If you are thinking of buying a parrot, spending a few minutes reading this article will be time well spent. The most important question to ask yourself before adopting a parrot is – Are you willing, and able, to devote the necessary amount of time to properly care for a pet parrot? Parrot care mustn’t be taken lightly, because it is very important for the health and well-being of your pet parrot, and it consumes a lot of time in order to do it correctly.
For many centuries, parrots have been popular pets, and it isn’t difficult to understand why – they come in a variety of bright colours; they have appealing personalities; they are very bright and intelligent; they are reasonably easy to train. Unfortunately, these big plus points often cause people to overlook the cons associated with owning a parrot, and they rush out and buy a parrot without giving proper consideration to how much time and effort is required to properly look after a parrot. Sadly, this often results in lots of parrots developing behavioural problems.
There are more than 350 parrot species, and although each type has slightly differing needs, the following aspects of parrot care are required by every species:
The Cage – Having a large enough cage is the most important factor for having a mentally stable parrot. It needs to be easily big enough to allow the parrot to extend out and flap its wings. There also needs to be adequate room for five large parrot toys, without the parrot being cramped. Inspect the cage daily to see if it has been damaged in any way that could hurt your parrot (e.g. sharp edges created by your parrot biting the cage).
Socialization – If parrots are left to their own devices, they often suffer mental health problems. Therefore, it is vital that they get lots of social interaction with you and your family – treat him like a member of your family, and he will act like one! The surest way to achieve this is to put the cage in the area of your home where you and your family spend the most time. Note: Don’t place the cage in the kitchen, because cooking often gives off chemicals that are poisonous to parrots.
Nutrition/Diet – Different species need slightly different diets, but there are some common foods that all parrots like. Every parrot’s diet should consist of the following foods: fresh water, parrot seed (ideally enriched with vitamins), fresh fruit & veg, and parrot pellets.
Cage Cleanliness – Every day, clean the cage with water and mild soap. You should always wash your hands before you handle your parrot, or touch his food, because it is really easy to give a parrot a bacterial infection. For example, human saliva contains bacteria which is harmful to parrots.
Grooming – As unlikely as it may seem, you do need to make sure your parrot is regularly groomed. Their beaks and nails don’t stop growing, and require clipping approximately every four to five weeks. This is vital, because long beaks and nails can easily get snagged on various parts of his cage, which can easily cause an injury. You also need to provide fresh water baths or sprays each day to keep your parrots’ feathers in ‘tip top’ condition.
If you are willing to invest adequate time and effort into proper parrot care, then owning a parrot will be a very rewarding activity. Parrots usually do really well in a normal household environment, and they are great company. Having said that, parrot ownership is a long-term commitment, which shouldn’t be entered into likely, due to the fact that parrots live anywhere between 13 and 70 years.
Filed under Articles by on May 6th, 2009. Comment. 
Buying any kind of parrot is a big commitment, because of how long they live, and because of how much care they need. African Grey Parrots are one of the most popular species of parrot, but they are not the easiest to look after. This article explains the pros and cons of owning an African Grey, to help to decide if they are the best pet parrot for you.
African Grey Parrots are stunning looking birds, and they are also one of the easiest parrot species to train. They originate from Central Africa, and they are very intelligent, and fast learners. They are widely regarded as the best talker.
They grow to be somewhere between 10 and 14 inches tall, so they are only a medium sized parrot. There are two types of African Grey Parrots - the Congo African Grey, and the Timneh African Grey. The Timneh is charcoal grey with a maroon tail, whereas the Congo is light grey with a red tail. The markings and colouring of the male and female African Gray are identical, which makes distinguishing one sex from the other sex very hard. The only hope you have of spotting a difference, is if a male and female are stood next to eachother, because the male is normally larger!
Before you buy an African Grey, consider the fact that they often live for sixty years, so it could live longer than you! Another thing to carefully consider is that their high level of intelligence means that boredom can be a real problem if they don’t live in a stimulating environment, which involves a great deal of human interaction. If you aren’t willing to provide this kind of environment, don’t buy an African Grey, because boredom can very quickly turn into all kinds of behavioural problems, like biting, and feather-plucking. However, if you are happy to meet the demands of caring for an African Gray, you couldn’t pick a better parrot!
African Greys live in flocks in the wild, so they are extremely sociable birds. This means that they have a need to be part of a flock, and your family can definitely fulfill this need! Having said that, they don’t particularly like being handled very much, so they aren’t the parrot for you if you want lots of hands on time with your pet. With a little training, they will perch on your hand, but it doesn’t come naturally to them, and it will require quite a bit of patience on your part.
In conclusion, an African Grey is the right parrot for you if:
- You like a bird with a big personality, and human-like qualities.
- You are willing to invest a lot of effort into keeping them stimulated.
Before you make your final decision, have a look at these other types of parrots.
Filed under Articles by on May 2nd, 2009. Comment.
It has been shown through studies that the best pets for children are birds, from which, the parrots seem to be the most suitable. Parrots are incredibly bright and intelligent creatures which easily relate to and interact with humans, especially children. Parrots are smart birds, and they also make good pets for young kids just starting to learn the English language; often the parrot and the child will imitate sounds together.
If you have decided to have a parrot as a pet for your kids, then it is now time to do some research. Researching the different species of parrots is a great way to determine the best one for your family. You should learn how to take the proper care of these birds; your parrot up-keep will also be a good lesson for your children.
The lifespan of a parrot is more than half a century. It means that if you decide to have it as a pet, it will be a lifelong commitment not only for you but for your kids as well. If you are willing to take care of this pet for the rest of your lives, then, you should contemplate very well what species you want to have.
Parrots are one of the most popular kind of exotic birds. There are at least 18 different species of parrots. Each of this specie possesses different sets of nature and behavior depending on its place of origin and background of natural habitat.
If you want a very intelligent parrot specie for your child, opt for the African Grey parrot because they possess high intellect and are easy to train with vocabulary. But, since they are quite intelligent birds, they need more care and attention compared to others.
Other parrot species choices for you include the Eclectus, Amazon parrots, Macaws, Cockatiels and Lorikeets. For each one of the species it will require a special diet as well as training skills so that they can live happy healthy lives. For children, experts recommend finches, budgies/parakeets and cockatiels as the best parrot species because of their level of intelligence and ability to interact with kids.
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