11 Important Questions to Ask Yourself Before Becoming a “Bird Parent”
1. Consider the bird’s lifespan. Adopting a parrot is like adopting a 2 or 3-year-old toddler who will never grow up. Many parrots have long lifespans. Even small parrots can live 30 to 45 years. Larger parrots can live 70 to 90 years. How old are you? If you’re young, what are your future, lifetime plans and will a “permanent toddler” be in the picture? If you’re older, will your bird outlive you? If so, what provisions will you be able to make for your bird when you’re gone?
2. Parrots (like toddlers) require enormous amounts of attention and they are social creatures. What is your schedule? What are your other commitments? Do you have time to provide the emotional and physical stimuli he needs for an enriched and happy life? 
3. Captive birds require clean environments. As well as providing emotional and physical enrichment, will you have time to thoroughly clean your bird’s cage and environment daily?
4. Birds require a varied, well balanced diet of specially formulated pellets, fresh fruits and vegetables, and a variety of healthy seeds. Will you have time to buy “bird groceries”? Fresh foods spoil quickly so uneaten food should be taken away as soon as your bird is finished with his meal. Birds need fresh water that may need replacing multiple times during the day. Will you be available to do those things?
5. Birds, like all companion animals, need regular veterinary care. Veterinary care is often expensive. Whether your bird is a budgie, or a large macaw, the fee for examinations, treatment, medications, surgery, etc. are the same. What is your financial situation? Can you afford general maintenance veterinary care, and can you afford to pay for a medical emergency if something should happen? Not all veterinarians will treat birds. Do you have an avian veterinarian near you? If not, are you willing to drive long distance for your bird’s care?
6. Parrots are notoriously noisy and even the smallest of parrots can have amazingly loud and boisterous and/or shrill screams. If a bird is not terribly loud, he may make repetitive and nerve wracking sounds. What is your “noise” tolerance and how patient are you? What is your neighbor’s noise tolerance?
7. Parrots not only love to chew things up and tear things apart, it’s their natural behavior. In the wild, they break open nuts and fruit, they build nests, and break off tree branches. Chewing also provides emotional and physical stimuli, and it is also a form of recreation and play. Captive parrots need toys and plenty of them. Bird toys will need to be replaced regularly. If you’re unable to make appropriate and safe toys for your bird, you will need to purchase them. Bird toys are expensive. What is your bird toy budget?
8. *The safe and secure housing for your bird will be expensive. Cages and appropriate housing can cost into the thousands of dollars. Beware of used cages and bargain cages. And yes, your bird will need a cage or an aviary. *(See “myths” below for more information about caging and cages.) Cages are expensive. What is your cage or housing budget for your bird?
9. Are you prone to allergies? Have you considered other family members’ allergies and sensitivities? Some parrots are prone to cause allergies in people and create dust in the air which can aggravate some people who have respiratory problems. (Example: African Grey, Cockatoo, and Cockatiel.) Even if you’re not prone to allergies, the settling dust lands on furniture, clothing, and the surrounding environment, necessitating additional dusting and cleaning. You may need to purchase an air purifier to control air impurities and you may need to dust more often. What is your air quality budget? How much time can you invest in additional cleaning?
10. Do you rent or own? Does your landlord allow birds? If you have to move, will you take your bird? Will there be enough room to properly house your bird and his environment?
11. Think about your life and what you plan to do in the future. Are you married? Do you think you will divorce? Do you plan to marry? Do you plan to get pregnant? Are you going away to college? Are you going to change jobs? Do you plan to have a new boyfriend/girlfriend? (While these are common life events, surprisingly they are just a few of the many reasons people give up their parrots.)
True or False
1. A cage is a prison. Keeping a bird in a cage is cruel and inhumane.
False:
A cage is only a prison if it’s used like one. Parrots are like toddlers. Most are curious and adventurous. You would not let your toddler play in the front yard unsupervised, run into the street, or crawl around the house after you’ve gone to bed. Tucking your child into bed at night provides your child the structure he needs and it strengthens the loving bond between you and your child. Parrots thrive on that same kind of attention and structure. There are thousands of dangers lurking in homes; poisons, house plants, electrical outlets, electrical wires, toilets, furnaces, glass windows, open doors, draw strings on blinds, just to name a few. A parrot who is given enrichment, i.e. plenty of time outside his cage and opportunities to play with toys, and an abundance of time with you, will not resent his cage. A cage will however, provide him the emotional security he inherently seeks and the physical safety he requires. It will also provide a sanctuary so he can obtain the necessary 8 to 12 hours of rest he requires. Cages and aviaries create a safe environment for companion birds and offer them emotional security when not misused.
2. It’s cruel to clip a bird’s wing feathers?
False:
If you’re a new parrot guardian with a frightened, anxious bird, you may find that it’s necessary to have your veterinarian clip your bird’s wing feathers as a temporary arrangement, so you and your bird can safely learn to trust each other, if that is your objective. It is estimated that unclipped birds flying out of open windows and open doors and becoming lost, broken wings, broken legs, and death from crashing into windows and other objects, are among the number one causes of injuries and deaths in full-flighted, untamed parrots with new bird guardians. A new or first time bird guardian may find that the trust building experience will be easier for the person and safer for the bird if his wings are clipped. Once the bird has begun to trust his guardian and feels a sense of security about his environment, his wings should be allowed to grow back so he can enjoy flight and get proper exercise. He will be less frantic and less apt to fly aimlessly into windows and other dangerous objects when he is feeling safe and able to navigate without stress and fear. Wing clipping can be an effective, safe, and helpful tool when introducing your bird to a new environment and when not misused.
3. Parrots are dirty.
False:
Parrots are fastidious creatures. They dislike being dirty or having their feathers soiled and they love bathing. Companion birds, like all companion animals require fresh, clean environments, and are susceptible to disease and illness if their environment is allowed to become dirty. Captivity creates an unnatural environment for birds and therefore birds are left to rely on their guardians to provide them a clean environment and bathing opportunities.
4. All parrots talk.
False:
Even if a species of parrot is historically confirmed to be a good talker, there are individuals within that species who may never talk based on their personality. There are also parrot species that do not possess talking ability. |
