't been updated since so looks like a 1990s website www.the-practical-pionus.com/
Oof. My bronze wing got spooked when I tried to scritch it and it bit straight through my thumbnails. And my white crown REALLY hates my dad. Like the amount of aggression in his little body coeld be enough to kill an elephant
White crowns are known for being super grumpy. Even my little white can wants to utterly destroy my camera and phone 🤣 luckily she's never directed that hatred onto a human. But I have found pionus have a very grumpy side to them that not enough people talk about. And some either don't know their bite strength or simply always bite down hard. Still not as bad as a cockatoo or macaw that can break bone 🤣 but yes they're not completely gentle. Thank you for sharing your experiences with your Pi's 🙏 I hope people will be able to see comments like this and get a better idea about what they are getting into
Ive fallen in love with the idea of getting a parrot. I grey up with a African Grey. My dad still has her. She only likes him though 😅id love to have a bird of my own...Specifically a bronze wing. Theyre so beautiful. I have chickens but they can care less of my existence 😂 This video was super informative. I probably wont be able to get one for a few years due to the price here in America but I want to do as much research as possible ❤
It's always a great idea to research as much as you can before getting any pet. I'm glad to hear you're putting the effort in ❤️❤️ one of the goals of this channel is to help others find the information they're researching to help them understand if they're making the right decision, not only in getting a pionus but parrots in general
Wow I regret I did not find your videos earlier, so helpful! I wonder if for people who need to work on-site 9-5pm, is it possible that the Pionus can “adjust” their sleeping time so that we can still interact with each other before and after work? 😅 Thanks so much in advance!
It's more than possible. You can have wale up time approximately 7-8am and bed time around 7pm. After a few weeks/months they'll get used to the schedule and you should have plenty of time to entertain them before you leave and after you get home/before bed
Mine are so loud. Really loud. I have three, which is a a problematic number as two of them are bonding and one is being left over. The two males arrived 4 months ago, together, and I've had my WCP for over two years now. And the screaming is so loud! The male Maxi seems to be really quiet, but the WCP and BP seem to be making most of the noise. I have experience from Meyer's parrots, and they can be "noisy" as you said, making lot of noises, but it's nowhere near the loudness of these. I hope it will lessen in the future...
I find babies tend to be more nouser than adults as Lyra is definitely more vocal than Quaffle. But shes currently going through puberty so we will see what happens in another year. Hope your 3 calm down a little 🤞
I might need help. My baby bronze wing 1.5 yo is really scared of hands. He was like this ever since I got him. He takes treats from my hand and accepts scratches but idk how to make him less scated
It's a very slow process of trust building. Have you target trained them?? We're hoping to do a whole series on training and confidence building but it may not be until later in the year. BirdNerdSophie, The Parrot Teacher, BirdTricks and the Parrot Wizard all have videos on RUclips of building confidence and reducing fear of hands
Great video,Thank you. I'm considering a Pionus actually 2. If you had your druthers would you purchase 2 babies or an adult and a baby or 2 adults? Would you get 2 of the same subspecies. I really love the Dusky and Bronze wing but I do want to retire some day. I sort of honed in on a Bronze wing and a Maxi the former being the most expensive and the latter the "cheapest". How about males v.s. females? Thanks again.
That's a lot of questions that I don't think have a simple answer 🤣. I'm very much an advocate of rescue or rehome an adult bird over buying a baby, but pionus are quite rare so finding an adult for rehome is already challenging. As for babies, finding an ethical and good breeder is 3x more difficult. Unfortunately there are a LOT of bad parrot breeders out there that are in it for the money, and weeding out which ones are good and bad can take a LOT of time. From babies you can train them and build a bond easily, but Puberty is a NIGHTMARE. As an adult they're already settled in their personality, but may have health issues, or bad habits or need rehabbing due to uneducated previous owners. Babies naturally want to be friends, but after puberty may decide they hate each other. Adult and baby, there's no guarantees the adult will accept the baby under their wing, and again once puberty hits you can't predict if they're going to still like each other or see each other as competition and hate each other. As for same or different species that can be just as complicated for all the same reasons. You have no way of knowing if they'll get on or see each other as an invader to the others territory, plus size difference can play a factor that too, as a larger bird can more easily injured a smaller bird that won't back down. As for males vs females, again each gender has its pros and cons. Ideally you want 2 of the same gender to prevent accidental breeding, but if you do end up with one male and 1 female you have to be careful when they try to lay eggs, as hybrids can be very sickly birds. Not always but majority of the time, and hybrids are known to have a much shorter life span on average. Plus if it is a male and female and they decide they love each other, you need to be prepared for them to HATE you while they're trying to make a nest and start a family of their own. So as you can see, it's not as simple as if you could go back in time what would you do different/what would you prefer, as there's just too many variables to consider. For me, quaffle kind of fell in my lap. I didn't even want a White Crown! She was available exactly when I was looking, we bonded straight away, and my gut instinct told me she was the right bird. I was even considering other species at the time because Pionus's were SO hard to get hold of. And I very nearly didn't message her previous owner to enquire because when she became available, we weren't ready! Fate, and i literally mean fate, everything sort of fell into place at exactly the right time, other birds i was already applying for didn't breed etc, is what allowed her to come home. As for Lyra i had my heart set on a bronze wing from day 1. So getting Quaffle put a stop to that. If Quaffle hadn't of come home I would of had a bronze wing baby from the breeder I knew 1 year later, as I was on a wait list. Getting quaffle pushed that wait back a further year while we got used to having a bird in the home. So if it wasn't for quaffle, lyra wouldn't be with us, she'd belong to someone else right now. When I first met her as a baby with her siblings I had an instant pull towards her, that same gut feeling I had with Quaffle. But we were insistent we wanted a female to prevent any chance of breeding, and we didn't know the babies genders. So there was no guarantees she would be mine. Its only when we got the DNA tests back 3 weeks later, she was the ONLY female in the clutch. All her siblings were brothers. My gut feeling just knew she was the one destined to be with us. I can't explain it any other way, it was like an invisible string/pull that connected me to them both. So what i will say is if you want a specific species, go for it. Consider rehomes and rescues as they all need loving homes. But most importantly, find the right bird for you. Meet them, get an idea of their personality, see if one WANTS to bond with you. As even if it's not the species you wanted, that bond is the strongest you'll feel than with any animal.
@@PionusTales Thank you so much. You are extremely generous and a wonderful resource. I got 2 birds more than 30 years ago, and it was complete impulse purchase.. A harlequin macaw and a Jardin parrot. The Macaw was a semi rescue older bird and we bonded immediately. He was sweet and cuddly and in 3 years never bit me. He was of course at time ear drum shatteringly loud although he didn't scream that often.I had him for 3 years but when my new neighbor moved in they complained to the association and it was move or get a new home for Jake. I gave him to my nephew and still see him a few times a year. The Jardin was a baby but the macaw loved him although I never left them unsupervised. He was a supper sweet baby but an aweful s..t as an adolescent. I had no idea what to do with him and we didn't have the resources we have now. He also ended up with my nephew and lived another 26 years. I don't want to repeat that episode so I'm taking plenty of time and talking and corresponding to as may parrot owners as I can. I will likely wait a bit longer although I feel I've learned a lot over the last 4-6 months of research. I'm on a reputable breeders wait list for a BWP and that will take 2-4 years which is just fine with me. Unfortunately a baby Male BWP has become available at a reasonable price(for a BWP) so that may move up the agenda. Thanks again you are wonderful
@francisgarofalo3434 sounds like very similar situations to what I've been in over the years. Im so glad to hear you're doing plenty of research!! Not enough people do, which causes lots of birds to get rehomed after a few years. I originally had a cockatoo and after that an Africa grey, and had to rehome them for similar reasons you why you had to rehome you're 2, so sounds like you're on a similar journey to me. BWP are amazing birds!! Just be ready for the adolescent stage. And definitely meet up with thst male BWP. Who knows, just like Quaffle was for me, it may want you bond with you
@@PionusTales I like your suggestion regarding getting an older bird that needs rehoming. One knows the personality they are going to get. I would have kept the Macaw if it wasn't for my living situation. I have been looking on numerous rescue websites and haven't come across any Pionus but who knows.The Jardine was a delight as a baby but was a nightmare as an adolescent. He eventually became a very nice bird and lived for 26 years. I think I could handle it now knowing how my Jardine ended up and having the resources that are available now. I'd like to say again I'm very grateful for your efforts in educating us and hopefully making a better word for these wonderful souls.
@francisgarofalo3434 thank you so much!! Most birds do calm down a lot after adolescence, unfortunately it's during adolescence majority of birds are rehomed purely because the owners weren't expecting or prepared for it. Pionus don't often pop up in rescues but they do from time to time. Have a look on selling sites like preloved etc. Be wary of scammers but you'll probably find one or 2 being rehkmed in those type of sites purely due to a change in owners circumstances
Thank you for the great detailed video…I’m considering a Bronze Winged or Dusky Pionus. What questions would you ask a breeder about these two birds they have available that would help me as a first time bird owner. Thanks again
That depends what you're looking for in the bird or from the breeder. Firstly I'd ask if they were parent raised or partially parent raised or fully hand raised. I personally prefer parent raised or partially parent raised birds as they're more independent by nature and less reliant on human interaction which can help when leaving them at home. Also ask if the birds are disease tested prior to going home, or if the parents have been disease tested and all negative. I know several people who have brought home a new baby bird who's sadly passed away only months later from an illness or disease they were born with. Ask if you can visit the bird or have video calls with the breeder to allow you to see the baby's progress, see the condition and health of the parents, and see the environment in which the parents are kept. There are parrot versions of "puppy farms" which don't care about the parents so if a breeder is willing to let you see their set up and the birds are well cared for its a good sign 👍 Lastly and again this is personal choice, ask if the babies are clipped prior to coming home. I personally hate wing clipping if it's not for medical reasons. It's been proven to negatively affect the physical and mental health of a bird, and especially in the first 2 years when every instinct in their body is telling them to fly, it can have a very negative mental impact if they then can't. It effects confidence, independence, creates fear that they can't get away, as well as can damage their keel bone if they fall to fast to the floor, and can result in plucking from fear and stress. Most people clip so the bird "can't fly away" to which my response is "then don't get a bird." don't give it opportunity to fly away, don't leave outside doors and windows open when it's not in its cage, or train it so if it does escape by accident there's a higher likelihood of getting it back. Thousands of parrots go missing every year because they're clipped and the owner believes they can't fly, but their instinct knows how to fly, and a strong enough wind or gust can carry even clipped birds for miles. Then when they land, they're exhausted, can't fly away because of the clip and lack of wind, and as a result vulnerable to predators because they can't fly like a normal bird. Just teaching them or allowing them to learn valuable flight skills while their fledging in their first year could save their life one day. Finally be wary of scams. There are several. Best way to avoid scams is ask around and find a breeder or reputable store several people have acquired their birds from. Again ask to see the bird and parents either via video call or in person. And by video call I don't mean cute videos sent on messenger, I mean an actual video call where you can see the baby live.
@@PionusTales Thank you so much for the detailed info. So similar to looking into any animal, but a bird would be new for me. I'm doing as much research as possible before making this commitment because I know it's a long term relationship and not to be taken lightly. So for now I'm enjoying vids and insight like yours to help me understand as much as possible before making the plunge. Thanks again for taking the time in writing such a nice detailed reply. Send all your small feather friends my best.
@@michaelleblanc450 I can't express how happy and grateful I am that anyone puts in their time and effort to do the research before deciding whether to make the commitment 🙌 not enough people do and I'm so glad you are 💕🥰
I'm looking into getting a blue-headed pionus (hopefully getting everything ready to be able to get one next year or late this year) and I do need to get it a parrot friend from the get go (it's illegal to keep flock/herd animals alone in my country). I was thinking about getting two BH's since I was under the impression mixing the sub-species wasn't a good idea. After seeing your birds together I'm reconsidering this, the other option to two BH's would be a BH and a bronzewing. What things are there to consider which of those pairings would be better? On a similar note I'm really undecided on which gender(s) I would be looking for. I'm not interested in breeding one bit which is why male-female pairing seems bit intimidating to me. Currently I'm leaning towards two males and trying to find all the information about whether that would be alright or reasonable for pionus. Any insight would be very welcome!
Of you're getting both as babies they should bond pretty quickly, but get ready as you'll have 2 birds going through puberty at the same time which will be very stressful. Its impossible to know which pairing will be better. Take quaffle, she hates most birds, even of her own species, but gets on fine with green Cheek conures. I have a friends with macaws who only get on with the same species, and others who get on with any bird. I've seen people with big 6 or 7 flocks, all different species of pionus, some of the birds get on, some don't. As for gender, if you want to avoid breeding then same gender is the best way to go. Females are less likely to talk and can become egg bound when hormonal, but tend to have a more independent and calm nature in general. Males you don't have the risk of egg binding, but higher chance of them fighting during hormones. There's a person on Instagram and tiktok called MiamiPionusPair, he has 2 males so he could tell you more about how they're like.
Thank you for this video, this really made me think. I have my heart set on a blue headed pionus, but I will be living in an apartment. So now I'm unsure if it's possible, which is really quite heartbreaking. If they were better mimics, I could maybe teach my bird to make a different noise for attention instead of the super high pitched scream. I just don't know what to do at this point! I 100% only want a medium sized bird (10-12 inches or so) and really nothing small like a budgie. But it's no use having a parrot if we get evicted due to noise! What species would work for me? I've already waited over 7 years for a bird and I'm finally ready to purchase, I would hate to wait much longer.
In my opinion no parrot makes a good apartment bird. As even if you go for a quiet species, you may still end up with the one that likes yo make noise. And every parrot contact calls in some way shape or form. Even African greys who are the most adept in mimicry. Some people have successfully lived quite happily with multiple different species in apartments but it does depend on the bird as an individual as well as your overall lifestyle. The noisier the environment, the noisier the parrot. If you just want a bird, not specifically a parrot, pigeons make amazing pets.and no I'm not joking, I would happily have a pigeon or dove over a parrot if I knew sooner. They're quiet, just making a slight humming noise, they can be taught tricks, easy to handle, food is easy to get and far cheaper than a parrots diet, and can be trained to free fly due to their natural homing instincts. If your heart is set on a parrot, you have to consider a plan B. Ie what will you do if the parrot is too noisy or you get evicted for noise.
@@PionusTales Those are all very good points to consider, thank you. A pigeon is definitely an interesting and intriguing choice.... I suppose I really had my heart set on a parrot, so I never seriously considered them. Specifically a blue headed pionus. Choices, choices. I think I will do more research, and try my best to find a bird with the personality I am looking for, instead of just noise level. Speaking of which, do you know any birds that meet most of these traits: medium sized (not under 10 inches long), interactive/enjoys trick training, could do well flying outdoors (definitely harnessed, maybe - heavy on the maybe - free flight) so not too skittish or phobic, would enjoy following me from room to room and being near me, not overly clingy? I work from home so that's also a consideration, I have more time to spend in the bird's presence. I could take breaks for short training and interaction sessions then it's back to work while the bird self entertains. I would teach him how to play with toys and shred them up nicely and forage. I'm thinking alternating between training/interacting and the bird self-entertaining near me (out of his cage, althougut I would jave designated cage times so he learns his cage is a place of fun play and not punishment) throughout the day. I really just want a parrot (or bird) who would enjoy my company as much as I enjoy his, and I would prefer my bird to bond with me and be my friend, not someone else in my family. To me, it sounds like I'm describing a blue headed pionus, but I may be mistaken.
They are less likely to learn to mimic speech compared to other species and more likely to mimic whistles, but several birds have learnt to mimic some words. But in all honesty whether a bird has the ability to mimic sounds or not is irrelevant in my opinion
What are your feelings on clipping the wings? I'm talking about just trimming the primary flight feathers, nothing more. I notice all your birds are fully feathered and flying around. Also, I was surprised at the outdoor gatherings where people have their parrots flying around in the open. No one ever had one scoot off into the threes "over there", and not return?
Personally, I'm against clipping a healthy bird. I believe clipping can be beneficial to disabled birds, for example, with broken or miss-shapen wings where flying would cause a medical issue to become worse. However, if the bird is healthy and there is no medical reason to clip them, then I don't agree with clipping. There has been proven to be a long list of cons to wing clipping both physically and mentally. In my personal opinion if you don't want a pet to fly, don't get a pet that flys 🤷♀️ its no different from declawing a cat, it lowers confidence, reduces muscle mass, exposes the keel bone, and has been proven to cause stress in some birds. Just being able to fly indoors promotes healthy exercise and muscle mass, the ability to prevent injury from falls to the floor, builds trust because they have the option to create distance if they feel scared, and gives them the opportunity to get themselves out of danger in an emergency. All of our parrots have been specially trained to fly outdoors and return to us. As I mentioned in the video, they all go through 6 months- 1 year of training to allow them to fly outdoors. Some parrots train for up to 2 years. There's always a risk of a "fly off" but for a bird that has been properly trained, it is very rare. They return 99.9% of the time. Usually, that 0.01% they don't fly off by choice, but because they've been chased by magpies, crows, seagulls, or a bird of prey. If that does happen, because of their training, they make their way back to us, or we can usually locate them within a few hours or less not far from where they went missing. Compared to a bird that hasn't been trained which can fly up to 5 miles in a straight line without stopping before collapsing from exhaustion. It has happened to some other people I know, like Mikey and Mia the macaws, who have had birds missing overnight but they've always been found the next day and been extremely eager to come home. To date neither of my girls have gone missing during free flying,but they have gone missing from home after accidentally flying past us through the front door, but thanks to their training they've never gone more than a couple of hundred metres from home, and we've been able to find them within a few hours. Compared to a bird who has never been outside in its life which would panic and become overwhelmed, and as a result become a higher risk to danger. Hope that answered your question, I felt like I rambled a bit there 😅
@@PionusTales I hear you. The argument for clipping I've heard relates to keeping the bird safer indoors (e.g. ceiling fans or windows), or to avoid a long distance escape if spooked out a door. But overall I agree with the idea the bird was meant to fly, and getting that exercise and ability to fly is probably right for a bird who is designed to fly. All told I've got 20 years of parrot ownership buried in my lifetime, a Blue and Gold Macaw (first parrot) and a Bare Eyed Cockatoo (second parrot), and in both cases I generally kept their wings clipped. This was in smaller spaces (small home, and apartments (with the bare eyed), and the limited space meant that even with primary flight feathers clipped they were able to "fly" as far as they were able given the shorter distances. If I get another parrot sometime (considering a Meyers in the next couple of years maybe), I'll likely not clip them.
@MRTOMBO I've heard that too, that clipping jeeps them safer indoors, but I've found the opposite to be true. Ceiling fans, cookers, windows are all dangers that they shouldn't be exposed to in the first place and can be avoided by human choices. We don't have ceiling fans in the house, they're caged when we're cooking to avoid getting themselves injured, and they know what and where the windows are and know to not fly into them. There's also the options of placing window stickers on yo help them realise the window is there. They're very smart creatures. I've also seen multiple videos of birds jumping off their owners into frying pans and onto pots, and then can't get out because they can't fly. I've seen videos of birds slipping and falling from perches and breaking their keel bone because they have no chest muscle (flight muscle) to protect it, and can't slow their fall because of the clipped wings. I've seen birds who want to fly, desperately, and get stressed because they know they can't and the fear of falling and injuring themselves has become so ingrained they become stressed and start plucking from frustration. I've seen clipped birds being aggressive because they are afraid, the human is ignoring their body language, forcing an interaction and they can't get away, if they can't get away the often fight back or go into forced submission, which can cause fear of humans and hands. And I've seen many clipped birds escape and still be able to fly because they've been caught by a gust of wind which has carried them over 300 metres. Which not only leaves them lost and overwhelmed, because they can't fly it leaves them very easy targets to cats, foxes, crows, magpies and birds of prey. At least if flighted they have a higher chance of survival because they can hide in trees, escape from predators and threats and have the ability to forage for food and water. A friend of mine had an aviary bird (not free flight trained) escape the aviary just recently. Because it didnt have clipped wings, It survived 4 days outdoors by copying the wild birds to find food and water before it was found. If you get a dog, you don't stop it from going on a walk so it can't run away, you use a lead to keep it safe. You don't declaw a cat so it can't climb, scratch your furniture or catch wildlife. You buy it toys to scratch, make it a house cat or build a cat outdoor area and give it places to climb and explore. You don't bind a rabbits legs to stop it digging and escaping, you supervise it's activity when outside of its pen. And it's more common for people to take small mammals on walks. If we're willing to take these precautions with other pets, why not birds? Because clipping is simply easier? It's still mutilation. I've also heard the argument that the feathers grow back, will so do some lizards and amphibians legs. Does that justify cutting them off so they can't escape? No! But we've been doing it for so long it's second nature. Bird knowledge and care has improved SO MUCH in the last 30 years alone that clipping shouldn't even be a needed practice anymore. I used to own a cockatoo when I was younger and my mum had an African Grey. They were never clipped because we didn't see the need for them to be. The African Grey sadly did escape at about 5 years old due to my sisters friend who was scared of birds, he left a door open when drunk, panicked when he saw her because he forgot she was there in his drunk state and she flew off. (She wasn't free flight trained). Sadly even with extensive searching for over a week we never found her. And to this day I wish I had free flight trained her. And it's why I trained my current birds to free fly, to heavily reduce the chances of them going missing. Truth is free flight training is a luxury that not all owners have the guts to do. Which is fine! Even if you never free fly a bird, the flight skills, recall and desensitisation from the training alone can heavily reduce the chances of them going missing if they did get out.
At this point, I may have to choose between a pionus, green cheek conure, cockatiel, or a jardine parrot (or a cape parrot if I can't find a jardine). Can anyone help me decide between these species?
Honestly no one would be ble to help you decide, as each species has their own unique traits and personality stereotypes, different levels of noise and loudness and different mood changes during hormone season. For me what helped was speaking to multiple owners of each species and getting the truth of what each species was like, and then working out which one I could handle full time. Truthfully i originally wanted a cockatoo, but my lifestyle wasnt suited to allow me to provide them with the sheer amount of stimulation they need. Cockateils were too feisty, green cheeks too active and needing too much stimuli, Jardine I didn't even consider as they didn't appeal to me. But for my current lifestyle pionus were perfect in personality. But birds aren't for everyone. All parrots are very high maintenance pets.
@@PionusTales That is true... maybe I am rushing too much in my excitement. I think you're right, I need to spend more time really deep diving into each species and seeing how they REALLY are as pets. All the sounds they make, general personalities, if we would even like each other... I knew parrots are big commitments but I may be underestimating. The LAST thing I want is to make an uninformed decision. I'm going to buy the pionus book you recommended and do more research. If I can find similar videos like this FANTASTIC documentary you made for us, on other species, then I could really make a much better informed decision. I know parrots are lifelong commitments. I am 24 and it is VERY likely this decision could impact the next 30 YEARS of my life... that is essentially my entire life, and I REALLY need to make the RIGHT choice. Thank you
@@PionusTales The whitecap chases the max right off her cage, and the WC is the newer bird. I can tell the former owners had her in the cage a lot. She's slowly coming out each day and spending more time outside than in. It worries me when they "fight", for all I know its totally normal and I'm over reacting. lol
@jasonasselin White Crowns are known for being "Fiesty", my girl is exactly the same but it also depends on whether they understand the other is not a threat. We've done communal feeding, communal foraging, training at the same time and giving them time alone (birds in their own cages for safety while we leave the house for half a day or so) to help them get accustomed to each other. It took Quaffle (The White Crown) about a year or so to be willing to tolerate Lyra in "her territory" and even now when hormones season perks up she'll still chase her away from time to time. But tolerance is the best we could hope for with a WC
@PionusTales Yeah they both have separate cages, during the day they sit across from each other. The max wants to be friends, but they just bite beaks. A little scary putting your hand between them. We fed them both and snacks together, trying to make them feel equal. Both were adopted for a very small fee, which as endangered as they are it is surprising.
@jasonasselin sounds like they just need rime. And definitely monitor interaction. Lyra has always wanted to be friends with Quaffle but it's took a long time just yo get Quaffle comfortable having Lyra around.
Do you think parrots should be bred for pets? There are so many given up because they are hard to take care of. I am considering a rescue bird because there are so many. But I’m on the fence because some of these will have issues from neglect
Good question. In all honesty it's a difficult topic to say yes or no yo. In one sense I believe they're wild animals and should stay that way. However during to deforestation, loss of habitat, pollution, poaching, all man made causes, parrots in the wild are in heavy decline with multiple species on the brink of extinction. Without the pet trade some species would have become extinct already. By having them in the pet trade we're in some sense preventing extinction. However, some peole just don't make good parrot owners. They don't learn their requirements or needs, they don't learn what they need to change about their lifestyle to accommodate a parrot, and buy it on impulse because it looked cute or they saw one singing on social media and wanted one that would do the same etc. And it's that impulse buying mentality, along with the throw away mentality our current lifestyles have become accustomed to thst causes so many in rescues. Getting a rescue is a great option, and you're right they often come with issues from previous homes. Which can be overwhelming for a potential owner, and why many rescues have a policy where if it doesn't work out, the bird goes back to that rescue. Some people make great parrot owners, because they put in the time and effort the parrot needs to be cared for. But not everyone can make this commitment.
Do you know someone with a meyers bird? I'm thinking of getting a parrot rn and I'm trying to decide between pionus or meyers parrots but it's pretty hard to find info on meyers.
I dont know anyone personally as they're quite rare in the UK, but if you have a look on Facebook there's usually a dedicated group to owners of specific species. It's one of the ways I learnt about pionus. Or have a look on Instagram and reach out to any accounts you find that have meyers parrots. For example on Instagram there's @meyersparrots @tango_the_meyers @our_meyers_parrot_mr.gucci @murphy.meyers
I would like to know more about the b.h. pionus' odor...i enjoy it very much...not sure why its just the b.h.'s..? I do find him very much a b.h. ...and behaves very much as you suggest...he does play / stay to himself most of the time but , very close....no real mid-day naps...pretty quiet overall....and lets me know , with a grunt , that i may now entertain him 🙄 🤭... Good job!
The oder isn't just blue heads. But I do intend to mention it in a later video. All Pionus have a musky smell and the smell differs between each species. But there are also hundreds of other species of parrot that produce smells and odors as well.
Thanks for the great video. Broznzed Wing Pionus is my favourite Pionus parrot too, and I have learned so much from the video. 🥰🦜 I totally agreed with you that there is not many information in the Internet that I can find related to Pionus Parrots. I have 4 Bronzed Wing Pinous, but lost 2 of them due to illness and my inexperience of handling them. 😞 I was very happy when I came upon your Pionus vidoes, which have helped me a lot in taking care of my 2 remaining Bronzed Wing Pinous, Artemis (Adult Male) and Ke Le, Cola in mandarin (Baby Female). 🙇🏻♂️🙏🏻
@@PionusTales With the guidance from from your video, I believed we will be able to take good care of them. 🙏🏻 To us, they are not just a pet, they are part of our family members. 🦜
For those who were asking, here is the website where i ordered The Practical Pionus from. The website is owned by the author himself. Please note if you live outside of the USA you will need to e-mail the contact e-mail address so he can sort out shipping fees.
The website also looks ... weird, but it was set up in 2004 and hasnt been changed since, so its the very old style of website, but i assure you it is correct. This is the same website i got my vopy of The Practical Pionus from.
www.the-practical-pionus.com/
Thanks for the info. Appreciate it. Can you tell me if the book is worth a read?
@Mr.ZachTV in my opinion yes! It's one of the most in depth books written on Pionus Parrots and the author is one of the founders of the Pionus Parrot research foundation and has studied pionus in the eild. Its a very good and educational read.
@@PionusTales I sent the author an email 4 days ago and have not yet received a reply. How long did it take for him to contact you? I would like to buy the book ASAP. Thank you very much :)
@estebanraspo3713 it did take a couple of days to get a response. I'd say send another one just to check if they recieved it as it may have gone into their junk mail by accident
im planning on getting a pionus parrot in the coming years and watching your videos have really helped me feel comfortable with the idea of owning one. i love how much you love these birds!
Thank you! Just keep in mind if you get one as a baby, puberty (age 2-3 years) is a nightmare! 🥰
Thank you so much for making this. I got my 6 year old BH Pionus last summer from a rescue. A well intentioned owner got him as a baby because they thought he'd be quiet and bond with the family. He screams like crazy and cycles through beeping, shrill screeches, and donkey sounding honks. All in a row, endlessly. As you said here, they are individuals and the comparison is to other parrots. Sadly the previous owners accidentally reinforced lots of aggressive behaviors and screaming before ultimately surrendering him. He's my first bird so I didn't find his body language easy to understand at all. I was told he never bites, and maybe that was true for the experienced people at the rescue, but I've been bit many times. I tried everything for him: hiring a trainer, diet conversion, no fruit, new big cage, hormonal implants, more sleep, his own room, all kinds of toys. I was desperate for any information at all because a lot of the advice online was just not helpful or applicable to the sensitivities of a Pionus. He's finally improving and I attribute it to learning his body language and challenging training every day. I know there's a lot of differences between Amazons and Pi's, but they are the closest related genus and learning Amazon body language (since there is way more information about them) helped me immensely. Your video is the best I've found so far on their behavior. I'm sure it'll help a lot of people.
Thank you! And thank you for trying so hard for your little blue head. Keep in mind puonus do need some fruit in their diet, not a lot but a little bit each day is good for them. And you're right, there's not a lot of info on body language at all. And thankfully they do have a lot of similar body language to Amazons so it is helpful in learning it that way. Well done! And it shows learning how to communicate with them is the best option. Hopefully I'll be able to make a video explaining some of the different body languages one day but maybe after Lyra has finished puberty 🤣 good luck, hope you both build a loving strong bond
Absolutely amazing guide. Been doing research about good parrots for first timers, and Pionus appear on these recommendations 90% of the time, but for the life of me I wasn't able to find a proper, long form video explaining some other important stuff like their nap time, hormones, bite type until this one. It's understandable that every bird is a unique individual, but it's good to know about the personal experiences of someone just to get an idea, and what variations could come from that. Hopefully this video is seen by more people that are considering a Pionus as a pet bird, cause it definitely goes in depth into many topics that other videos/websites forget to mention 👍
Thank you so much ❤️
I think that so far this is the best edu video on Pionus.
I actually called out my husband so he could watch this very sharp segment.
Hi, I have a 13 yo Maxi. He is very quiet. (Except when I run the vacuum}. He says many words/phrases. He says "Hello and waves", "I want to go to the cage" "I want to go night-night", "Shake off the water", "Water," and "What's your name"? Both our names (john and Penny). He says most things in context. He goes in the cage when I tell him. He sometimes chews on things but does not like toys. I live in an apartment and it works out well. I am home a lot and spend a lot of time with my parrot and dog. I talk to them and treat them like people. Like any relationship, you have to put the time in.
Agreed. The more time you put in the better the relationship will be. Your maxi sounds like a very impressive talker!
What do you feed your bird and when? I mean when such as, "chop in the morning and pellets in the evening" ... do you feed chop? Pellets? A seed mix? What do you use for treats? Do you find your bird likes trick training? What about flying? Is he flighty or phobic?
@@carina9629 was that question for me or JJhall1963?
@@PionusTales Oh oops, I was asking @jjhall1963!
@@carina9629 "Hello. I feed him a handful of seed mix without sunflower seeds every morning along with 7 pumpkin seeds. I used to give him pellets, but I want to start giving him pellets again. Apart from the seed mix, I also give him apples and frozen mixed vegetables. I don't really do any training with him, but I praise him and that seems to work. He only flies when he gets startled. I take him out of his cage every day and he is quite independent. He mostly likes to be around me, but he doesn't have separation anxiety." We've traveled a lot, by train, car, and boat. He is used to change
Thank you for this video! I had a white capped named AUgust years ago. He was a retired breeder and was THEEEEEEEEEE most laid back bird, even for a Pionus. I'm wanting another, and your video brought back lots of good memories.
I'm glad ❤️ sounds like August was a lovely bird ❤️
My blue headed pionus- around 9 yrs old. Talks a lot, vocal, brave, LOVES food. Pretty active pionus! He puts himself to sleep at 6pm 😅
They're so strict about the bedtime aren't they 🤣🤣
@@PionusTales 😆 Wonder where he’s run off to? I check and he’s already in bed 🛌😅
I loved your explanation of LOUD 🤣 the ear piercing, tinnitus level loud, is very accurate 🤣 love my boy Muninn, but it doesn't half sting when he decides to scream right down my ear canal 🥹
Doesn't it just!! I swear I've lost some hearing from Quaffle screaming down my ear at full volume 🤣
This was one of the most informative Pionus/Parrot video so far.
Thank you so much!
Thank you! I'm glad it's been so helpful to so many people
Really really fantastic video! Thank you so much for making it lovely! ❤️
Thank you! ❤️ glad you enjoyed it
Your videos are getting better and you are doing really good. So much more entertaining now.
Thank you ❤️❤️ its why it took so long, I wanted to make it as engaging and entertaining as possible to help people enjoy learning
Fantastic video! This was the most thorough Pionous educational content I have found. Much more helpful than reading articles about them. Thanks much!
I'm glad it's helped ❤️
thank you for this video! Pionus is the bird species I've had my eye on and appreciate the information!
Glad you enjoyed it or that it was helpful in some way 😊
Thank you for creating this! Your segment on the noises they make, pitch and duration is very important… When I narrowed it down welcoming either a Pionus or a Cape Parrot into our family, my deciding factor was the sounds that both made. I listened carefully to all of the calls both species make in order to figure out which one I can live with as I am noise sensitive. Although they both have a “reputation” for being “quiet,” I had to know that if I picked one whom happened to be louder than most of their species, that I was okay with their vocals. I chose the Cape Parrot, and for me personally, all of her cute sounds and wonderful vocabulary are just perfect for me, as well as her all-around being 😊.
I truly do adore the stunning beauty of all the different types of Pionus, yet I strive to be practical and mindful when bringing a new family member home in order to set us all up for successful from the get-go, to hopefully live a long and peaceful life together.
Doing months of extensive research on which parrot I’d be the best fit for, and speaking with experts like you (thanks bunches!), was essential in finding my most perfect match - having the honor of being my Cape’s person has been one of the greatest highlights in my life. She’s so interestingly complex, as are all birds, yet I’m not sure if that is widely know enough to those when embarking upon the human/parrot relationship. It is educational videos such as your beautifully put together one, that will absolutely help illustrate that, which I’m so grateful for.❤
Thank you so much for your kind words. And I cant put into words how grateful and happy it made me that you reached out to us on Insta and did as much research as you could when making your decision.
Parrot ownership isn't for everyone. And I know preaching "don't get a parrot" will often fall on deaf ears. So my hope is to simply help people learn more and encourage researching into a pet before making such a life changing (literally) decision.
I hope you are both doing well!!! I'd love to do a video comparing Cape parrots to Pionus one day as I've heard they're so similar. So maybe in a year or 2 I'll be coming to you for your input/experience of what they're like ❤️❤️❤️
Hello! Gosh, thank you for ALL of your help - your previous videos had actually introduced me to the Pionus species, and what life is like in general with being owned by a parrot… I watched each quite a few times, and was/am grateful that you’re very transparent in what it’s truly like to live with, train and care for a parrot/parrots . I love that you documented your journey right from the start, and how you and your parrots have grown together - the trust and relationship that you’ve built with the girls is so inspiring.
I believe it’s the honesty which you share in your videos that’s so valuable in preventing unfortunate re-homing of any bird… After viewing your transparent videos, one may decide on their own to either pursue, or not to pursue getting one after seeing all of the never-ending time, work, dedication, thought, and love, which you clearly display. You present it in a non-judgmental type of way just by demonstrating that having a bird is a LIFESTYLE, and different than any other companion animal in so many ways.
I’m quite certain that potential Pionus, and non-Pionus parents, are watching your content before getting a bird and witness the basic care and attention that you have to provide for any type of bird. I’m talking the basic basics, however, many different species require much more work and attention than others may.
Thank you for asking about my little girl! She is approaching her first birthday, and my goodness, she’s such a dream. She’s just been a blessing to me in so many ways. It’s been a blast hearing her talk (she now controls our Alexa, telling it, “Alexa, skip,” and other commands!) and watching her understand what I’m saying by doing what I ask of her.
Touching upon my previous statement about some birds needing more than others; I did choose a female Cape Parrot based on what I could realistically provide. I adore that Capes are pretty easygoing - she can be bossy if she objects to something, and yells, “Michael!” at me, which is our teenage son’s name, as I guess she hears and understands my annoyed inflection when saying his name! Ha! She plays independently along side of me, or alone (I have cameras!) which was very important to me because I’m not a Velcro type of person, so that narrowed down alot of parrots for me. I did, however, desire an intelligent bird, whom is interested in people, but can be chill on their own. That made the list even shorter, and her talking came as a happy bonus because I didn’t expect her to.
It literally came down to a Pionus or a Cape Parrot, both of which I found and put deposits on way before they were weaned, so it was a tough choice. I reached out to a lot of people who had either one or both species and asked their about their personal experiences, which was very helpful… I kept a list of responses, and when information overlapped, I put it in the “most likely” personality trait for each.
For me, the deciding factors were their sounds, energy levels and temperament. I was set on a female because they are supposedly less territorial and aggressive, in my very limited research.
Well, long story longer, a female Cape Parrot was the correct choice for me, personally. I did my very best to make an informed decision and could not be any happier. Could I have been paired with a Pionus? Probably, but the subspecies that matched with me the best are very scarce, unfortunately. If I had to do it all over again, though, I’d definitely choose a Cape… We are preparing for puberty very early because I understand that she’ll change, so I am careful with how many hours of darkness she gets to sleep, her diet, respecting where to touch her and where to avoid, keeping our boundaries clear, and sticking with a regular schedule that she can rely on… Hormonal changes are hard on people, so I’m anticipating and trying to lessen the stress on her from now.
Thank you so much again, and I look forward to your upcoming video on both species! Please feel free to contact me about my journey with our Cape - I LOVE talking about her, so I’d gladly help if needed!🥰
FYI ~ The type of Pionus that I had a deposit on was a White Capped, which I may not have been the right fit for… As you mentioned, there are a few types of Pionus, and I found that the only ones I could get were White Capped and Blue Headed, both of which seemed to me, personally, to fall away from whom I was looking for.
Birds are a lifetime commitment (she has her own fund in our will and person whom she’d go to, just in case something happens to us) so I really, really wanted to be comfortable that I could provide my personal best towards the type of species I chose.❤
@TurtleyObsessedGirl I think you definitely made the right decision. And it's wonderful to hear about your research and I hope your comments help others to consider doing their own research too, in order to find the right pet for them. Hope you had a lovely new year! And wish you the best of luck through puberty ❤️ as it is by far the hardest part. Hope to chat to you again soon sometime 💓
I looooove birds. I admire them so much and loooove learning about them. Im slowly, very slowly, coming to except that they just arent the pet for me. I am home all the time, but am very very sensitive to noise. Pionus are my favorite parrots ever. Theyre so so so beautiful and clever and i adore the wheeze. I really hope to one day find a friend who has one so i can live out my little fantasy of owning one. They probably wont like me, but i think just being able to see one is person would be just the best. ❤❤❤
It is hard when you come to that realisation but it's good that you have ❤️ I hope you manage to find a pionus friend nearby you gmcan get to know ❤️
I'm really glad you have considered this and recognize that birds may not be a good pet for you. It seems like so many people don't realize what they are getting into when they get a bird. However, as another absolute bird lover who is sensitive to noise, I found that Bourke's parrots are absolutely perfect for me. They aren't pionus for sure, but lovely and quiet birds. I have 5 of them and they don't bother me at all; their little cheeps are so sweet. If you really want a bird, perhaps do some research on the Bourke and see if they might be a good fit for you!
We have a white crowned pionus (Sage) and have recently also added a baby blue headed pionus (Willow) to the flock. Your descriptions are quite accurate. She is super cuddly with me but a major grump in general and not very sociable. Took a few months for her to accept Willow as a flock member and my partner still gets the cold shoulder from her at times (especially if I'm in the room). Willow is just a baby so still a major cutie and unbelievably adventurous. They really are the most amazing parrots though. Definitely my favorite.
Quaffle is exactly the same as Sage. Took her at least 8 months, almost a year to really get comfy with Lyra and only very recently started contact calling her if Lyra calls first 🤣 such grumpy birds but love them all the same
I thank god every day that I was able to find my sweet pionus. What a neat little bird.
I'm always grateful for the day quaffle came into my life. Made so many great friends and memories through her
Definitely the best talk about Pionus(es?) I have listened to. We have recently lost our beloved Green Cheek Conure and I am feeling the need to search for our next companion to fill the void. So, I am doing so much research on the matter. I came across the Pionus as described as the chill-out bird. So thank you for giving me so much actual information about these. They are definitely well anchored on my (our) list of possible next feathered partner. Thank you so much for your work.
Thank you!! And also thank you for doing your research! It always brings me joy knowing people do plenty of research before getting a new parrot. They are brilliant birds overall and after knowing multiple birds through my friends I can confidently say I chose the right one for me and my lifestyle. And all my friends comment on how easy going they are compared to their own birds. Don't get me wrong, they have their flaws as I tried to outline in the video, but from a personal opinion they are amazing birds. If you get a baby bird (of any species), get ready for puberty! It somehow takes every owner by surprise when their sweet cuddly baby turns i to an angry hormonal monster 😂 but it's only 2 years out of the 30+ they may live. Once mature adults they settle right back down.
Just as a warning, my bronze winged pionus completely burst my eardrum on the side she was sitting on when she spotted the crow outside the window :')
Great warning, I'm sure Quaffle has burst mine once or twice
They sound almost like a hawk. 😊
I never thought of that. It is pretty similar vome to think of it
I have a Blue Head as re-home. She is the fourth bird in the flock. She amazes me, and it was love at first sight. She is two and a half, and we are working on getting her diet in order. I enjoy all your videos. Thanks so much.
I do hope to do a video about diet but I want to do some fact checking first and make sure I get the information accurate before doing a video on that topic.
Absolutely amazing video on the wonderful pionus parrot! There is so little information out there on these little incredible birds, you really nailed it! Owning a white capped parrot for 16 years I learned so much. 55:31
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hope it's been 16 years of mayhem and fun ❤️
Omg I loved the video! Already can’t wait for the next one. I have a Jardines parrot and I find so many similarities between my jardines and the pionus.
I've heard a few people mention Jardines are similar. Capes are also supposedly similar to them too which I find interesting
Awesome video and very educational! You can see just how much effort you've put into producing this! Looking forward to the next one! 😊🦜
Thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️❤️
My blue head is a loud mouthed sour patch kid. He is 13 years old, can tell you he “wants a grape or a peanut”. Also says “poor baby”, and “hello” anytime a ringer or alarm goes off. Goes from a complete menace to a neck nuzzler in the blink of an eye. Will fly to see you and then bite you and say “haha” then fly off.
I love that description 🤣 I heard the blue heads tend to be more vocal and bossy 🤣 sounds like he fits that description. Sounds as cheeky as Quaffle too with thst attitude
This was well worth the wait! Such great information. I now see the siesta in our BH daily antics! 😂 The unique flock call information was illuminating as we listen to our BH vocalizing with our GC Conure and Amazon. We could tell they appeared to be talking with each other and often adopt similar sounds. We laugh that they’re each speaking differently languages but we think they’re trying to adapt a common flock call after watching your video. Thank you for all the time and effort you poured into this content. Happy New Year!🎉
Thats so cute ❤️ I agree they're more than likely trying to establish a form of vocal communication or ways to identify each other.
Ashley this is great!! When you said you felt guilty about not getting your first educational vid out in a timely manner, I did NOT expect it to be an hour long! It absolutely paid off though - I really enjoyed watching the entire thing!
I so appreciate your description of the cuddly factor; I've been asked if my girl is cuddly and I say yes, because it's cuddly for a pionus. She loves the constant scritches and prompts me to continue if I stop. (she is also only 19 months though, and just barely starting puberty, so time will tell).
This was so well organized and informative for potential pionus parronts. Excellent video!
Thank you so much ❤️
looking at maybe getting one of these guys and your video is by far the most informative and helpful. I'll probably wait til I'm not in an apartment, even though its big with very high ceilings, I still don't know if it's a good idea with neighbors and such. Hopefully one day!
I'm glad it's helped you!
wow, I looked down to see how long ago this was posted and I didnt expect 10 hours, its awesome to see fellow people in england interested in parrots especially pionus, Ive wanted one for ages & glad I now have a channel to go to! (currently have 4 budgies)
Thank you ❤️❤️ im glad you enjoyed it
I adopted an adult Maxi. Very sweet and cuddly now.
Awww lovely ✨️
Thank you for making this video😊
You're welcome 😊
Thank you so much for this video! I can’t tell you how much I wish I had this kind of information when I first got my white-cap pionus Antonia 19 years ago. She was 6 mos old and I was only 10 years old! They are definitely very special birds and you are so right when you say they are forgiving 😂 I like to say Antonia and I grew up together and I often think about all the shenanigans she put up with during my college days bc she came with me and let’s just say her and I have some stories. She is still extraordinarily youthful at 19 and I hope I am blessed to have her in my life for many more years ❤❤
That's amazing!! So many people usually give up t
On their birds when they go to college and university so I LOVE that she was with you through all of it! She sounds like a wonderful girl!!
My twelve year old male Blue Headed Pionus is the perfect example of the stereotype.
I bet he's so much fun! Is he as vocal as the stereotype suggests?
Your presentation skills are second to none! Thank you so much for this very informative video - your research and knowledge is greatly appreciated! 💕 Hugs from Yorkshire 🦜xx
Thank you so much 💓 💗
Wonderful video and so accurate! I have a 4 year old, female, Maximilian Pionus. Super curious, very active outside of siesta time and super talkative. The main difference I've noticed between her and other pionuses is that she doesn't have the raspy voice. She seems to have two vocal ranges and either sounds like R2D2 or Barry White. We love your channel and appreciate all of your pionus content!
Thank you! And your maxi sounds wonderful!!!
I have a friend and her Bronze wing mimics R2D2's sound perfectly 🤣🤣 but I love the range in their vocal and whistling abilities.
Tysm for making a video about pionus parrots. It’s so hard to find info online.
You're welcome! Hope it helped!
Thanks for educating me that I am under qualified to own a parrot as of today
But theres always opportunity to learn and improve 😊 it means you have a better understanding of what you need to learn before owning a parrot, or understanding why a different pet may be a better option.
My Dusky Pionus is such a darling.
She’s under 2 years old so we will see..
I also have a family of 6 cockatiels and a mischievous and selectively bullying male Jenday Conure.
Toward the end of 2024 around fall if everything is going according to plan we will welcome another pionus.
Pionus are my favorite genus.
Awww how lovely. I love Duskys, if I can ever get a 3rd I hope its a Dusky. I love their colours. And they are amazing birds. Sounds like you've got a handful with your flock 🤣 good luck with puberty. And hope all goes well for the new addition ❤️
The blue head pionus living in my house is an absolute couch potato and yes absolutely and sometimes totally bi-polar, but mostly on the sweet side.
They sound lovely ❤️❤️
Yaaaaay, SO well done Ashley, you can definitely tell how much you have improved on editing, talking and also just the knowledge you have gained from owning Quaffle and Lyra
Thank you! I'm so glad!! Charlie is definitely like lyra and another great example that not all birds follow their stereotypes. Glad you enjoyed it!!
I need to catch up on your videos, this video took up all my spare time 🤣
Aw no worries I've had a whole month of doing nothing, so I'm actually quite disappointed that I've only made three videos...
Your channel is doing so well, fingers crossed you'll be monetized in the future
@@stellaandcharlie thank you ❤️
I was fortunate to hang about with a Maximillian named Maxi during an internship at a zoo’s insect house. He lived in the office so he got used to me inputting data for a project. He was half blind so a bit more defensive. He had a reputation for being picky about people and aggressive; especially about his cage. I made an effort to announce my approach and intention to interact with him and his cage as well as stay in view of his good eye so he was a bit more “lenient” about me cleaning his space. I about fell off the chair when he climbed up his cage and bowed his head for scritches while I was typing one day.
Omg thats so sweet ❤️❤️❤️❤️ thank you for putting the effort in to gain his trust ❤️
I'm getting a Dusky at the end of the year! So excited and we've done plenty of research. Plus they'll be from a breeder we know and have bought from before
Amazing! Good luck with your new little one!!
Thanks A LOT for this amazing educational video! It helped me so much in understanding my two feathered friends. I had no idea about the siesta thing. Keep up the good work! Looking forward to the next video 😊
I'm glad it's helped ❤️
I have an adult Maximillian Pionus. He is sweet and caring. He speaks and can be noisy. He can be at bit nippy, but it's mostly play.
He sounds lovely ❤️
Enjoyed this video!
I'm glad 😊
Wow. You pack so much information into each sentence, that I hang on every word and I pause the video to take notes. I plan on getting a Pionus and I am devouring up every tid bit I can from you. Your videos are the only informative ones in the zeitgeist. I live in the United States and am too lazy to go through the trouble to get The Practical Pionus. Do you videos cover the same ground as the book?
It's definitely worth doing the research before getting any pet. I'm glad the video was helpful!!
I dont quote directly from the book, and if I ever do I will say so. But a lot of the more in depth stuff is largely from the practical pionus. I've read a few pionus books now and that is by far the most in depth one to date and covers a LOT of very valuable information and a large amount of the knowledge I've gained is thanks to that book and the in depth research the author themselves had done.
Such a well done video! Super informative
I'm glad to hear that! Thank you!
Agree, my bronze wing is what you describe. She will always rest lunch time, good because I work daytime so I can take care of her after my job to the night (to 7 am...)
Siesta time is definitely my favourite part of their day ❤️
Dang, the only pionus I can find around here are blue headed. And I've only read they are on the more on the calm side. Obviously each one is an individual, but I haven't heard that they are bipolar and can go from sweet to aggressive.
For blue heads I highly recommend checking out @stellaandcharlie (Stella and Charlie) here on RUclips. She does a lot of videos of what life is like with a Blue Head. Charlie is currently going through hormones and is extra screamy
@PionusTales haha I actually have that playing as we speak! I've watched through all of her videos a few times now, as well as been going through yours!
It's probably a few months out still till the breeder has one available so I'll definitely be watching calls channels closely to lern all I can!
Great informational video! Thinking about getting a Pionus as I have heard that they where very chill and I was so happy to see this video taking about the NEGATIVES, as I have not found that anywhere else, so I also can everything into consideration, not just the positives, before comitting to a bird. They are still parrots so the have to have some of the parrot behaviour, unlike what the rest of the internet is saying. Still seemes like the bird for me, just have to have a long think about if I can take the screaming and about the risk of the parrot getting lonely when I am away.
That's what I was hoping for with this video, and this channel in general, to show the positives and negatives so people van make a fully informed decision and not be shocked when it's not what they expected
Great video and happy to see Luna making a star appearance 😀
Really accurate in my opinion based on my experience of owning two, one thing i notice you didn't mention is their smell, its something so special about them, i love Lunas smell it's so hypnotic 😅😍
When I saw that video of her on Facebook I knew she'd make a great guest appearance for the Noise section 🤣🤣 thank you so much for letting me include her in the video!!
I didn't mention the smell because it's not a unique trait, several parrot species give off odours. But it will be getting me tinned in the mini videos that'll be going more in depth into each topic. But thank you for mentioning it in the comments for others to red ❤️❤️
Thank you for this video! There is indeed so little to find about the pionus parrot.
I also want to mention about the smell! I have a blueheaded pionus, Terra. She is 1,5 years , so still very young.
it is really amazing how she smells and when she is excited of mad/scared etc her smell is so much more noticeble.
It's like she uses it also to communicate.
Do you know of other parrot species who has this trait?
I'm looking forward to see more videos in the future!
Happy new year!
(sorry, my english is not my first language)
There are several parrots who have smells or produce smells when excited etc. Parrot sniffing is actually a thing 🤣🤣
But their smell is not a behaviour trait or behaviour stereotype which is why it wasn't mentioned in this video 🥰
I've smelled the most sweetest honeylike smell from my WC pionus few times! It's a really lovely scent and I was amazed the first time I smelled it. But it has happened only maybe twice that she's emitted this scent.
Great and informative, and spirited, video. You are a natural. Coming from a professional myself in communication. Keep it up.
Thank you for such a wonderful compliment 🥰
I also have a parrot species that naps in the afternoon for the same reason, but they come from a different part of the world - Bourke's parrots! They don't need to take a break because they aren't out in the outback sun, but they're still designed to take it easy. And some birds handle it differently than others too. My oldest pair are most likely to actually take naps, my little boys usually sit quietly, but stay alert and sometimes preen a bit, and my youngest girl will take every opportunity to beak grind and preen, which she also likes to do when she's out in the evening sitting on my shoulder.
My bourkes are also not "cuddly" parrots. Some individuals do like to be touched but it's rare. None of my 5 like to be touched with my hands, even though some were okay with it as babies. However, they all seem to like getting beak/cere kisses, and sometimes wing/belly kisses. They don't seem to mind my face like they mind my hands. But they do show affection by wanting to be close and they ADORE landing on my head and just sitting there and... eventually pooping in my hair 😆
The breeder I got Lyra from also breeds Bourkes Parakeets, and he said they're similar to pionus in personality but really wonderful birds!
You're description also makes them sound wonderful ❤️
Thanks for sharing so many valuable information ❤. I have a Golden Conure and most things you say applies to Harry as well 😊
My friend used to have a golden conure, they're such wonderful birds! Glad the video helped you! Hope you and Harry are doing well
Hi there! I'm new here, planning on getting my bronze wing soon :) I am from Spain so had quite a laugh with the "siesta time" expression lol. I heard the pionus (specially BW) have a unique smell to them, is this true? Can they be potty trained or is this not recommended? Thanks!! Loved the video! All the best from Madrid, Spain!
Yes they have a unique smell, it's musky and sweet at the same time. They can be toilet trained but depending who you ask will depend if its a good or bad thing. Some people swear by toilet training, others have found it to be harmful. My girls are semi toilet trained. Most of the time they go on their perches or cages but quaffle still has accidents on my shoulder if I let her sit there too long
@@PionusTalesthanks for the reply ❤
I liked your presentation 😊
Thank you ❤️
Hi hello I'm Neil I'm hoping to adopt a bronze pionus soon from a rescue I can't wait
Hi Neil! They're very rarely in rescues so I'm impressed you managed to find a rescue. Good luck and hope you give it a great permanent home ❤️
Hi, could you dedicate one of your next videos to feeding these parrots? bye thank you
Yes I plan to do at least 1 video about pionis nutrition ❤
I wish you a happy, healthy and successful New year ✨️ 🎉 💖 I'm happy for you achieving the life style you want and having a calm partner who supports every step and is loved by both birds, as well. 🙌❤🎉
I love the content and the structure of it👏 I didn't know about the day cycle yet. Thank you 😊
Thank you so much ❤️
Wishing you a Happy New year too and hope 2024 brings you Happiness, laughter and dreams become a reality 🌟
Just wanted to add my observations about the pionus strut... because everything I see says to "watch out" when the strut begins, but this is not my experience.
If my white capped does the pionus strut, I just look at him and ask why? Then he usually stops as if to say "I don't know, it's just a feeling I get". Maybe it's because he was so aggressive to start (adopted at 11yo with a bite for blood), but I actually find the strut does not mean he is more likely to bite?! Sometimes if I am working out at home, he will pionus strut/lunge in one spot along with my reps haha. He also struts if he finds a dark hole that he wants to claim... or if he hears the sound of wiping windows...
Anyways, I love the personality in this video and I wish it was posted earlier when I first adopted! So much helpful information. Thanks!
My girls always strut when I'm exercising too. It's technically a territorial maneuver when they feel the need to defend their territory. I often wonder if the think when I'm exercising thats my version of strutting 🤣
Excellent video, thankyou! They are beautiful birds! I've been researching for years about getting a parrot. I love them all lol but my dream bird is a cockatoo but in my situation it wouldn't be a good idea, it's not me it's my neighbours that will cause problems.
Hope it was helpful. And I know how you feel, my dream bird was a cockatoo but couldn't take the risk of it over bonding to me or my partner and attacking the other. And neighbours would of also had issues with the screaming. It's a shame but sometimes it's better if we can recognise our restrictions instead of having to make a heartbreaking decision a couple of months or years later
Hey! What a great video, I've been hoping I'd stumble upon a very informative video about this rare bird, as I have a 2 year old bronze winged pionus :)!
I was wondering if you could also do a video about free flight training your pionus parrots? I haven't dared letting my pionus try any form of free flight yet, but i really really want her to get the experience... would highly appreciate it if you could share your process and training ^^
As much as I do want to do a video about it, it would be irresponsible for me to do so. Just like any other free flier I recommend getting a mentor who is experienced in free flight. When I was training them I had multiple friends who were all very experienced in free flight guiding me through the training, and being there for support when things went wrong, like when Quaffle got out that 1 time before she was ready. Not only that, you need to learn about weather patterns, when is the right time of day or right weather conditions to take them out. You have to understand skill level of a bird, as well as research into habitat. For example my girls and Fruity Flocks conures are all canopy fliers, whereas big macaws are open sky fliers. So knowing where to fly your bird is also important. As well as researching Birds of prey, which are a risk, which aren't, how to check if there are Birds of Prey where you intend on flying. There's so much that goes into it that people don't realise. But these are things a mentor can teach you. If I just upload a video about how I trained my girls to free fly, I run the risk of everyone trying to use that advise to teach their birds to free fly. Which without proper guidance could result in multiple people trying to let their bird off too soon or before their ready and result in hundreds of people losing their birds, and then holding me responsible because they followed the guidance of my video. I'm not willing to take that risk. Its definitely possible to learn all this information and training yourself, but it will take 5x longer than having a mentor or friend who is experienced that can give you all that information on a silver platter.
For Pionus I highly recommend Soaring Wings Training as a free flight mentor, as they helped me SO MUCH when I was training my girls and are the reason we learnt how to free fly successfully. Without their advice and guidance I can guarantee my excitement would of got the better of me and I probably would have lost Quaffle by trying to let her off in the wrong environment
Great educational and entertaining promotion for the great Pionus. Our Maximiliani (7 months old now) has not made any loud noise since we got him (from 4 months). Babble a little and softly imitate whistling sounds. Perhaps puberty will change that. Question (maybe for your species video) are there 2 significantly different sizes in the Bronzewing? (the Maximiliani has 4 subspecies with a single cm difference, but the Bronzewing is not clear to me).
Puberty has a 50/50 chance of changing the noise level. Other than baby begging Lyra didn't find her voice until about 9 months old. But there's still 30 years. And who knows, you may have just been lucky and got one that likes peace and quiet.
I'm still researching I to the subspecies and their differences as theres not much information about their differences anywhere. I believe the Bronzewing subspecies has a slight colour variety but I would need to double check
@@PionusTales If I can find it back, there's a good text about the differences in the subspecies maximiliani. But I think they're crossed. Breeders don't know what they have.
@kromsnavelfun that's a common phenomenon in all captive pionus and something I'm going to cover in the video about the different species. Only the wild subspecies are true to their genetics. Almost all pionus in captivity are a mixture of a variety of sub species due to the very minimal difference in variation of some of them, and breeders back in the day not knowing there was a difference.
I love your birds
Thank you so much ❤️❤️
Thank you so much for creating such an informative video. My bronze-winged pionus parrot and I watched your video in its entirety, she perked up during some of the calls of the other pionus parrots. She is currently 21 years old and I have had her for 19 of those years. She no longer has flight but does still glide when she has her flight feathers. It was about 9 years ago when she got really sick and lost her ability to fly which the vet thought it was due to a stroke. I was wondering if you know how long bronze-winged pionus parrots live? I have found information saying that their average lifespan is 25 years but can be up to 40 years if well taken care of. Again thank you for such an informative video!
I've had a few people say their parrots enjoy watching our videos and chat back to the girls 🤣
All Pionus have an Average lifespan of 30-35 years. Depending on medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, fatty liver disease, borna and other diseases or illnesses, that lifespan can be shortened. But for a Pionus on a healthy diet (veggies, fruits, pellets and seeds and nuts for treats) they can live up to 40 years. But thats not taking into the fact that parrot care is improving every year! And the current generation may be able to live longer still due to that improved care. We just don't know yet! But a good life expectany for the average Pionus is arou d 30-35 years
Brilliant video! Thank you 😁
Thank you ❤️❤️
Thank you so so much for this video.
You're Welcome 😊 hope it was helpful
These are dangerous birds. I almost was arrested for asking my neighbour if they wanted to come over and play with my Pionus.
🤣🤣🤣 this feels like a dad joke but also an accurate one. People have miss heard me before
😂
IS THAT xena warrior princess wallpaper behind you.
Wall paper no, signed poster 😁
Can you please tell us where we can get the "Practical Pionus" book? Thank you.
I will get the website address and pin it as the top comment as soon as I can
Here's the website I ordered it through. Please note the website was created in 2004 and hasn't been updated since so looks like a 1990s website
www.the-practical-pionus.com/
Oof. My bronze wing got spooked when I tried to scritch it and it bit straight through my thumbnails. And my white crown REALLY hates my dad. Like the amount of aggression in his little body coeld be enough to kill an elephant
White crowns are known for being super grumpy. Even my little white can wants to utterly destroy my camera and phone 🤣 luckily she's never directed that hatred onto a human. But I have found pionus have a very grumpy side to them that not enough people talk about. And some either don't know their bite strength or simply always bite down hard. Still not as bad as a cockatoo or macaw that can break bone 🤣 but yes they're not completely gentle. Thank you for sharing your experiences with your Pi's 🙏 I hope people will be able to see comments like this and get a better idea about what they are getting into
Ive fallen in love with the idea of getting a parrot. I grey up with a African Grey. My dad still has her. She only likes him though 😅id love to have a bird of my own...Specifically a bronze wing. Theyre so beautiful. I have chickens but they can care less of my existence 😂 This video was super informative. I probably wont be able to get one for a few years due to the price here in America but I want to do as much research as possible ❤
It's always a great idea to research as much as you can before getting any pet. I'm glad to hear you're putting the effort in ❤️❤️ one of the goals of this channel is to help others find the information they're researching to help them understand if they're making the right decision, not only in getting a pionus but parrots in general
Pionus parrots are perfect for a beginner
No parrot is perfect for a beginner.
Wow I regret I did not find your videos earlier, so helpful! I wonder if for people who need to work on-site 9-5pm, is it possible that the Pionus can “adjust” their sleeping time so that we can still interact with each other before and after work? 😅 Thanks so much in advance!
It's more than possible. You can have wale up time approximately 7-8am and bed time around 7pm. After a few weeks/months they'll get used to the schedule and you should have plenty of time to entertain them before you leave and after you get home/before bed
Got it, thank you so much❤ will watch your other videos to learn more before getting one 😍
Mine are so loud. Really loud. I have three, which is a a problematic number as two of them are bonding and one is being left over. The two males arrived 4 months ago, together, and I've had my WCP for over two years now. And the screaming is so loud! The male Maxi seems to be really quiet, but the WCP and BP seem to be making most of the noise. I have experience from Meyer's parrots, and they can be "noisy" as you said, making lot of noises, but it's nowhere near the loudness of these. I hope it will lessen in the future...
I find babies tend to be more nouser than adults as Lyra is definitely more vocal than Quaffle. But shes currently going through puberty so we will see what happens in another year. Hope your 3 calm down a little 🤞
@@PionusTales I hope at its worst now and will get better once the WCP matures a bit more...
I might need help. My baby bronze wing 1.5 yo is really scared of hands. He was like this ever since I got him. He takes treats from my hand and accepts scratches but idk how to make him less scated
It's a very slow process of trust building. Have you target trained them?? We're hoping to do a whole series on training and confidence building but it may not be until later in the year. BirdNerdSophie, The Parrot Teacher, BirdTricks and the Parrot Wizard all have videos on RUclips of building confidence and reducing fear of hands
Great video,Thank you. I'm considering a Pionus actually 2. If you had your druthers would you purchase 2 babies or an adult and a baby or 2 adults? Would you get 2 of the same subspecies. I really love the Dusky and Bronze wing but I do want to retire some day. I sort of honed in on a Bronze wing and a Maxi the former being the most expensive and the latter the "cheapest". How about males v.s. females? Thanks again.
That's a lot of questions that I don't think have a simple answer 🤣.
I'm very much an advocate of rescue or rehome an adult bird over buying a baby, but pionus are quite rare so finding an adult for rehome is already challenging. As for babies, finding an ethical and good breeder is 3x more difficult. Unfortunately there are a LOT of bad parrot breeders out there that are in it for the money, and weeding out which ones are good and bad can take a LOT of time. From babies you can train them and build a bond easily, but Puberty is a NIGHTMARE. As an adult they're already settled in their personality, but may have health issues, or bad habits or need rehabbing due to uneducated previous owners. Babies naturally want to be friends, but after puberty may decide they hate each other. Adult and baby, there's no guarantees the adult will accept the baby under their wing, and again once puberty hits you can't predict if they're going to still like each other or see each other as competition and hate each other.
As for same or different species that can be just as complicated for all the same reasons. You have no way of knowing if they'll get on or see each other as an invader to the others territory, plus size difference can play a factor that too, as a larger bird can more easily injured a smaller bird that won't back down. As for males vs females, again each gender has its pros and cons. Ideally you want 2 of the same gender to prevent accidental breeding, but if you do end up with one male and 1 female you have to be careful when they try to lay eggs, as hybrids can be very sickly birds. Not always but majority of the time, and hybrids are known to have a much shorter life span on average. Plus if it is a male and female and they decide they love each other, you need to be prepared for them to HATE you while they're trying to make a nest and start a family of their own.
So as you can see, it's not as simple as if you could go back in time what would you do different/what would you prefer, as there's just too many variables to consider.
For me, quaffle kind of fell in my lap. I didn't even want a White Crown! She was available exactly when I was looking, we bonded straight away, and my gut instinct told me she was the right bird. I was even considering other species at the time because Pionus's were SO hard to get hold of. And I very nearly didn't message her previous owner to enquire because when she became available, we weren't ready! Fate, and i literally mean fate, everything sort of fell into place at exactly the right time, other birds i was already applying for didn't breed etc, is what allowed her to come home.
As for Lyra i had my heart set on a bronze wing from day 1. So getting Quaffle put a stop to that. If Quaffle hadn't of come home I would of had a bronze wing baby from the breeder I knew 1 year later, as I was on a wait list. Getting quaffle pushed that wait back a further year while we got used to having a bird in the home. So if it wasn't for quaffle, lyra wouldn't be with us, she'd belong to someone else right now. When I first met her as a baby with her siblings I had an instant pull towards her, that same gut feeling I had with Quaffle. But we were insistent we wanted a female to prevent any chance of breeding, and we didn't know the babies genders. So there was no guarantees she would be mine. Its only when we got the DNA tests back 3 weeks later, she was the ONLY female in the clutch. All her siblings were brothers. My gut feeling just knew she was the one destined to be with us. I can't explain it any other way, it was like an invisible string/pull that connected me to them both.
So what i will say is if you want a specific species, go for it. Consider rehomes and rescues as they all need loving homes. But most importantly, find the right bird for you. Meet them, get an idea of their personality, see if one WANTS to bond with you. As even if it's not the species you wanted, that bond is the strongest you'll feel than with any animal.
@@PionusTales Thank you so much. You are extremely generous and a wonderful resource. I got 2 birds more than 30 years ago, and it was complete impulse purchase.. A harlequin macaw and a Jardin parrot. The Macaw was a semi rescue older bird and we bonded immediately. He was sweet and cuddly and in 3 years never bit me. He was of course at time ear drum shatteringly loud although he didn't scream that often.I had him for 3 years but when my new neighbor moved in they complained to the association and it was move or get a new home for Jake. I gave him to my nephew and still see him a few times a year. The Jardin was a baby but the macaw loved him although I never left them unsupervised. He was a supper sweet baby but an aweful s..t as an adolescent. I had no idea what to do with him and we didn't have the resources we have now. He also ended up with my nephew and lived another 26 years. I don't want to repeat that episode so I'm taking plenty of time and talking and corresponding to as may parrot owners as I can. I will likely wait a bit longer although I feel I've learned a lot over the last 4-6 months of research. I'm on a reputable breeders wait list for a BWP and that will take 2-4 years which is just fine with me. Unfortunately a baby Male BWP has become available at a reasonable price(for a BWP) so that may move up the agenda. Thanks again you are wonderful
@francisgarofalo3434 sounds like very similar situations to what I've been in over the years. Im so glad to hear you're doing plenty of research!! Not enough people do, which causes lots of birds to get rehomed after a few years. I originally had a cockatoo and after that an Africa grey, and had to rehome them for similar reasons you why you had to rehome you're 2, so sounds like you're on a similar journey to me. BWP are amazing birds!! Just be ready for the adolescent stage. And definitely meet up with thst male BWP. Who knows, just like Quaffle was for me, it may want you bond with you
@@PionusTales I like your suggestion regarding getting an older bird that needs rehoming. One knows the personality they are going to get. I would have kept the Macaw if it wasn't for my living situation. I have been looking on numerous rescue websites and haven't come across any Pionus but who knows.The Jardine was a delight as a baby but was a nightmare as an adolescent. He eventually became a very nice bird and lived for 26 years. I think I could handle it now knowing how my Jardine ended up and having the resources that are available now. I'd like to say again I'm very grateful for your efforts in educating us and hopefully making a better word for these wonderful souls.
@francisgarofalo3434 thank you so much!! Most birds do calm down a lot after adolescence, unfortunately it's during adolescence majority of birds are rehomed purely because the owners weren't expecting or prepared for it. Pionus don't often pop up in rescues but they do from time to time. Have a look on selling sites like preloved etc. Be wary of scammers but you'll probably find one or 2 being rehkmed in those type of sites purely due to a change in owners circumstances
Thank you for the great detailed video…I’m considering a Bronze Winged or Dusky Pionus. What questions would you ask a breeder about these two birds they have available that would help me as a first time bird owner. Thanks again
That depends what you're looking for in the bird or from the breeder. Firstly I'd ask if they were parent raised or partially parent raised or fully hand raised. I personally prefer parent raised or partially parent raised birds as they're more independent by nature and less reliant on human interaction which can help when leaving them at home.
Also ask if the birds are disease tested prior to going home, or if the parents have been disease tested and all negative. I know several people who have brought home a new baby bird who's sadly passed away only months later from an illness or disease they were born with.
Ask if you can visit the bird or have video calls with the breeder to allow you to see the baby's progress, see the condition and health of the parents, and see the environment in which the parents are kept. There are parrot versions of "puppy farms" which don't care about the parents so if a breeder is willing to let you see their set up and the birds are well cared for its a good sign 👍
Lastly and again this is personal choice, ask if the babies are clipped prior to coming home. I personally hate wing clipping if it's not for medical reasons. It's been proven to negatively affect the physical and mental health of a bird, and especially in the first 2 years when every instinct in their body is telling them to fly, it can have a very negative mental impact if they then can't. It effects confidence, independence, creates fear that they can't get away, as well as can damage their keel bone if they fall to fast to the floor, and can result in plucking from fear and stress. Most people clip so the bird "can't fly away" to which my response is "then don't get a bird." don't give it opportunity to fly away, don't leave outside doors and windows open when it's not in its cage, or train it so if it does escape by accident there's a higher likelihood of getting it back.
Thousands of parrots go missing every year because they're clipped and the owner believes they can't fly, but their instinct knows how to fly, and a strong enough wind or gust can carry even clipped birds for miles. Then when they land, they're exhausted, can't fly away because of the clip and lack of wind, and as a result vulnerable to predators because they can't fly like a normal bird. Just teaching them or allowing them to learn valuable flight skills while their fledging in their first year could save their life one day.
Finally be wary of scams. There are several. Best way to avoid scams is ask around and find a breeder or reputable store several people have acquired their birds from. Again ask to see the bird and parents either via video call or in person. And by video call I don't mean cute videos sent on messenger, I mean an actual video call where you can see the baby live.
@@PionusTales Thank you so much for the detailed info. So similar to looking into any animal, but a bird would be new for me. I'm doing as much research as possible before making this commitment because I know it's a long term relationship and not to be taken lightly. So for now I'm enjoying vids and insight like yours to help me understand as much as possible before making the plunge. Thanks again for taking the time in writing such a nice detailed reply. Send all your small feather friends my best.
@@michaelleblanc450 I can't express how happy and grateful I am that anyone puts in their time and effort to do the research before deciding whether to make the commitment 🙌 not enough people do and I'm so glad you are 💕🥰
I'm looking into getting a blue-headed pionus (hopefully getting everything ready to be able to get one next year or late this year) and I do need to get it a parrot friend from the get go (it's illegal to keep flock/herd animals alone in my country). I was thinking about getting two BH's since I was under the impression mixing the sub-species wasn't a good idea. After seeing your birds together I'm reconsidering this, the other option to two BH's would be a BH and a bronzewing. What things are there to consider which of those pairings would be better? On a similar note I'm really undecided on which gender(s) I would be looking for. I'm not interested in breeding one bit which is why male-female pairing seems bit intimidating to me. Currently I'm leaning towards two males and trying to find all the information about whether that would be alright or reasonable for pionus. Any insight would be very welcome!
Of you're getting both as babies they should bond pretty quickly, but get ready as you'll have 2 birds going through puberty at the same time which will be very stressful. Its impossible to know which pairing will be better. Take quaffle, she hates most birds, even of her own species, but gets on fine with green Cheek conures. I have a friends with macaws who only get on with the same species, and others who get on with any bird. I've seen people with big 6 or 7 flocks, all different species of pionus, some of the birds get on, some don't.
As for gender, if you want to avoid breeding then same gender is the best way to go. Females are less likely to talk and can become egg bound when hormonal, but tend to have a more independent and calm nature in general. Males you don't have the risk of egg binding, but higher chance of them fighting during hormones. There's a person on Instagram and tiktok called MiamiPionusPair, he has 2 males so he could tell you more about how they're like.
@@PionusTales Thank you so much for the very fast response!
Thank you for this video, this really made me think. I have my heart set on a blue headed pionus, but I will be living in an apartment. So now I'm unsure if it's possible, which is really quite heartbreaking. If they were better mimics, I could maybe teach my bird to make a different noise for attention instead of the super high pitched scream. I just don't know what to do at this point! I 100% only want a medium sized bird (10-12 inches or so) and really nothing small like a budgie. But it's no use having a parrot if we get evicted due to noise! What species would work for me? I've already waited over 7 years for a bird and I'm finally ready to purchase, I would hate to wait much longer.
In my opinion no parrot makes a good apartment bird. As even if you go for a quiet species, you may still end up with the one that likes yo make noise. And every parrot contact calls in some way shape or form. Even African greys who are the most adept in mimicry. Some people have successfully lived quite happily with multiple different species in apartments but it does depend on the bird as an individual as well as your overall lifestyle. The noisier the environment, the noisier the parrot.
If you just want a bird, not specifically a parrot, pigeons make amazing pets.and no I'm not joking, I would happily have a pigeon or dove over a parrot if I knew sooner. They're quiet, just making a slight humming noise, they can be taught tricks, easy to handle, food is easy to get and far cheaper than a parrots diet, and can be trained to free fly due to their natural homing instincts. If your heart is set on a parrot, you have to consider a plan B. Ie what will you do if the parrot is too noisy or you get evicted for noise.
@@PionusTales Those are all very good points to consider, thank you. A pigeon is definitely an interesting and intriguing choice.... I suppose I really had my heart set on a parrot, so I never seriously considered them. Specifically a blue headed pionus. Choices, choices. I think I will do more research, and try my best to find a bird with the personality I am looking for, instead of just noise level.
Speaking of which, do you know any birds that meet most of these traits: medium sized (not under 10 inches long), interactive/enjoys trick training, could do well flying outdoors (definitely harnessed, maybe - heavy on the maybe - free flight) so not too skittish or phobic, would enjoy following me from room to room and being near me, not overly clingy? I work from home so that's also a consideration, I have more time to spend in the bird's presence. I could take breaks for short training and interaction sessions then it's back to work while the bird self entertains. I would teach him how to play with toys and shred them up nicely and forage. I'm thinking alternating between training/interacting and the bird self-entertaining near me (out of his cage, althougut I would jave designated cage times so he learns his cage is a place of fun play and not punishment) throughout the day. I really just want a parrot (or bird) who would enjoy my company as much as I enjoy his, and I would prefer my bird to bond with me and be my friend, not someone else in my family.
To me, it sounds like I'm describing a blue headed pionus, but I may be mistaken.
ut will they talk and sing if engajed? and do they talk?
They are less likely to learn to mimic speech compared to other species and more likely to mimic whistles, but several birds have learnt to mimic some words. But in all honesty whether a bird has the ability to mimic sounds or not is irrelevant in my opinion
What are your feelings on clipping the wings? I'm talking about just trimming the primary flight feathers, nothing more. I notice all your birds are fully feathered and flying around. Also, I was surprised at the outdoor gatherings where people have their parrots flying around in the open. No one ever had one scoot off into the threes "over there", and not return?
Personally, I'm against clipping a healthy bird. I believe clipping can be beneficial to disabled birds, for example, with broken or miss-shapen wings where flying would cause a medical issue to become worse. However, if the bird is healthy and there is no medical reason to clip them, then I don't agree with clipping. There has been proven to be a long list of cons to wing clipping both physically and mentally. In my personal opinion if you don't want a pet to fly, don't get a pet that flys 🤷♀️ its no different from declawing a cat, it lowers confidence, reduces muscle mass, exposes the keel bone, and has been proven to cause stress in some birds. Just being able to fly indoors promotes healthy exercise and muscle mass, the ability to prevent injury from falls to the floor, builds trust because they have the option to create distance if they feel scared, and gives them the opportunity to get themselves out of danger in an emergency.
All of our parrots have been specially trained to fly outdoors and return to us. As I mentioned in the video, they all go through 6 months- 1 year of training to allow them to fly outdoors. Some parrots train for up to 2 years. There's always a risk of a "fly off" but for a bird that has been properly trained, it is very rare. They return 99.9% of the time. Usually, that 0.01% they don't fly off by choice, but because they've been chased by magpies, crows, seagulls, or a bird of prey. If that does happen, because of their training, they make their way back to us, or we can usually locate them within a few hours or less not far from where they went missing. Compared to a bird that hasn't been trained which can fly up to 5 miles in a straight line without stopping before collapsing from exhaustion.
It has happened to some other people I know, like Mikey and Mia the macaws, who have had birds missing overnight but they've always been found the next day and been extremely eager to come home. To date neither of my girls have gone missing during free flying,but they have gone missing from home after accidentally flying past us through the front door, but thanks to their training they've never gone more than a couple of hundred metres from home, and we've been able to find them within a few hours. Compared to a bird who has never been outside in its life which would panic and become overwhelmed, and as a result become a higher risk to danger. Hope that answered your question, I felt like I rambled a bit there 😅
@@PionusTales I hear you. The argument for clipping I've heard relates to keeping the bird safer indoors (e.g. ceiling fans or windows), or to avoid a long distance escape if spooked out a door.
But overall I agree with the idea the bird was meant to fly, and getting that exercise and ability to fly is probably right for a bird who is designed to fly.
All told I've got 20 years of parrot ownership buried in my lifetime, a Blue and Gold Macaw (first parrot) and a Bare Eyed Cockatoo (second parrot), and in both cases I generally kept their wings clipped. This was in smaller spaces (small home, and apartments (with the bare eyed), and the limited space meant that even with primary flight feathers clipped they were able to "fly" as far as they were able given the shorter distances.
If I get another parrot sometime (considering a Meyers in the next couple of years maybe), I'll likely not clip them.
@MRTOMBO I've heard that too, that clipping jeeps them safer indoors, but I've found the opposite to be true. Ceiling fans, cookers, windows are all dangers that they shouldn't be exposed to in the first place and can be avoided by human choices. We don't have ceiling fans in the house, they're caged when we're cooking to avoid getting themselves injured, and they know what and where the windows are and know to not fly into them. There's also the options of placing window stickers on yo help them realise the window is there. They're very smart creatures.
I've also seen multiple videos of birds jumping off their owners into frying pans and onto pots, and then can't get out because they can't fly. I've seen videos of birds slipping and falling from perches and breaking their keel bone because they have no chest muscle (flight muscle) to protect it, and can't slow their fall because of the clipped wings. I've seen birds who want to fly, desperately, and get stressed because they know they can't and the fear of falling and injuring themselves has become so ingrained they become stressed and start plucking from frustration. I've seen clipped birds being aggressive because they are afraid, the human is ignoring their body language, forcing an interaction and they can't get away, if they can't get away the often fight back or go into forced submission, which can cause fear of humans and hands.
And I've seen many clipped birds escape and still be able to fly because they've been caught by a gust of wind which has carried them over 300 metres. Which not only leaves them lost and overwhelmed, because they can't fly it leaves them very easy targets to cats, foxes, crows, magpies and birds of prey. At least if flighted they have a higher chance of survival because they can hide in trees, escape from predators and threats and have the ability to forage for food and water.
A friend of mine had an aviary bird (not free flight trained) escape the aviary just recently. Because it didnt have clipped wings, It survived 4 days outdoors by copying the wild birds to find food and water before it was found.
If you get a dog, you don't stop it from going on a walk so it can't run away, you use a lead to keep it safe. You don't declaw a cat so it can't climb, scratch your furniture or catch wildlife. You buy it toys to scratch, make it a house cat or build a cat outdoor area and give it places to climb and explore. You don't bind a rabbits legs to stop it digging and escaping, you supervise it's activity when outside of its pen. And it's more common for people to take small mammals on walks. If we're willing to take these precautions with other pets, why not birds? Because clipping is simply easier? It's still mutilation.
I've also heard the argument that the feathers grow back, will so do some lizards and amphibians legs. Does that justify cutting them off so they can't escape? No! But we've been doing it for so long it's second nature.
Bird knowledge and care has improved SO MUCH in the last 30 years alone that clipping shouldn't even be a needed practice anymore. I used to own a cockatoo when I was younger and my mum had an African Grey. They were never clipped because we didn't see the need for them to be. The African Grey sadly did escape at about 5 years old due to my sisters friend who was scared of birds, he left a door open when drunk, panicked when he saw her because he forgot she was there in his drunk state and she flew off. (She wasn't free flight trained). Sadly even with extensive searching for over a week we never found her. And to this day I wish I had free flight trained her. And it's why I trained my current birds to free fly, to heavily reduce the chances of them going missing.
Truth is free flight training is a luxury that not all owners have the guts to do. Which is fine! Even if you never free fly a bird, the flight skills, recall and desensitisation from the training alone can heavily reduce the chances of them going missing if they did get out.
This video only solidifies my opinion that bronze wing pionus birds are perfect for me and my lifestyle
They are wonderful birds
At this point, I may have to choose between a pionus, green cheek conure, cockatiel, or a jardine parrot (or a cape parrot if I can't find a jardine). Can anyone help me decide between these species?
Honestly no one would be ble to help you decide, as each species has their own unique traits and personality stereotypes, different levels of noise and loudness and different mood changes during hormone season. For me what helped was speaking to multiple owners of each species and getting the truth of what each species was like, and then working out which one I could handle full time. Truthfully i originally wanted a cockatoo, but my lifestyle wasnt suited to allow me to provide them with the sheer amount of stimulation they need. Cockateils were too feisty, green cheeks too active and needing too much stimuli, Jardine I didn't even consider as they didn't appeal to me. But for my current lifestyle pionus were perfect in personality. But birds aren't for everyone. All parrots are very high maintenance pets.
@@PionusTales That is true... maybe I am rushing too much in my excitement. I think you're right, I need to spend more time really deep diving into each species and seeing how they REALLY are as pets. All the sounds they make, general personalities, if we would even like each other... I knew parrots are big commitments but I may be underestimating. The LAST thing I want is to make an uninformed decision. I'm going to buy the pionus book you recommended and do more research. If I can find similar videos like this FANTASTIC documentary you made for us, on other species, then I could really make a much better informed decision. I know parrots are lifelong commitments. I am 24 and it is VERY likely this decision could impact the next 30 YEARS of my life... that is essentially my entire life, and I REALLY need to make the RIGHT choice. Thank you
I have a Max and White Cap, both about 8 yrs old. Both female. The max is banded, the white cap is not. They do not get along. ha ha
Similar situation to me then 🤣 hope they at least tolerate each other
@@PionusTales The whitecap chases the max right off her cage, and the WC is the newer bird. I can tell the former owners had her in the cage a lot. She's slowly coming out each day and spending more time outside than in. It worries me when they "fight", for all I know its totally normal and I'm over reacting. lol
@jasonasselin White Crowns are known for being "Fiesty", my girl is exactly the same but it also depends on whether they understand the other is not a threat. We've done communal feeding, communal foraging, training at the same time and giving them time alone (birds in their own cages for safety while we leave the house for half a day or so) to help them get accustomed to each other. It took Quaffle (The White Crown) about a year or so to be willing to tolerate Lyra in "her territory" and even now when hormones season perks up she'll still chase her away from time to time. But tolerance is the best we could hope for with a WC
@PionusTales Yeah they both have separate cages, during the day they sit across from each other. The max wants to be friends, but they just bite beaks. A little scary putting your hand between them. We fed them both and snacks together, trying to make them feel equal. Both were adopted for a very small fee, which as endangered as they are it is surprising.
@jasonasselin sounds like they just need rime. And definitely monitor interaction. Lyra has always wanted to be friends with Quaffle but it's took a long time just yo get Quaffle comfortable having Lyra around.
I have a dusky pionus! Hes still a baby and sweet but lets see when he hits adulthood 😅😅
I would love a dusky. Hope he's a good boy when he gets older 🤞🤞
Do you think parrots should be bred for pets? There are so many given up because they are hard to take care of. I am considering a rescue bird because there are so many. But I’m on the fence because some of these will have issues from neglect
Good question. In all honesty it's a difficult topic to say yes or no yo. In one sense I believe they're wild animals and should stay that way. However during to deforestation, loss of habitat, pollution, poaching, all man made causes, parrots in the wild are in heavy decline with multiple species on the brink of extinction. Without the pet trade some species would have become extinct already. By having them in the pet trade we're in some sense preventing extinction. However, some peole just don't make good parrot owners. They don't learn their requirements or needs, they don't learn what they need to change about their lifestyle to accommodate a parrot, and buy it on impulse because it looked cute or they saw one singing on social media and wanted one that would do the same etc. And it's that impulse buying mentality, along with the throw away mentality our current lifestyles have become accustomed to thst causes so many in rescues. Getting a rescue is a great option, and you're right they often come with issues from previous homes. Which can be overwhelming for a potential owner, and why many rescues have a policy where if it doesn't work out, the bird goes back to that rescue.
Some people make great parrot owners, because they put in the time and effort the parrot needs to be cared for. But not everyone can make this commitment.
Do you know someone with a meyers bird? I'm thinking of getting a parrot rn and I'm trying to decide between pionus or meyers parrots but it's pretty hard to find info on meyers.
I dont know anyone personally as they're quite rare in the UK, but if you have a look on Facebook there's usually a dedicated group to owners of specific species. It's one of the ways I learnt about pionus. Or have a look on Instagram and reach out to any accounts you find that have meyers parrots. For example on Instagram there's @meyersparrots @tango_the_meyers @our_meyers_parrot_mr.gucci @murphy.meyers
@@PionusTales tyyy ♥♥
I would like to know more about the b.h. pionus' odor...i enjoy it very much...not sure why its just the b.h.'s..?
I do find him very much a b.h. ...and behaves very much as you suggest...he does play / stay to himself most of the time but , very close....no real mid-day naps...pretty quiet overall....and lets me know , with a grunt , that i may now entertain him 🙄 🤭...
Good job!
The oder isn't just blue heads. But I do intend to mention it in a later video. All Pionus have a musky smell and the smell differs between each species. But there are also hundreds of other species of parrot that produce smells and odors as well.
What do your bird like to eat?
A variety of things. Fruits, vegetables, sprouted seeds, and have seeds and nuts as treats
Thanks for the great video. Broznzed Wing Pionus is my favourite Pionus parrot too, and I have learned so much from the video. 🥰🦜
I totally agreed with you that there is not many information in the Internet that I can find related to Pionus Parrots. I have 4 Bronzed Wing Pinous, but lost 2 of them due to illness and my inexperience of handling them. 😞
I was very happy when I came upon your Pionus vidoes, which have helped me a lot in taking care of my 2 remaining Bronzed Wing Pinous, Artemis (Adult Male) and Ke Le, Cola in mandarin (Baby Female). 🙇🏻♂️🙏🏻
I'm sorry for your loss. I hope you and your 2 Bronze Wings are all doing well
@@PionusTales With the guidance from from your video, I believed we will be able to take good care of them. 🙏🏻 To us, they are not just a pet, they are part of our family members. 🦜
@@leecyh they definitely are part of the family. Can't remember life without them anymore
@PionusTales Yeah, totally agreed with you. 🦜💞