The Needs And Problems With Parrots As Pets

Many people like to keep birds as pets, and of these species, parrots are the most popular. This type of bird ranges from tiny, 6-inch parrotlets to giant macaws and cockatoos. They are not the right pet for everyone, though, and you should do your research before adopting one.

An extremely long lifespan is one thing to be considered. Larger parrot species such as macaws and cockatoos can reach more than a hundred years old. Given this length of time, you will likely need to find an owner for your bird when it outlives you. Even tiny species can reach 20 easily, which makes them quite unsuitable as children's pets unless the parent also wants them.

Understand before getting one that your bird will be messy. Food and waste are going to be deposited all over the cage, as well as in the surrounding area. If you like keeping an immaculate home, perhaps these are not the right pets for you. Even when cleaned regularly, the area a parrot lives in is typically at least a little messy.

The smallest birds in this group are not screamers, but pretty much every other bird the term 'parrot' encompasses are. This can result in you being a very unpopular neighbor, if your bird is responsible for annoying or keeping people awake. And you can expect your bird to scream, as they do this to express both happiness and unhappiness.

Flocks are the natural social groups of parrots in the wild. Some people attempt to make their birds happy by getting them another bird as a friend. This works-- but the birds rarely remain tame after bonding together. In order to keep a tame bird happy, the human in his or her life needs to take over the role of the flock. This means spending lots of time with your bird, interacting and just hanging out.

Once you've considered the time and energy commitments a bird like this takes, consider the expenses. A large cage will be needed, and these are not cheap. The bigger the bird, the bigger the cage, of course. And these birds themselves usually cost significant amounts of money. But vet care can be the most expensive part-- a parrot needs to see an exotics specialist, who often charges more than dog and cat vets.

Living with a parrot can be a great experience, for the right person. But do your research before getting a bird, so that you can figure out ahead of time whether that person is you or not.


For those of you who enjoy parrots, we believe you should know about parrot training. We have some simple techniques for you to start using today.

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