So You Want A Parrot?
If you are thinking of acquiring a parrot, have you done any research? There is a lot of research needed before actually parting with your money and, doing the research first, might actually save you money in the long run!
Before trying to decide what type of parrot you want, you must first establish whether or not you can provide a suitable home for a parrot. A parrot, particularly hand-reared specimens, are said to be like a 2-year old child who never grows up! Can you really provide a home for a 2-year old child for what could well be the rest of your life? Yes! Takes some thinking about doesn’t it?
If everyone in your house goes out to work then I’m sorry but the answer is no! You wouldn’t dream of going out to work and leaving your 2-year old at home alone all day, would you? Then you cannot do it to a hand-reared parrot. At this point you really should re-consider.
Is the lady of the house likely to get pregnant? If so, then a parrot is not for you. They say when a new child arrives, their siblings get jealous. Believe me, you do NOT want a parrot who is jealous of the time the family members spend with a new baby. He will bite; fly down and attack you; not want to come out of his cage, stop talking – yes! A jealous parrot is not a nice parrot and it is cruel of you to put him through this!
How well do you get on with your neighbours? You see a parrot is very capable of making a lot of noise (and for some species, I mean a LOT!). You don’t want to get a new parrot, settle it into your home, only to fall out with your neighbour and have to get rid of it. It is not fair on your neighbour and it is certainly not fair on the parrot! As a generalisation, the larger the parrot, the more noise he will make but there are exceptions! A Cockatoo can be quite a small parrot (certainly the Lesser Sulphur Crested or Goffins) but they more than make up for it with noise. The noise will stop all forms of conversation in your house; it will stop you watching TV; it will make you cross and irritable and all of these mean you are likely to take it out on the bird – you wont mean to but you will do it!
Why did you want a parrot anyway? Was it because you wanted a bird that talks? Well if that is your only reason, did you know that a Budgie is a parrot that can talk? A Budgie might provide you with a parrot that talks and shouldn’t upset your neighbour or stop all conversation in your house. Oh, I see. You wanted a bigger bird. Well how about a Cockatiel? Like Budgies they can learn to talk and they have a life span of 15 – 20 years so they might not survive you. Oh, I see. You wanted a rarer bird. Well with rarer comes more expensive so just think about that for a moment. Still want a rarer bird? Well how about a Conure, Senegal Parrot, Meyers Parrot, Hahns Macaw or something of similar size? They are all parrots and most will learn to speak a few words with a bit of patience and they’re not too noisy. As an example – my baby Hahns Macaw says, “Up” (the command we give him when we want him to step up); “Hello”; “Hello Oscar”; and “Good Boy” very clearly and he is still a baby. Take the best talking Parrot for example, the African Grey. He won’t utter a word before he is 1 year old!
So I hope I have got you thinking a bit more about this. What happens if you go ahead and regret it or it all goes arong. Well, you just sell the bird, right? NO! It is not as simple as that. Selling a bird is not like selling a car. A Parrot is a VERY intelligent creature; one who really becomes part of the family. Would you sell your son or daughter because they kept being naughty? (Well OK! But you and I both know you wouldn’t really!) Selling a Parrot should be viewed the same way. For everyone who is selling a parrot that is no longer a baby – there is a reason and you can bet your life it is NOT the reason put in the ad (e.g., “Selling through no fault of his own”; “change in circumstances forces sale”; “neighbour complained”. All of these basically mean any combination of:- He bites, he screams, he does not talk, he attacks, he feather plucks – ALL reasons why people won’t come and buy your bird!).
Where do you buy? Well IF you feel you can give a good home to an unwanted parrot then try the rehoming centres like Parrot Rescue. That way you get an experienced parrot keeper assess your home and time to see if they feel you are right for a parrot. Hopefully you will be but if you are not they won’t be afraid to tell you and you might save yourself a lot of money and avoid having to rehome a parrot. If you particularly want a hand-reared baby you will be best advised to find a breeder and to keep visiting your chosen parrot as often as you and the breeder will allow, so as you can get to know your bird and it you. A good breeder will encourage you to do this. ALWAYS buy your bird when it is fully weaned. It needs this bit of extra time with its siblings before being brought into a human environment.
So! You have done a lot of research and decided that you and your family will make good carers for a parrot. You have decided on what species of Parrot you want. You have found a breeder or rehoming centre from which to get your parrot. Your parrot is finally ready to come home. Well now you will need to think about a cage for your new parrot. Well NO cage is big enough! You really should buy the biggest cage possible (the law dictates it should have enough room for your parrot to stretch out its wings in all directions but this is just the legal minimum! Did you know a cage can cost between £200 - £500 or even more? It needs to be budgeted for. So you have now bought and put up your cage and your parrot comes home. What next? Well a visit to an avian specialist vet is needed. Why? Well you ought to get a series of blood tests carried out as the “norm” for your bird. That way if it is ever ill, a new blood test will show the difference which might be crucial in diagnosing the problem. Parrots are “wild” birds and their natural instinct is to hide their illness. Depending on how observant you are, your bird may well be seriously ill before you are aware of it! You also ought to have your parrot micro-chipped. If the unthinkable happens and he escapes through a carelessly left open window, you have a chance of getting him back! All of this will set you back about £150 – which needs to be budgeted for. Plus the availability of AVIAN vets is somewhat limited and you may well have a long drive to add to this.
Well have I put you off? Do you want a cat or a dog or a rabbit or Guinea Pig? If not then I am pleased for you. Having crossed all of these hurdles, perhaps you are really suited to a parrot.
Now the good things! A parrot can make a very loyal companion, literally for life in some cases! A parrot will never cease to entertain you if allowed to! My little Hahns Macaw is so comical in just the way he is always “on the go” from morning to night! The parrots all talk which is entertaining but you can try and make them “understand” what they are saying. One of our African Greys says, “what’s for pudding” every meal-time! Very comical but we don’t have pudding at breakfast time! We are trying to teach her. She also imitates the phone ringing, says, “Hello,....... yeah,....... yeah,....... yeah,....... bye then!”. Again this is very entertaining but it is important to praise her or reward her for saying it, to relate back to the bird when it makes you smile! A pet parrot will keep you company all day if it is allowed to. A hand-reared bird thinks of itself as human. It had a human “Mum” feed it and bring it up and now it’s in your home it doesn’t really know other birds – it just knows humans. This is precisely why they are so demanding. Whenever I am in the house, I always have at least one of my parrots with me and often more!
But, enjoying your parrot doesn’t just stop indoors. If you harness train your parrot while it is young enough, he will be happy to have a harness and lead put on and can accompany you outside. My parrots have been walking, in the car, on buses, trains and trams all across Europe (See other Parrot Tails). So there is no reason why you will need to leave your bird when you go on holiday (it can also be very stressful for a bird to suddenly be abandoned by its “flock” of humans).
Where to keep your bird? Well ideally in the most used room of the house but bear in mind the following:- a kitchen can be a dangerous place for a parrot due to the risk of non-stick surfaces getting too hot and also the risk of cleaning fluid vapours. You see all parrots have a very delicate respiratory system and these things can prove fatal. So, you may spend a lot of time in your kitchen but this is not the best place for your parrot. Parrots are social eaters and love to eat when their humans eat so keeping it in the Dining Room (or wherever you eat) could be a good idea. Wherever you keep it, be prepared for mess! Parrots are very messy eaters and frequently throw seed and husks all over your floor! They may bathe in their water bowls and spray water over that priceless antique! They may just “mess” through the bars onto your expensive carpet! It’s no good being overly house-proud if you intend to keep a parrot!
In summary, the bad points and cautions in this article are much more in volume than the good things. Perhaps that was no accident? A companion bird really will give you years of love, affection, companionship and entertainment but only if you are suited to owning one. I hope this article has given you a lot to think about and, if you decide you are not right for a parrot, don’t worry! There is no shame in that at all – just enjoy whatever pet you do decide is right for you!
Before trying to decide what type of parrot you want, you must first establish whether or not you can provide a suitable home for a parrot. A parrot, particularly hand-reared specimens, are said to be like a 2-year old child who never grows up! Can you really provide a home for a 2-year old child for what could well be the rest of your life? Yes! Takes some thinking about doesn’t it?
If everyone in your house goes out to work then I’m sorry but the answer is no! You wouldn’t dream of going out to work and leaving your 2-year old at home alone all day, would you? Then you cannot do it to a hand-reared parrot. At this point you really should re-consider.
Is the lady of the house likely to get pregnant? If so, then a parrot is not for you. They say when a new child arrives, their siblings get jealous. Believe me, you do NOT want a parrot who is jealous of the time the family members spend with a new baby. He will bite; fly down and attack you; not want to come out of his cage, stop talking – yes! A jealous parrot is not a nice parrot and it is cruel of you to put him through this!
How well do you get on with your neighbours? You see a parrot is very capable of making a lot of noise (and for some species, I mean a LOT!). You don’t want to get a new parrot, settle it into your home, only to fall out with your neighbour and have to get rid of it. It is not fair on your neighbour and it is certainly not fair on the parrot! As a generalisation, the larger the parrot, the more noise he will make but there are exceptions! A Cockatoo can be quite a small parrot (certainly the Lesser Sulphur Crested or Goffins) but they more than make up for it with noise. The noise will stop all forms of conversation in your house; it will stop you watching TV; it will make you cross and irritable and all of these mean you are likely to take it out on the bird – you wont mean to but you will do it!
Why did you want a parrot anyway? Was it because you wanted a bird that talks? Well if that is your only reason, did you know that a Budgie is a parrot that can talk? A Budgie might provide you with a parrot that talks and shouldn’t upset your neighbour or stop all conversation in your house. Oh, I see. You wanted a bigger bird. Well how about a Cockatiel? Like Budgies they can learn to talk and they have a life span of 15 – 20 years so they might not survive you. Oh, I see. You wanted a rarer bird. Well with rarer comes more expensive so just think about that for a moment. Still want a rarer bird? Well how about a Conure, Senegal Parrot, Meyers Parrot, Hahns Macaw or something of similar size? They are all parrots and most will learn to speak a few words with a bit of patience and they’re not too noisy. As an example – my baby Hahns Macaw says, “Up” (the command we give him when we want him to step up); “Hello”; “Hello Oscar”; and “Good Boy” very clearly and he is still a baby. Take the best talking Parrot for example, the African Grey. He won’t utter a word before he is 1 year old!
So I hope I have got you thinking a bit more about this. What happens if you go ahead and regret it or it all goes arong. Well, you just sell the bird, right? NO! It is not as simple as that. Selling a bird is not like selling a car. A Parrot is a VERY intelligent creature; one who really becomes part of the family. Would you sell your son or daughter because they kept being naughty? (Well OK! But you and I both know you wouldn’t really!) Selling a Parrot should be viewed the same way. For everyone who is selling a parrot that is no longer a baby – there is a reason and you can bet your life it is NOT the reason put in the ad (e.g., “Selling through no fault of his own”; “change in circumstances forces sale”; “neighbour complained”. All of these basically mean any combination of:- He bites, he screams, he does not talk, he attacks, he feather plucks – ALL reasons why people won’t come and buy your bird!).
Where do you buy? Well IF you feel you can give a good home to an unwanted parrot then try the rehoming centres like Parrot Rescue. That way you get an experienced parrot keeper assess your home and time to see if they feel you are right for a parrot. Hopefully you will be but if you are not they won’t be afraid to tell you and you might save yourself a lot of money and avoid having to rehome a parrot. If you particularly want a hand-reared baby you will be best advised to find a breeder and to keep visiting your chosen parrot as often as you and the breeder will allow, so as you can get to know your bird and it you. A good breeder will encourage you to do this. ALWAYS buy your bird when it is fully weaned. It needs this bit of extra time with its siblings before being brought into a human environment.
So! You have done a lot of research and decided that you and your family will make good carers for a parrot. You have decided on what species of Parrot you want. You have found a breeder or rehoming centre from which to get your parrot. Your parrot is finally ready to come home. Well now you will need to think about a cage for your new parrot. Well NO cage is big enough! You really should buy the biggest cage possible (the law dictates it should have enough room for your parrot to stretch out its wings in all directions but this is just the legal minimum! Did you know a cage can cost between £200 - £500 or even more? It needs to be budgeted for. So you have now bought and put up your cage and your parrot comes home. What next? Well a visit to an avian specialist vet is needed. Why? Well you ought to get a series of blood tests carried out as the “norm” for your bird. That way if it is ever ill, a new blood test will show the difference which might be crucial in diagnosing the problem. Parrots are “wild” birds and their natural instinct is to hide their illness. Depending on how observant you are, your bird may well be seriously ill before you are aware of it! You also ought to have your parrot micro-chipped. If the unthinkable happens and he escapes through a carelessly left open window, you have a chance of getting him back! All of this will set you back about £150 – which needs to be budgeted for. Plus the availability of AVIAN vets is somewhat limited and you may well have a long drive to add to this.
Well have I put you off? Do you want a cat or a dog or a rabbit or Guinea Pig? If not then I am pleased for you. Having crossed all of these hurdles, perhaps you are really suited to a parrot.
Now the good things! A parrot can make a very loyal companion, literally for life in some cases! A parrot will never cease to entertain you if allowed to! My little Hahns Macaw is so comical in just the way he is always “on the go” from morning to night! The parrots all talk which is entertaining but you can try and make them “understand” what they are saying. One of our African Greys says, “what’s for pudding” every meal-time! Very comical but we don’t have pudding at breakfast time! We are trying to teach her. She also imitates the phone ringing, says, “Hello,....... yeah,....... yeah,....... yeah,....... bye then!”. Again this is very entertaining but it is important to praise her or reward her for saying it, to relate back to the bird when it makes you smile! A pet parrot will keep you company all day if it is allowed to. A hand-reared bird thinks of itself as human. It had a human “Mum” feed it and bring it up and now it’s in your home it doesn’t really know other birds – it just knows humans. This is precisely why they are so demanding. Whenever I am in the house, I always have at least one of my parrots with me and often more!
But, enjoying your parrot doesn’t just stop indoors. If you harness train your parrot while it is young enough, he will be happy to have a harness and lead put on and can accompany you outside. My parrots have been walking, in the car, on buses, trains and trams all across Europe (See other Parrot Tails). So there is no reason why you will need to leave your bird when you go on holiday (it can also be very stressful for a bird to suddenly be abandoned by its “flock” of humans).
Where to keep your bird? Well ideally in the most used room of the house but bear in mind the following:- a kitchen can be a dangerous place for a parrot due to the risk of non-stick surfaces getting too hot and also the risk of cleaning fluid vapours. You see all parrots have a very delicate respiratory system and these things can prove fatal. So, you may spend a lot of time in your kitchen but this is not the best place for your parrot. Parrots are social eaters and love to eat when their humans eat so keeping it in the Dining Room (or wherever you eat) could be a good idea. Wherever you keep it, be prepared for mess! Parrots are very messy eaters and frequently throw seed and husks all over your floor! They may bathe in their water bowls and spray water over that priceless antique! They may just “mess” through the bars onto your expensive carpet! It’s no good being overly house-proud if you intend to keep a parrot!
In summary, the bad points and cautions in this article are much more in volume than the good things. Perhaps that was no accident? A companion bird really will give you years of love, affection, companionship and entertainment but only if you are suited to owning one. I hope this article has given you a lot to think about and, if you decide you are not right for a parrot, don’t worry! There is no shame in that at all – just enjoy whatever pet you do decide is right for you!