While I don't have plans to get a bird right away, I am considering getting a parrot when I move in about a year. I would like to get a parrot that doesn't need an enormous cage, gets along well with people, and doesn't need more than an hour or so of play time a day. It would be even better if I could get two of them in the same cage, because it's just common sense that animals that live in groups in the wild will do much better if they have the companionship of their own kind in captivity. Noise isn't too much of a problem for me, because I'm used to listening to the chirping of crickets that escaped somewhere between their holding tank and my lizards' cages (escapees are inevitable when keeping live feeder insects)
I'm quite taken with red-bellied parrots right now, as I've become something of friends with one lively, chatty little fellow at a pet store near me. The fact that they don't get very big and are very friendly is very appealing to me, but I know I can't give it more than a few hours of my time a day (due to post-secondary education and work).
Any help would be greatly appreciated even though my decision won't be made for several months yet. I've learned that it is never too early to research potential new family members, because learning it all too quickly means you'll forget some vital detail that'll come back to bite you in the arse.
