Someone posted wondering if birds and ferrets could co-exist (sorry, I
deleted the email and I can't remember your name or all the details).  They
can, but you have to take certain precautions.  I can't remember if the
poster said they wanted to have the ferrets loose all the time, in the same
room with a bird in a cage, or if they would only have the ferrets loose
while supervised.  If you were planning to do the former I'd recommend not
trying it.  You might possibly be able to get away with it if you could
hang the bird cage from the ceiling and out of ferret reach from any angle.
But that would then pretty much limit you to a smaller bird, such as a
budgie, cockatiel, lovebird, parrotlet, etc.
 
I think you mentioned meeting a yellow naped amazon?  Very impressive,
and very pretty birds but if you've never owned a bird before I wouldn't
recommend an amazon as your first bird.  Lots of people have done it of
course, and it can be successful, but amazons can also be quite a handful if
you are not used to parrots already.  They can definitely be intimidating
for the uninitiated.  This also goes for most large parrots such as macaws
and cockatoos.  Individual personalities differ of course, but a bird who
decides that he's the "boss" of the "flock" (you and him) can be difficult
to deal with, especially if the bird possesses a large, pointy "I can crack
Brazil nuts without half trying" type of beak.  In any event if you do
decide to get a larger parrot, you probably won't be able to hang the size
cage you would need for it from the ceiling.  I have a black-headed caique
(small parrot about 8 inches long) in a powder-coated steel cage in my
living room.  The cage is one piece, with built-in legs and a lower shelf
and it's on casters.  The smooth coating combined with the cage apron
prevents climbing by ferrets, but I still wouldn't chance leaving them out
and about for any length of time while I wasn't around.  You never know
what ingenious methods they could come up with to reach the cage.  And then
they'd probably figure out how to open it and that would be that.
 
Whatever bird you decide to get, make sure to research furiously.  It's
more involved than researching ferrets because ferrets are basically
ferrets, but a budgie is not a cockatiel is not a caique is not a macaw...
etc.  They have vastly different personality types.  Do you want a
cuddler/love sponge, or a bird that can survive without constant personal
attention?  Are you looking for a potentially good talker?  Can you stand a
certain amount of screaming and noise (more importantly perhaps, can your
neighbors or housemates stand it)?  These are the types of questions you
have to answer.
 
But again, if you can only keep your pets in the one room, and you want the
ferrets to be loose all the time, you'll have to think carefully about how
the cage for the bird will be situated.  Otherwise you are asking for an
eventual tragedy.  Oh, and the other thing is: I assume you do have a cage
for your ferrets, even if they are free-roaming.  They'll need to be put
someplace while you interact with the bird.  Parrots need time out of their
cages as well.
 
Hope this helps!
 
P.S.  My personal vote for favorite first bird: Cockatiel!  If by some
quirk of fate I could only have one bird (instead of 11 -- 7 of which are
tiels), I'd have to pick a cockatiel.  Not overly noisy, very friendly if
hand-raised, not big enough to do any real damage if they bite you, and
wonderful personalities.  And the males can talk and whistle up a storm!
 
Karen
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[Posted in FML issue 2470]