So you want a parrot

Parrots can be wonderful companions. Unfortunately I have seen owners that have had to give up their beloved bird for a variety of reasons. These parrots are hard to place, they need to be trained or re-trained out of bad habits, they scream, bite, eat all the wrong foods, and are over all scared to death over their new found situations.

So before you get yourself a parrot, these are some of the things you need to know:

1. Parrots are long lived. The smaller parrots, quakers, conures, lovebirds, cockatiels can live upwards of 30 years. The larger varieties, Macaws, Cockatoos, Amazons, African Greys, etc can live anywhere from 50 to 80 years and older. Owning a bird is a long term commitment, be sure you are up to the task.

2. If you don't like loud noises it's probably best not to get a parrot. Parrots can be loud, seriously loud. A Cockatoo's scream can be heard up to 2 miles away, think of what that could be like in your house. Conures though smaller can screach with the best of them, in fact, most of my conures make alot more noise then my Cockatoo and my Macaw combined. Cockatiels are quieter but chitter all day long, same with parrakeets, so keep this in mind before getting a bird also keep in mind that baby birds, which are normally sold in pet stores, make significantly less noise then adults. For instance, I fell in love with my sweet, quiet, cooing Cockatoo when I worked in the pet store, imagine my surprise when she screamed for the first time almost 8 months later.

3. If you don't have the time, don't get the bird. Birds bond to their humans, they want to be with you, stand on you, talk to you and play with you. If you work 8 plus hours a day, leaving the bird alone with nothing to do you will have problems like plucking and self mutilation.

4. Parrots are smart. They need to be mentally and physically stimulated. Toys are important for parrots, they need to chew and play and toys provide that for them. There are toys that hide food and treats that are wonderful ways to stimulate your parrot. Remember a cage with out toys is little more then a prison for them.

5. Feng shui your bird. Because parrots are so smart and need to be stimulated. You should rearange their cage about once a month. Exchange their toys, put in something new for  them to explore. This accomplishes two things, the first it engages their brain keeping them from developing a routine with their toys that may lead to bordom and from there bad behavior like plucking. Second it can help them from becoming so accustom to their cage being a certain way that they become cage bound.

6. The beak that bites. If you own a parrot is not the case of if you get bit as when you get bit. Parrots bite, it's a fact of life. They dont have hands so they explore their world through their beak and tongue.  Sometimes they don't mean to hurt you, but parrots speak to one another differently. In the wild if there is danger they will bite the bird next to them to alert them, they will bite to establish domanance heck they will bite for just about anything. A companion parrot is not much different from it's wild cousins. You have to train your bird not to bite you and keep in mind even the best trained bird can, and possibly will, still bite under the right circumestances.

7. Feeding a parrot. Food is an important part of the life of a parrot. A wise vet told me that a proper diet for a parrot is 70% pellet, 20% fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and 10% seed. This is an over all good diet for most parrots, though some like Macaws need a different balance of pellet vs. seed. Be sure to talk to a vet, that specializes in Avians, on the proper mixture for your parrot. In general though there are a few rules that encompass all birds. Feeding only seed will shorten the lifespan of your parrot. Seed is high in fat and low on nutrients, so an all seed diet leads to some medical issues the least of being liver disease and obesity in your parrot. Even in small doses, avocado and chocolate will kill a parrot. All parrots are lactose intolerant, do not feed them any milk products like cheese or icecream.

8. A parrot is an investment. Parrots are expensive. The birds themselves can run a tidy price, then factor in the cage and toys and food and you have one hefty price tag. Be prepared to invest a lot of time and money in a bird over it's lifespan.

9. Research, Research, Research! The biggest thing about owning a parrot is research. Know what species of parrot you want to invest in before you ever step into a store. For instance, if you don't like loud noises or live in an apartment you do not want to invest in a cockatoo. Keep in mind that every bird is an individual and might not line up completely to species standards, but those standards are still a pretty good guideline to what your bird will be like.

~Suzanne