I m trying to convince my parents to get me a bird but I need to find a breed that meets certain standards...?

All birds can be noisy, especially parrots and conures. And all birds are messy both in and out of the cage. Larger birds need to be out of their cage a lot, and of course they are not 'house trained' and require quite a bit of cleaning up after. All birds toss seeds out of their cages requiring frequent cleaning also. Birds are fabulous pets, but not for someone who needs a fairly quiet pet, and does not want one that will make a mess.

There is no bird that would meet those standards. Birds need a lot of interaction; they cannot be left alone for long periods of time unless you have a pair that can keep each other company. All birds are noisy. They like to chirp and sing constantly. All birds are messy. They will throw seeds everywhere and kick up dust.

Budgies would not meet your criteria. They can be loud, they should never be utterly alone, and they do toss seeds everywhere. I would say you should look for a different pet.

With that criteria, try a fish instead.

If you have enough room, you might want to try getting a pair of doves (ringneck doves are good for beginners) or pigeons. They are quiet (other than a soft cooing - no chirping, singing, etc), can be left alone (they live in best in pairs anyway, and they keep each other company) and are moderately clean (much cleaner feces than chickens and some other birds). The only thing is they require a large cage than most parrot-like birds (but they can also live outside)

No way can you get a bird that meets those standards, birds are high maintenance pets. Budgies, canaries,finches etc.. all need attention! Try getting a pet snail/fish or something of that sort that's not a bird and low maintenance

Canaries

Don't get a bird. Or get 2 birds, but you should never, ever, ever leave a little bird by itself for long periods of time and expect it to be cheerful and chirpy. They're flock animals, they actually need one another. If you think getting a bird will be great for you, think of how the bird will feel in a cage (jail) all alone (solitary confinement) day in and day out (Guantanamo Bay).

No bird meets those standards. When bird eat, they throw food. It's very messy. Birds need lots of interaction too. When they're out of the cage, they're messy too. They are very loud. Some types, like conures, are louder than others, but all birds are pretty loud. I wouldn't get a bird if I were you. They make great pets, but only if you can tolerate the mess and screams :]

Check the Jan. 1998 issue of Bird Talk for an article entitled Pick a Perfect Parrot.

A budgie parakeet should meet your parent's standards.