There are few birds as interesting or as sought after as the parrot. But not all parrots are created equal, and some require more work and attention than others.
Species Overview
Origin and History
While their first recorded spotting was in 1758, human populations in South America spotted them far before that date.
Today, you can find a few feral populations in various parts of the world, but this is from pet owners releasing their birds into the wild or having them escape. These birds are highly adaptive to new environments due to their high intelligence.
Temperament
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They crave attention and love hanging out with their owners, and they’re typically extremely docile and loving creatures. Additionally, they like being the center of attention and will do tricks and feats to keep your eyes on them.
Pros
Docile and loving birds
Intelligent and can learn multiple words
Cons
They can be loud
Requires more space
They require a ton of attention and exercise
Speech & Vocalizations
Docile and loving birds
Intelligent and can learn multiple words
- Docile and loving birds
- Intelligent and can learn multiple words
They can be loud
Requires more space
They require a ton of attention and exercise
- They can be loud
- Requires more space
- They require a ton of attention and exercise
They tend to scream at both sunrise and sunset, and it’s not a quick vocalization. These beginning- and end-of-day screams typically last 10 minutes apiece. This makes these Parrots impossible to own if you live in an apartment or close to neighbors.
They have tips of red and yellow on their very last tail feathers and shoulders, and they have a yellow band around their eyes. They get their blue-fronted moniker from the fact that the area between their eyes and around their beak is blue.
When paired with their black beak, this blue is even more pronounced, and it’s often the front-most part of the bird.
We recommend a minimum cage enclosure of 3 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 3 feet tall. You should keep their enclosure in a heavily trafficked area of the home because they like to be around their owners throughout the day.
The bar spacing of their cage should be between ¾” to 1” apart to keep your Parrot from getting their head stuck or injuring themselves. Opt for a metal enclosure instead of a wooden one to keep your Parrot from destroying it.
You need to stock the cage with plenty of perches and toys to keep them entertained, and to rotate the toys every few days. Additionally, you need to clean the cage at least once a day because birds are extremely messy eaters.
Keep in mind that parrots need plenty of toys to chew and tear apart to keep the length of their beak in check. You should also consider clipping their wings after every molt to reduce the likelihood of them escaping.
If your Parrot doesn’t get the time that they need outside of their enclosure, they can resort to self-mutilating or other destructive behaviors.
Common Health Problems
Possible health concerns for your Parrot include respiratory problems, nutritional deficiencies, fungal infections, and bacterial infections.
The best thing that you can do to keep your bird healthy is to feed them a high-quality and healthy diet while keeping up with cage cleanings and other husbandry requirements.
Finally, keep in mind that these are extremely intelligent and social birds, so if you don’t give them enough attention, they are prone to depression and self-mutilation.
Making matters worse, they’ll also start getting aggressive toward you, making it an even more difficult problem to address.
Minor Conditions
Respiratory problems
Serious Conditions
Fungal infections
Bacterial infections
Diet and Nutrition
Respiratory problems
- Respiratory problems
Fungal infections
Bacterial infections
- Fungal infections
- Bacterial infections
Luckily, there are plenty of high-quality bird pellets that make this process easier by supplying many of their necessary nutrients. Supplement a pellet diet with the occasional seeds and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
While you can choose to feed them other foods, you need to be careful because certain foods, like avocados and chocolate, can be toxic for your bird.
Exercise
However, no matter how many activities that you have for your bird inside their enclosure, you still need to take them out at least two to three times a day for a minimum of 3 hours to let them fully stretch their wings and exercise.
Keep in mind that when you track one down, you’re likely to spend a good amount of money. These birds can cost anywhere from $500 to $3,000, depending on the breeder.
Do your research and take your time to find the right bird. Some of these parrots have lived up to 80 years, so taking your time to find the right bird the first time is crucial!
Conclusion
Just ensure that you have the time and energy to care for them before purchasing one because the last thing that you or your Parrot wants is to need a new home down the road.
Featured Image Credit: MLRANDA, Pixabay
