Keep The LIne

notes on parrots

Pet parrots provide lifelong companionship, and lots of love. Knowing the life-changing effects owning parrots bring helps to underscore a happy transition from a non-bird home to a bird home.


Lots of people think of parrots on shoulders, or in cages. Taking care of them is easy, right? Well, parrot care isn’t difficult, but it is time-consuming.

Lifespan –Before deciding on the type of bird to bring home, consider its lifespan. Owning a parrot can be compared to parenting a child. Once brought home, the owner has committed for life. Parrots live, depending on the species, anywhere from 10 – 100 years. Smaller birds, like buggies live between 10-12 years, while conures can live up to approximately 30 years. Amazons live 50-80 years, and macaws up to 100. A bird living 50 plus years means owners will have to consider what happens to their parrots if they become unable to care for them.


Attention – unlike fish or cats, parrots require attention/contact on a daily basis. Birds enjoy feeling like ‘part of the flock’. Portable perches make great …birds love to be near their owners. Naturally, they’d spend most waking moments with their owners. If owners travel frequently, parrots often express themselves in moodiness or even pluck their feathers. Daily attention.
Messy. Neat freaks may want to reconsider or evaluate their desire to own a parrot. When birds eat they are messy. Their cages need to be cleaned weekly at least. Plus, they need to be showered once a week.

Space – birds like big cages. Small apartments largest possible cage for the bird size because they don’t get out. The more toys in the cage, the happier the bird. Birds rae wild creatures and have miles and miles of space to fly.

Noise, - all parrots make noise. Macaws are especially loud, so are conusres. Tight neighborhoods or apartments are not ideal for living spaces for parrots. Some species are very loud. Birds screech as a way of communicating. Even if they are happy, they are loud. Not all birds talk in human like voice.

Temperamental – the busier an owner is the more temperamental a pet parrot is. They bond with one person in the family. While they may enjoy the rest of the family, when “their person” is in the room, parrots are more likely to be nippy.

Bite – all parrots bite. Even the closest of bonds isn’t exempt from this rule. Owners should be prepared for at least one nasty nip.

On the plus side life long companion. If owners perch them on their shoulders, birds can adapt to their surroundings.

If owners exhibit patience, birds can be trained to do tricks. Many birds love to make their owners happy so learning tricks is a fun activity. Although, anything new takes time for the bird to adjust to. Multi-task with your bird, use portable perches to carry birds from room to room when house cleaning. Be careful never to expose birds to cleaning chemicals.
Birds are playful. They love ‘dancing’, singing’ and learning how to do tricks. They also love hanging with owners. Sitting on an owner’s shoulder while he watches TV, or folds laundry.
Nothing beats training acceleration like a bird’s favorite food. Experiment with different types of treats. Favorites can include warm rice, pasta;

Pets have positive mental and emotional health benefits.