Sometimes people just want pet birds to be decorative and to add the occasional sweet song to the sounds of the household. But others want birds that they can interact with in a major way, and perhaps even teach them to talk and learn other tricks. If that's what you're looking for, then you want a more exotic type of bird. You would probably be most interested in investigating pet parrots or cockatiels. These will give you all the daily interaction and fun you could ever dream of.
Some parrots, even if they are outgoing and can mimic human speech, still might not be best suited to be pet parrots, though. For example, the bright green Amazon parrot is very intelligent, and is known to learn words from human speech quite quickly. Yet because it can get rather aggressive if not given a great deal of attention, someone considering this bird for a family pet might want to think twice. A conure, or parakeet, is another exotic pet bird that talks, but it is smaller. It would still need a large amount of attention, however.
As an alternative to parrots, some people become interested in cockatiels instead. Although they are quite large, they are also very social, affectionate birds, meaning they'd probably fit more easily into a family than some of the larger parrots. They are able to learn a lot of words, and really enjoy talking back to their humans. They also have beautiful plumage and a large head crest. So if you're uncertain how well you'd deal with parrots, a pet cockatiel might be another possibility for you.
The prospect of owning pet parrots or cockatiels is not one to be taken lightly. Choosing the right pet bird means thinking beyond the fun idea of interacting with these birds tomorrow, and envisioning doing it day after day after day for many years, possibly decades. Having a parrot may not quite mean devoting as much time as you would to a toddler, yet you might come close to that. You need to be sure this is really what you want, before making this commitment.
Kenny Leichester is a foremost expert in the interior design industry specializing in the outdoor or patio settings using outdoor heaters, patio umbrellas, outdoor cushions, patio lighting and so on to create exquisitely beautiful layout. His work on patio umbrellas are widely distributed and is a regular contributor to PatioShoppers.com.