Buying a Companion Parrot
Choosing among Pet Stores, Bird Breeders and Parrot Rescues
Buying a parrot should never be an impulsive decision—too many new parrots are bought because their owner entered a pet store and fell in love with, say, the cuddliness of a cockatoo or the beauty of an eclectus, only to discover later that their beautiful companion parrot is also a complex, intelligent and time-consuming commitment that they can’t handle. Even the smallest parrotlet or parakeet can live for fifteen to twenty years, and has highly specialized needs. Do your research before buying a parrot. You won’t regret it.
Buying a parrot on impulse occurs most often at pet stores and bird fairs. Birds, especially baby birds, bought in either location are often highly stressed, have been exposed to many other birds and may have been infected with avian diseases (bird fairs often attract amateur parrot breeders, not all of whom exercise sufficient quarantine and bird care practices).
Buying birds from parrot breeders has advantages over buying a parrot at a pet store. For one thing, a conscientious bird breeder won’t hand over a parrot on your first visit. in fact, avoid any parrot breeder who tries to make a quick sale—it’s a sign the breeder is more interested in making a profit than matching the right companion parrot to the right person.
Bird breeders are generally more knowledgeable about their parrots than pet store employees, and can provide you with more information on a companion parrot’s needs and bird care. A good parrot breeder will let you visit the breeding facility, with the exception of closed aviaries, which don’t permit visitors to lower the risk of avian disease outbreaks. If a good bird breeder raises parrots that aren’t suitable for you, he or she will say so and may redirect you to local breeders who offer more suitable birds.
Weaned or Unweaned Baby Birds?
There’s a myth that weaning baby birds yourself helps the baby birds bond to you. This is sheer bunkum, but some ill-informed breeders do sell unweaned birds (babies who are still being handfed).
Hand-feeding baby birds is difficult and best left to skilled bird handlers. It’s all too easy to injure, or even kill baby birds while hand-feeding. Even experienced breeders sometimes make fatal weaning mistakes.
Weaning baby birds yourself does not produce a better companion parrot. Proper handling and bird care are all that’s needed to build a bond with your parrot. New parrot owners should never try to wean baby birds themselves.
Bird Rescues and Parrot Sanctuaries
Adopting a parrot from a bird rescue or parrot sanctuary is another way to acquire a new parrot. Many people who cannot cope with their pet parrots surrender them to rescue agencies.
Some birds in a parrot sanctuary were well-loved in their old homes. Others come to bird rescues after terrible abuse. Bird rescue parrots range from well-trained, happy birds to parrots that have developed screaming, feather plucking or other behavioral problems.
In most cases parrot sanctuary staff can provide information about individual birds. The average parrot has five homes over the course of its life, and a bird rescue wants to ensure that if you’re adopting a parrot, your home will be the bird’s “forever home.” As a result, most parrot sanctuary staff try very hard to match a parrot to the right home based on your lifestyle and parrot experience.
Online Parrot Sales
Often you can find local bird breeders and parrot rescue organizations online, or find ads for parrots for sale in your area. Most of these ads are legitimate, but be careful: pet forums and online pet classifieds are magnets for crooks running the Cameroon Pet Scam.
