by Terese Hartjoy

Created on: January 15, 2009

So you've always wanted a parrot? Every time you see one perched on someone's shoulder, or talking and singing on some TV variety show all you can think is "How cool would that be?" You picture yourself dressed as a pirate for Halloween, a brightly colored bird on your shoulder squawking "Polly want a cracker?", or cruising the park or beach while the cute girls literally flock around you, amazed at your talking, trick performing feathered companion. Or maybe you just think they're neat and would be fun to have in your home. A pet that won't vomit on the kitchen floor or track muddy paw prints through the house, or claw the furniture.

Before you rush to the pet store and put out somewhere in the vicinity of or over $1000 for the beautiful bird you've chosen, or jump to volunteer to take that parrot or cockatoo that a friend of a friend is giving away, take some time to think about your lifestyle, and do a little research on bird personalities to see what bird would most likely be a good fit for you.

The number of companion parrots that are neglected, abused and passed from home to home is astonishing. Do a web search on the words "parrot rescue" and peruse the 200,000+ links. A few good sites that come to my mind immediately are The Oasis, The Parrot Education and Adoption Center and Bird Adoption Dot Org. Cruise around the sites to get an idea of the extent of the problem, look at images of beautiful as well as neglected and neurotic or damaged parrots. Consider the weight of the commitment you are about to take on, whether you choose to buy or adopt.

Did you know that many parrots live to be 60 to 80 years old?

That companion parrots are all social species that require companionship and 3 to 4 hours of out-of-cage-time per day, and must be supervised during this time?

That Cockatoos; those cuddly, affectionate, big birds will need almost as much attention as a 2 year old child and will often become screaming, self mutilating broken hearts if you neglect them or initially spoil them and then get too busy?

That even if your chosen breed is one of the "talking" breeds, your bird may never talk?

That seeds are not a healthy diet for parrots?

That birds bite, whether they love you or not, and sometimes seriously enough to require stitches?

That parrots require regular baths or showers for healthy feathers and skin?

These are just a few of the common pitfalls for new bird owners who don't realize or understand the requirements of being a good bird owner. Many of the rescued

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>