Easiest Parrots for Beginners: 8 Best First Time Bird Species
If you have never owned a parrot before, the choice can feel overwhelming. There are roughly 350 parrot species in the world, they range from tiny 3 ounce parrotlets to 3 pound macaws, and they live anywhere from 8 to 80 years. The wrong choice traps you in a decades long relationship with a bird you cannot properly care for. The right choice is one of the most rewarding pets you can bring into your home.
This guide ranks 8 parrot species that consistently perform well for first time owners, from the smallest and most affordable to the largest we would still recommend to a first time buyer. Every species below is one we actively raise or recommend at Mo’s Birds.
What easy actually means for a first parrot
Before the list, a quick word on what easy really means with parrots. No parrot is low maintenance in the way a goldfish is. Every parrot on this list needs daily interaction, a proper cage, fresh food, environmental enrichment, and an avian vet check at least once a year.
What makes a parrot beginner friendly is a combination of five things:
- Manageable size, usually under 12 inches
- Moderate noise level, quiet enough for a townhouse or apartment
- Reasonable lifespan, generally under 25 years so the commitment feels realistic
- Forgiving temperament, meaning small handling mistakes do not result in serious bites
- Affordable to buy and to feed, so a first year in ownership does not blow your budget
The 8 species below score well across all five.
1. Cockatiel: the friendliest first parrot
If we had to recommend one species to every new bird owner, it would be the cockatiel. A hand fed cockatiel is affectionate, whistling, sits happily on a shoulder, and rarely bites hard even when startled. Males often learn a small repertoire of whistled tunes and simple words. They tolerate being left alone during the workday better than most parrots, provided they have another cockatiel or you spend time with them morning and evening.
- Size: 12 to 14 inches
- Lifespan: 15 to 25 years
- Noise: Moderate. Whistling and chirping. Not screaming.
- Price at Mo’s Birds: From $164
Explore cockatiels for sale or read our full guide to a hand fed cockatiel in California.
2. Green Cheek Conure: the quiet cuddler
Green Cheeks are the exception among conures. Where Sun Conures and Jenday Conures are famously loud, Green Cheeks are one of the quietest small parrots you can own, and they are famously cuddly. They love to snuggle in a t shirt or under a hoodie, will sleep upside down like a bat, and pack an outsized personality into a 10 inch body.
- Size: 10 inches
- Lifespan: 20 to 30 years
- Noise: Low for a conure
- Price at Mo’s Birds: From $275
Read our full comparison of Sun Conure vs Green Cheek Conure and see if noise level matters to your situation by reading Are Green Cheek Conures Loud.
3. Lovebird: the pocket sized personality
Lovebirds are the tiniest parrots on this list at around 6 inches, but they have the personality of birds three times their size. They are curious, active, bold, and if hand raised, deeply bonded to their humans. Peach faced, Fischer’s and Masked lovebirds are the three most commonly available species. They come in a rainbow of colour mutations and are one of the more affordable parrots to buy.
Do not believe the myth that a lovebird will die of loneliness if kept singly. A hand raised lovebird with daily human contact is perfectly happy alone and often bonds more closely with its owner than a paired bird will.
- Size: 5 to 6.5 inches
- Lifespan: 15 to 20 years
- Noise: Moderate chattering
See available lovebirds at Mo’s Birds.
4. Budgerigar (Budgie)
The world’s most popular pet parrot for a reason. Budgies are cheap to buy, easy to keep, and the males are surprisingly capable talkers, sometimes learning hundreds of words in tiny gravelly voices. They live 8 to 12 years, which is a lower commitment than any other parrot on this list, making them a great first parrot for a family with children.
- Size: 7 inches
- Lifespan: 8 to 12 years
- Noise: Low, quiet chattering
5. Indian Ringneck Parakeet
A step up in size and commitment, Indian Ringnecks are strikingly beautiful and capable of very clear speech. They are more independent than cockatiels and demand consistent training in their first year, but a well socialized Ringneck is a spectacular pet. Male Ringnecks develop the classic black neck ring around age three.
- Size: 16 inches including the long tail
- Lifespan: 25 to 30 years
- Noise: Moderate, occasional loud calls
See available ringneck parrots.
6. Sun Conure
The Sun Conure is the loudest bird on this list, and we include it with a warning. If you live in an apartment or a shared building, this is not your bird. But if you have detached housing and want a spectacular, brightly coloured, deeply affectionate small parrot, few birds match a Sun Conure. They will sit on your shoulder for hours.
- Size: 12 inches
- Lifespan: 20 to 25 years
- Noise: High. Very high.
See our Sun Conure product page for currently available babies from $599.
7. Red Bellied Parrot or Senegal
The Poicephalus family, which includes the Red Bellied Parrot, Senegal Parrot, Meyer’s Parrot and Jardine’s Parrot, is genuinely one of the most underrated groups for first time large parrot owners. They are small (around 8 inches), quiet enough for apartments, live 25 to 30 years, and are highly intelligent without being demanding.
- Size: 8 to 9 inches
- Lifespan: 25 to 30 years
- Noise: Low
See our Red Bellied Parrot or Jardine’s Parrot pages.
8. Caique: the clown of the parrot world
Caiques are the exception in this list because they are the most demanding beginner bird, but we include them because they are so affectionate and entertaining that we regularly recommend them to enthusiastic first time owners with time on their hands. They are hopping, tumbling, wrestling little athletes with more energy than any bird twice their size.
- Size: 9 to 10 inches
- Lifespan: 25 to 40 years
- Noise: Moderate to high
See our caiques category.
What we do not recommend for a first parrot
We deliberately left the following species off this list, even though they are commonly kept as pets: African Grey, Amazon Parrot, Cockatoo, and any Macaw. These birds are extraordinary, but they are all long lived (40 to 60 plus years), loud, and behaviourally complex. A first time owner is almost always better served by starting with a smaller species, learning the fundamentals over a couple of years, and then moving to a larger parrot if desired. If you want to plan for the long term commitment, read our guide on how long parrots live by species before you decide.
Ready to bring home your first parrot?
Every bird we raise at Mo’s Birds is hand fed from day one, DNA sexed, and comes with lifetime support so you never feel stuck if a question comes up two years down the line. Browse currently available baby parrots or contact Mo directly for photos and video of the specific bird you are considering.
Frequently asked questions
What is the number one best beginner parrot?
Cockatiels are the most consistently recommended first parrot because they are affectionate, moderate in noise and lifespan, and forgiving of small handling mistakes. Budgies are a very close second, especially if budget is tight.
Are lovebirds good for first time owners?
Yes, if hand raised. A hand fed lovebird is affectionate and easy to handle. A parent raised, wild flighted lovebird is nippy and takes months of taming work.
What is the quietest parrot?
Among true parrots kept as pets, budgies, Green Cheek Conures, Red Bellied Parrots and Bourke’s Parakeets are the quietest. If noise is your biggest concern, avoid Sun Conures, Cockatoos and Macaws.
Can I keep a parrot in an apartment?
Yes, if you choose the right species. Cockatiels, Green Cheek Conures, Budgies, lovebirds and Red Bellied Parrots are all apartment friendly. Sun Conures, Cockatoos and Macaws are not.
Should I get one parrot or two?
Start with one. A single hand raised parrot with daily human contact will bond strongly with you. Getting two at once often means both birds bond to each other and neither to you, which is fine if that is what you want but usually not what a first time owner is looking for.