Are you yearning for a feathery friend to sit on your shoulder and ask you for a cracker? Parrots make excellent companion pets, but are also very high maintenance, have specialized nutritional needs, and vary greatly in temperament and personality by species. Here’s what to consider in deciding whether or not to make a parrot a part of your household, and which species would suit your lifestyle best.

Steps

1. Do your homework. Scour the Internet for information on the different kinds of parrots that exist, and what their needs are (see the External Links below). But be aware that many specialty “enthusiast sites” may emphasize how nice a pet is, with insufficient warning of the challenges. The “Birds for Dummies” book is a good reference.
2. Make several visits to a local pet store that specializes in birds. Get to know the different species, and don’t buy on impulse. Parrots, depending on species, can live to be 20 years or more, and many live to 50-80 years. They also bond strongly to their owners. It’s practically like getting married, so don’t step into it lightly.
3. Talk to other bird owners about their parrots, as well as their personalities, needs, and time commitments involved. Ask how active different species are, how loud (all parrots are noisy, some are just more so than others), and how much interaction they require on a daily basis. ALL parrots require at least a few hours a day outside their cages when they can interact with the family. The more time outside the cage and with their “human flock” the better!
4. Think about where you will be putting your parrot friend. Remember that…
   • All parrots are messy. If you’re a neat freak, you will be cleaning up after them all the time. A dustbuster will become your best friend. In fact, you may find yourself acquiring a large group of such friends!
   • You will need ample space for any of the medium to large size parrots. This means cages that are about 24×36″ wide and 36-60″ tall or more. All parrots should also have some kind of perch or play gym outside the cage.
5. Remember that parrots are wild animals. They have not been selectively bred for generations to be domesticated or household pets like cats, dogs or even farm animals. They have millions of years of instincts that are genetically a part of them. You are bringing this into your home and can’t expect their disposition to be as docile and predictable as cats or dogs. You will need to be able to give your parrot guidance, but you will also need to learn and adapt yourself to their personalities.

Give your parrot room to spread his wings

Tips

• Some broad generalizations about species personalities:
  • Parrots usually known for even dispositions: Conures, Meyer’s, some Macaws.
  • Parrots known for being very playful: Jardines, Conures, Meyer’s, Budgerigars (”parakeets”), Cockatiels, Caiques.
  • Parrots known for being especially loud: Cockatoos, Macaws, Conures, Amazons.
  • Parrots known for being very intelligent and sensitive to their environment: African Greys.
  • Parrots known for being aggressive (not mean necessarily, but rather, domineering): Amazons
• African Greys, Amazons, Cockatoos and Macaws all require an especially large amount of attention and interaction. Unhappy birds can make for a very unhappy household. These species also live the longest, so be sure you understand you are essentially adopting the equivalent of a small child, who will remain a small child and most likely be with you for the rest of your life.
• The inexpensive Budgerigars (”parakeets”), if tamed young, are remarkably smart and playful if given the time and attention they deserve! They can even be talented talkers.
• All parrots need a combination of fresh and packaged foods. A good balanced diet includes pellets, seed mixes, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables. You will spend more time with preparing their food than with a cat or dog.
• A parrot needs daily interaction and ‘out of the cage’ time. Try to dedicate at least two hours a day to spending with your bird. Parrots are highly social and are very rarely alone in the wild, spending all day with their flock. You become your parrot’s flock so be responsible about spending time with the bird.
• Toys are important for a parrot’s mental stimulation. They will help entertain the bird when you are unable to, and give him something to play with and explore. Keeping the toys ‘fresh’ and exciting is important and you should plan to rotate new toys in (and old ones out) several times a month. For small parrots this is easy, but for large ones it can be quite expensive.