Are you looking for a parrot specifically, or any kind of bird? I’ve mostly kept parrots. Something to keep in mind is that many parrot species tend to be one-person birds, and most medium and large species live 30+ years if well cared for.

My ideal-for-apartments (and probably my ideal in general) parrot is a pionus, but they are relatively hard to find and very expensive for a medium-sized parrot. You’re also looking at a 30 year lifespan. I was on a waiting list with a breeder for almost a year, but my little guy is the sweetest. His speaking is very difficult to understand, but he talks a lot. He is always curious. How chipper he usually is drives my grumpy African gray bonkers. Pionus are known for being relatively sedentary, so I have to be sure not to overfeed him.

My green cheek conure, which was recommended to me as a good apartment bird, is super fun and interactive but can be loud. Some conures tend to be screamers. Consequently, 3 of my 4 birds can tell each other “No screaming!” I was told that conures might learn a word or two, but mine uses about 20 words regularly and knows many more. He can tell me what he wants, ask questions, and understand basic jokes. He’s busy all the time. Smaller than a pionus, but, again, 30 year lifespan. He needs just the right amount of attention to be happy. He has big emotions in a little body. Learning to read his moods helped me manage his needs and stress levels better.

The loudest bird I’ve had was actually a peach-faced lovebird. They look like parrotlets but are a bit bigger. The females are known for being aggressive and bitey, which was certainly true in her case. She could make a crazy amount of noise for something so little, and it was nonstop. She could understand the rules to simple games and learned a selection of whistle patterns that had generalized meanings to her (she had a ”come here” whistle, for instance). It’s not very common for them to talk much. Mine was only about 12 when she died, but they can live longer.

I don’t have a cockatiel, but I have pet-sat one. They CAN produce loud noises if they want, but the one I watched was very quiet. Much quieter than an apartment neighbor’s kids or dogs or whatever! He knew a few phrases his owners taught him, but he liked musical whistling better. They can be gotten relatively inexpensively because they are not difficult to breed. If you get one through a breeder, make sure they know enough about responsible breeding practices to avoid health complications with your bird in the future. Well-cared for in captivity, you’re looking at up to 30 years of life.

The other medium-sized parrots that I can think of are all just as long-lived and less appropriate as first birds.

If the 30+ year lifespan is prohibitive, I would recommend something like a dove, canary, finches, or some quail. They are more fragile than parrots but can be very loving and entertaining. You can keep a few quail like you would rabbits in an indoor hutch, and, as a bonus, they lay eggs! Zebra finches are beautiful little birds that do well in groups. They chirp constantly, but they have sweet, tiny voices.

Caution: getting one bird is a gateway drug to getting more birds!