Do I really want a parrot? | What kind of parrot should I get? | Where should I get my parrot? | What kind of cage should I buy? | What do parrots eat? | How do I tame my parrot? | What if my parrot gets sick? | How do I teach my parrot to talk? | Does my parrot need a mate? | Should I clip my parrot's wings?

Do I really want a parrot?
What kind of no-brainer question is that? Of course you want a parrot! They're beautiful, they ride around on your shoulder and do tricks, and they talk. They're one cool pet. Besides, a green one would match the couch...

Endearing, yes, but parrots can be a lot of work.   (Photo of Owen the Amazon courtesy of Marc Johnson of Foster Parrots.)

Before you succumb to the parrot's charms for all the wrong reasons, think carefully about your decision. A parrot is a big responsibility, a smarter-than-average bird that can be a lot of work. To care for one properly, you must be prepared to invest a significant amount of time, energy and money.

Consider a few facts about parrot keeping. Your bird will need a varied diet and a roomy cage with toys. It may never talk or learn to do tricks, but it will still need your attention. Larger species require at least a couple of hours of one-on-one time with their owners every day. Parrots live a long time. Even budgies and cockatiels can outlive a dog or cat if properly cared for. Large parrots such as macaws and cockatoos have been known to reach the ripe old age of 80.

Like other animals, parrots need to be taken to a veterinarian when they get sick. When you travel, they need a pet sitter. Like puppies, parrots love to chew--on furniture, wallpaper, doorjambs, homework, and your clothes. Unlike Bowser, they never outgrow the habit.

Parrots can and do survive multiple homes, just as dogs, cats and other animals do, but they appear to suffer more psychologically, developing problems such as feather picking as a result. Unless you can commit to a parrot for as long as you both shall live--with a provision in your will, ideally--do both of you a favor and buy a canary or a pair of finches instead.

If a parrot still sounds like a good idea, lucky you. No other pet combines as much beauty, intelligence and innate uniqueness as a bird.

In their own endearing, fascinating way, parrots cuddle, play and communicate with their humans on par with any furry friend. Parrots are, in the best sense of the new-age term for pets, companion animals.

What kind of parrot should I get?

Most small parrots make good pets for children and apartment dwellers...   (Photo of Cocoa the Quaker parakeet courtesy of Foster Parrots.)

Let space, expense and living arrangements first help determine the best parrot for you. Most apartment dwellers, folks on a budget, or families with small children will enjoy one of the many smaller species, such as budgies, cockatiels, conures and love birds.

The largest parrots, such as Amazons, macaws and cockatoos, are striking in appearance and also can make loving pets.

However, they are messier, louder, more destructive, more expensive to feed and house, and capable of inflicting dangerous bites if not properly handled.

A few parrots make better aviary birds than indoor pets. Lories, for instance, have the less-than-enchanting habit of spraying liquid droppings up to six feet away. Still, many lory fans are willing to purchase or rig special cages in order to keep these parrots as pets.

...but large parrots can be loud and messy.   (Photo of Psycho the scarlet macaw courtesy of Foster Parrots.)

If you're having trouble deciding, ask someone knowledgeable about parrots, such as a breeder, to advise you. If your local pet store does not know of one, it's easy to find a breeder on the Internet by typing “parrot and breeder” into a search engine such as Yahoo.

Where should I get my parrot?
The easiest, fastest way to acquire a parrot is to purchase it from a pet store. The drawbacks are that it's impossible to know for certain a bird's age, background or health. Also, unfortunately, many pet shop employees are not knowledgeable enough about parrots to offer much advice on care. Still, many good birds come from stores and you may find the perfect parrot for you just down the street.

Consider getting your parrot from a rescue group. Most such organizations offer adult birds to good homes at reasonable prices.   (Photo of walk-through aviary courtesy of Foundation Dutch Parrot Refuge.)

Another place to get a parrot is directly from a breeder. A good breeder can supply you with a young, tamed bird and can tell you everything you need to know about behavior and care. Some breeders even let you pick your bird when it's still in the egg! However, like pet stores, not all breeders are perfect, and you may have to travel far to reach the nearest one.

A third alternative is adopting a parrot from the local animal shelter or an avian rescue group. Although their plight is not as publicized as that of unwanted cats and dogs, thousands of homeless parrots wait in these facilities for a second chance.

Some "second-hand" birds have behavioral or physical problems that only a dedicated bird lover may want to tackle. However, the rewards can be great for both bird and adopter. If everyone who shopped for a parrot considered a homeless bird first, the world of humans would be a much brighter place for our feathered friends, and more people would think twice about adding to the parrot population by becoming breeders.

What kind of cage should I buy?
You should think of your parrot's cage as a temporary place to confine it when necessary, not as a permanent residence. Even so, your parrot will be spending many hours in its cage, so try to make it as roomy, comfortable, and homey for a bird as possible.

As long as the bars run horizontally and are spaced close enough to prevent your parrot from sticking his head between them, you can buy a cage as large as your pocketbook and home will allow.

At a minimum, the cage should be large enough for the parrot to flap his wings for exercise. Avoid cages made of wood or hardware cloth; the former won't last under a parrot's destructive beak and the latter is coated with zinc, poisonous if chewed. Place the cage in the living room or another room close by family activities.

Parrots appreciate a nest box they can retreat to for sleeping or privacy.

Equip the cage with two or three perches of varying diameters to prevent foot fatigue and pressure sores. Safe-to-chew tree branches make a nice alternative to commercial dowels.

Equip the cage with at least a couple of parrot-safe, species-appropriate toys to keep your bird occupied when you're not around. Many people rotate toys every few weeks so their parrot won't become bored. Most parrots also love wooden boxes placed inside their cages; they use these as private hideaways and as a roosting place at night.

Birds appreciate an occasional bath. Small parrots such as budgies will use the little plastic bathtubs you can attach to the cage. Ceramic dog dishes too heavy for a playful bird to tip over work well as makeshift bath tubs for larger parrots. For quick showers, use a plastic plant-misting bottle to gently spray your parrot with lukewarm water.

Line the bottom of your parrot's cage with newspaper; fancier materials such as sawdust and corn cobs not only cost extra, they can create a moist environment for disease. Ink from newsprint will not harm your parrot. However, it's a good idea to change the paper every day; not only will your bird's feet stay cleaner, it's easier to spot a change in droppings.

Experts recommend parrots get 12 hours of quiet and darkness every night. Covering the cage with an old towel or light blanket will help your bird sleep better.

What do parrots eat?
All any bird needs is seed, right? Not parrots. Although avian nutrition is still a relatively young field, experts agree that parrots need more than the box of seed you buy at the pet or grocery store. All-seed diets tend to be high in fat and deficient in vitamin A, calcium and protein. While your bird may appear to thrive on seed, eventually the poor nutrition will cause serious health problems, which may include liver disease, respiratory infections and even blindness.

A well-rounded diet for a parrot includes fruits, vegetables, cooked grains and, occasionally, bits of cooked meat.

So what's on the well-fed parrot's menu? Start with a balanced pelleted food such as Roudybush, Harrison's or Lafeber as a base diet and supplement it with grains, vegetables, and fruit for variety. Except with large parrots, save nuts and seeds as treats.

Every day try offering your bird whole-kernel corn, cooked pasta, plain popcorn, cooked oatmeal, barley, wheat bread or unsweetened breakfast cereals such as Shredded Wheat and Cheerios. Vegetables should include fresh greens such as spinach and broccoli, cooked yams, squash, sprouts, and carrots. Most birds love chopped fruits, such as apples, pears, plums, oranges and grapes, and bits of beef, chicken or fish.

In general, most parrots can eat just about anything that's safe and healthy for a human, as long as it doesn't contain caffeine or too much fat, salt, or sugar.

There are a handful of dangerous exceptions: Never give your bird avocado or chocolate. Avocados contain a toxic chemical called persin, which can also sicken humans who are allergic to it. Chocolate contains theobromine, a caffeine-related alkaloid that animals cannot metabolize as effectively as humans can. Also be sure to remove all seeds from fruits; many pits are toxic to birds.

Never let your bird chew on or inhale any substance that is not healthy for humans or that you cannot identify as safe. For a complete catalog of dangers, see Hazards and our list of poisonous plants.

Start your parrot on a healthy diet as soon as possible. Fondness for a variety of foods will not only make it easier to feed, but could help save your parrot's life should it ever lose its appetite due to illness.

However, never abruptly change a parrot's diet. Gradually introduce new foods while leaving the bird's old seed diet in the cage for at least a few hours every day. As it learns to like the new menu, you can feed your bird less seed. A parrot suddenly and completely deprived of familiar foods can starve itself.

Tip for first-time parrot owners: Check your bird's seed dish daily to make sure it's full of seeds, not seed husks that have fallen into the container as the parrot eats. You can separate shells from whole seeds by lightly blowing over the dish.

To make it easier for the bird to find whole seeds and for you to check the dish's contents, fill the dish only a third of the way. Another tip: Turn commercial seed mix into a more nutritious food for your parrot by sprouting it in a shallow container of water. Refrigerate and feed a few sprouts every day.

How do I tame my parrot?
The easiest way to enjoy a tame parrot is to acquire one that is already comfortable around people. A tame parrot should not attempt to bite or be overly skittish when you approach it and should be willing to step onto a finger or hand.

If your new bird is afraid of you, don't despair. Even a tamed bird can backslide, especially around strangers. Don't attempt to make friends right away; let your bird watch the comings and goings of its new household for a couple of days. After this settling-in period, place your hand inside the cage and say "up," offering your finger to a small parrot and your entire hand to large birds. If the parrot does not respond, gently press the back of your finger or hand against its lower abdomen to encourage it to step forward.

If a parrot has been mistreated or never handled, it may take more than a few days to tame. In some cases, earning a bird's trust may require you to spend weeks or even months providing consistent, patient, daily interaction.

Never hit or yell at a parrot or deprive it of food and water as a means of training. Birds do not understand punishment and cruel treatment will only foster distrust.

What if my parrot gets sick?
A good diet, a safe environment and plenty of rest will go a long way toward keeping your parrot well. However, chances are the time will come when your bird needs your help to recover from an illness or accidental injury. Make sure you've found a good avian veterinarian before you need one. You'll also want to line up a good after-hours emergency clinic for when your regular vet's office is closed.

You can keep an ill bird warm by placing a heating pad against one side of the cage and wrapping the cage in plastic.

Common wisdom holds that birds, being prey animals, are more adept than other creatures at hiding illness to avoid appearing vulnerable to predators. Whether true or not, it pays to watch closely for any change in your parrot's behavior in order to nip illnesses in the bud. Once far along enough to be noticed, respiratory infections in particular can kill quickly.

Do not wait even a day to see if your bird's condition improves. If your parrot seems ill, call your vet immediately and follow his or her instructions. The vet probably will want to see your bird right away.

Sick parrots sit fluffed and listless on their perches or, if an illness has progressed to a serious stage, on the bottom of the cage. A parrot with pneumonia may make a barely audible wheezing sound when it breathes, sneeze frequently, or have a nasal discharge. Its singing or speaking voice may sound different.

Droppings, normally target-shaped and consisting of firm white and dark green parts (urine and fecal matter), may be consistently runny or a different color. (An occasionally runny dropping after a fright or stressful event is normal.)

A small gram scale will let you track your parrot's weight.

Weight loss or gain also may indicate illness, but changes are difficult to spot before they become significant, and by then a condition may be serious. For peace of mind, you may want to invest in a small portable scale that weighs in grams. Weigh your bird every six months and call your vet if weight fluctuates 10 percent or more.

Sick or injured parrots should be kept in a warm place between 78 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Incubators make good infirmaries but most are expensive, priced at well over $100. Another option is to make your own hospital cage out of plywood, with a plexiglass front and a false bottom equipped with two or three light bulbs. Experiment with air holes and bulbs until you achieve the desired temperature.

For a quick-and-dirty hospital cage, train an adjustable lamp over your bird's covered cage, or place a heating pad against one side of the cage and encase it and the entire cage in plastic wrap. Seal loosely along the bottom with towels and cut flaps in the plastic on the front of the cage for fresh air and access to the bird and food cups. Adjust the wrap as needed to maintain the desired temperature.

Place a thermometer inside your hospital cage so you can monitor the temperature and adjust as necessary. If your bird gets too warm, he will hold his wings apart from his body, open his beak to pant, or both.

Always make sure your bird has plenty of food and water to drink in his hospital cage. If he is very weak, you may want to remove perches so he doesn't fall and injure himself.

How do I teach my parrot to talk?
Even the little budgie is capable of picking up at least a few words. You can increase the odds that your parrot will talk by choosing a species known for its talkativeness, such as the African grey and yellow-naped, blue-fronted, yellow-fronted or double yellow-headed Amazon parrot. Some people swear by training tapes, which repeat words and phrases over and over. However, many parrots begin repeating words and phrases they hear their owners say frequently, such as "hello" or "come here."

Many birds need at least a few weeks to get the hang of a new phrase; some talented individuals master new vocabulary after hearing it only two or three times. At the other end of the spectrum, some birds never utter a single human-language word; these you can appreciate for their other fine parrot qualities.

Does my parrot need a mate?
Parrots that spend a lot of time with their owners and have plenty of toys and other distractions seem to lead emotionally fulfilled lives with human families. However, if you cannot spend as much time with your bird as it seems to need, a mate or a companion of the same species can be a kindness.

A pet parrot will prefer a mate of the same species over a human companion.   (Photo of military macaws General and Mrs. B courtesy of Foster Parrots.)

Should I clip my parrot's wings?
Many parrot owners leave their birds unclipped so they can fly inside the house for exercise. However, with freedom comes risks: birds can seriously injure themselves by flying onto a hot stove or crashing into a window or mirror, or they can escape through an door or window accidentally left open.

Escaped birds can be extremely difficult to recover and often do not survive outdoors, succumbing to the weather or attack from other animals. Clipping your bird's wings may cost it some beneficial exercise, but it is not cruel for pets; trimmed birds are safer birds.

If you are unsure how to trim a bird's wings, have a knowledgeable friend or your vet show you how to do it the first time. You'll want to watch for blood feathers, which you can accidentally cut by trimming too high on the wing. A blood feather is one that is still growing and being nourished by a small reservoir of blood. When cut or accidentally broken--a fairly common occurrence among birds that flail when frightened--a blood feather will bleed profusely, endangering your bird’s life.

A broken blood feather may stop bleeding on its own; however, leaving it may lead to renewed bleeding later or even infection. The best course of action is to remove the remaining feather shaft as soon as possible.

You may not have to restrain your parrot for a trim if it's very tame, like this lory.

While a helper restrains your bird, firmly grasp the feather as close to the bird’s body as possible with a pair of pliers (or tweezers, for small feathers). With your other hand, gently hold the area around the base of the feather so that when you pull the feather out, the action does not tear your bird’s skin. Extract the feather in one clean movement.

Once a blood feather is removed, the bleeding should stop. If immediate removal is not possible, you may be able to staunch blood flow by using gentle pressure or by applying corn starch. (Regular styptic powder is not recommended.)

How do you tell a blood feather from one that is safe to cut? The lower shaft of a blood feather looks pink or purplish and may still wear a protective sheath of keratin, the stuff wrapped around new feathers that looks a little like cellophane. The entire shaft of a grown feather, which no longer taps blood directly from your bird’s limited supply, looks clear.

Aside from the blood feather hazard, wing trims are easy. Using a pair of household scissors, trim the first eight to ten flight feathers for the most conservative, longest-lasting cut. Alternatively, leave the first one or two flight feathers to give your bird's wings a nicer appearance when folded. (Just beware this leaves your bird a little better able to fly.) Trim both wings to give your bird better balance. Every couple of months check to make sure full-length flight feathers have not replaced cut ones that may have molted.

Newly trimmed birds often overestimate their flying ability, so keep your bird on low perches and in carpeted areas until he's become acquainted with his new wings. A crash onto a hard floor or pavement can result in a serious head injury.

A pair of notched scissors (bottom) can be used to trim a small parrot's claws, but you'll need guillotine-style clippers for larger birds.

You will probably find that your parrot's nails also need an occasional trim. Overgrown nails can snag in your clothing and make walking and climbing awkward for the bird. For nail trims you'll need a good pair of notched or guillotine-style nail clippers, found in most pet stores. Also be sure to have on hand some type of styptic powder to stop bleeding if you cut a nail too close. As with wing clipping, it's a good idea to watch an experienced groomer cut your bird's nails the first time.

Beak trims are trickier to perform; overcutting can cause serious bleeding. However, do-it-yourself beak trims are not out of the question, and could save your bird unnecessary stress from a trip to the vet's. Watch your vet perform this task the first couple of times and get his or her advice before attempting it yourself. Avoid using sanding tools to perform a trim or round off a clipped beak; these loud instruments only prolong and add trauma to the procedure.

If your bird needs frequent beak trims, it may need more beak-wearing toys to play with or you may need your vet to rule out an underlying disease.

You may be able to restrain a small parrot for trims without assistance by wrapping it in a washcloth and gently holding it between your knees.

Tame parrots that enjoy being handled may not need to be restrained for trims. However, most birds must be wrapped in a towel to prevent struggling and biting. Watch how your vet towels your bird and immobilizes its head by gently grasping the lower mandible from behind, while another person trims. You may be able to towel and trim your budgie or cockatiel without another person's assistance. When you trim your bird, take your time so that you don't accidentally injure it.

ParrotChronicles.com

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