Pet Parrots on Parade

Parrots. They come in many sizes and many colors. Imagine a parade of them, waddling down the street past your window. Yellows, blues, greens, reds, oranges, browns, and grays vie for attention. Some whistle. Some sing. Some squawk and screech, while the more intelligent say actual words.

Pet parrots can be both beautiful and amusing, but is this pet right for you?

Small Pet Parrots

If you live in a small house or apartment, you may want to invite a small pet parrot to share it with you. A Pacific parrotlet, for example, is only 4 to 4.5 inches long, with a voice as tiny as it is. You won’t have to worry about bothering neighbors with this tiny parrot. You will be able to teach it tricks, and you will enjoy teaching it to say a few words. Children are especially fond of its robot-like voice.

Another small pet parrot is the Budgerigar. This parrot is also known by the names “Budgie” and “Parakeet”. Children love to play with Budgies, carrying them on a shoulder or finger, kissing them, and coaxing them to repeat a word or two. They never do learn to say much, but they are amusing pets, swinging and climbing upside down as they chirp quietly.

Medium Pet Parrots

In the second size range of pet parrots, you will find the cockatiel, famous for the crest of white feathers it can raise on its head. Cockatiels are much better than parakeets at learning to whistle and sing. They are also better at learning to mimic words. They are not always eager to talk, however, and would much rather annoy you by mimicking your cell phone, doorbell, or computer bells and whistles.

Small and medium pet parrots will be happy in relatively small cages of about 20” x 20″ x 30″. They remain healthy on a diet of readily available seed or pellets, but they appreciate occasional fruit snacks, too.

Both small and medium pet parrots tend to be sociable birds. They love most family members, and probably friends who are frequent visitors. They also like to have a companion in the cage, but only if it is of the same species. If you decide to provide a companion, you may want to buy a sibling or a bird that has been socialized to live with other pet parrots.

Large Pet Parrots

Large pet parrots are a more serious lifestyle decision than a cat or dog, since their life span can be 5 or 6 times as long! Some large parrots live more than 50 years. A few live as long as 100 years. Cats and dogs, by comparison, live only 10 to 15 years.

Large pet parrots tend to have large voices. Their voices are intended to carry long distances in the jungle. Since you probably do not live in a jungle, this will be a consideration if you are choosing a parrot for your home. The large parrots tend to be more able to learn words, and may build a vocabulary of hundreds of words – enough to read the daily newspaper, if they were able to read. African Grey Parrots not only learn to mimic words, but understand their meaning, and use them accurately.

Large pet parrots are beautiful, but demanding. They require at least two hours of attention each day. Some are even more demanding. What kind of attention? They expect to be touched. They like to converse with you – on their terms. Many like to learn tricks. African Grey Parrots are notorious, among pet parrots, for their need to bond to one person. If that person leaves, or neglects the parrots, it will pluck its feathers, and eventually die.

Choosing Your Pet Parrot

When choosing your pet parrot, consider cost first. You will have to purchase not only the bird, but a large enough cage, toys, perches, food, and other equipment. Be sure you can cover both the initial and ongoing costs of keeping the bird happy and healthy.

Select a pet parrot that will fit your lifestyle. A small parakeet can be cared for by a child. A large macaw will become an adult’s permanent part-time job. If everyone is out of the house most of the day, do not get a pet parrot, as the birds need the company of their “flock”.