Parrot owner wanna-be seeking advices

[shinyuankuo]

[FONT=&quot]Hi all,[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]I have been a parrot owner wanna-be for more than a year. I have been doing research, but too many of my concerns are situational. I want to triple make sure that I am making the right decision(s) before I move forward, so I am reaching out to seek advice from experienced parrot parents.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]I am a married woman in my late 20s. I have had pets growing up, but not many birds. I have a fulltime job (8-5 Monday-Friday). My husband has flexible schedule and ability to work from home. He is not too keen on getting a parrot or any pet, but he is supportive. If I get a parrot, he will care and give love to the bird. He understands the amount of work of having a feathered kid. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]We do not have children, but we probably will in the future. We regularly have visitors at home, so we need a bird who can be well-socialized to accept strangers (or at least...not freak out on them).

Because of potential children and # of visitors, I am leaning towards getting a bird from a reputable breeder. I am not rejecting the idea of taking a rehome or rescue, but I simply don't know if my lifestyle is good from them. Besides, there are no rescues around us, and most rescues won't do home visits 2-3 hours from their base. (I currently live in central PA.)[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Based on my research so far, I think eclectus are better fits for our family. Less likely to be one-person bird, and more likely to be independent, less noisy relatively. I know they require a special veggie focused diet. I am committed to the bird's health. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]BTW, Our second choice is pionus. I think either will be wonderful, but I have been charmed by the eclectus. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Here come my questions:[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]1. Am I asking too much from a parrot? I know parrots are sensitive to changes, but my life will be full of changes (visitors, future human baby...etc.). I am fully committed to do the best I can for the bird, but I want to make sure my goals of having a happy, healthy parrot is achievable.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]2. Since parrots are social animals and I don't plan on getting rid of my job, I am open to the idea of bringing two home. That way they can have some interactions and not rely on us solely for attention. Can I still bond with them if I keep them in separate cages and work on them individually? They will be near each other when I am not around.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]If yes, should I get a pair of same species? A pair of different species? I do not intend to breed, but I am a little unsure about how to prevent breeding from happening if I get two.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Sorry for the long post. I hope it comes across that I'm a serious parrot mom wannabe. Thank you in advance for all your insights!
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[Ellie777Australia]

Welcome shinyuankuo. You have expressed astute perceptions and well thought out questions and concerns. It is a big decision and worthy of such consideration.



The parrotforum team of experts will address your questions and concerns progressively to be sure. I do believe that we may have a senior member in central PA and she may be very helpful in your local search.


I am a new member and also new to owning any bird species. Our companion just happens to be an Eclectus. I’m learning heaps here and I know that you will also. Please continue your research within this forum (if you are still awake) whilst your fellow Americans get a bit of beauty sleep.


Looking forward to hearing more as you move forward in your (and your husbands) decision making,


Debbie

 

[bug_n_flock]

Hmmm, have you considered cockatiels? Maybe I am biased, but I think they are amazing. A tiel, in my experience, will probably have one person who is "their" person, but most tiels I have known or known of actually do quite will with other people. They are fun & funny, friendly and cuddly, smart. Budgies are another great option, they also tend to do well with lots of people.



My concern with pionus and eclectus are that they are fairly quiet and sensitive birds from my understanding, and perhaps so many people and one day children would stress out the bird?

 

[Casper223]

Welcome Shinyuankuo, Your in a great place to ask those questions, that much I can answer, As a matter of fact, I can't wait to read the answers you will get, some which I've also wondered, as I've grown up in a One Bird family, and couldn't imagine two troublemakers lol I don't know anything about either breed your researching, or how they would do in a family environment, You've asked some terrific questions. I'll definitely be following the answers. Anyway I seen you've joined the forum, and just wanted to stop by and welcome you here. I was raised from childhood with a Moluccan Cockatoo as a brother, I just said to a moderator the other day, I don't know how my mom managed raising 2 Human boys and a Cockatoo at the same time, knowing it was so much of a handful for her. But our Sonny was raised with a lot of love, huge amounts of understanding, and Sonny Ratted on us all the time lol I know some Mods, breeders and senior members will be along as time passes, and you will get some answers just as knowledgeable as the great questions you've asked. I'll look foreword to see what you decide, and how it plays out for you. Welcome again, and I'll look foreword to seeing you around, and also following this post.

 

[Cardinal]

Hmmm, have you considered cockatiels? Maybe I am biased, but I think they are amazing. A tiel, in my experience, will probably have one person who is "their" person, but most tiels I have known or known of actually do quite will with other people. They are fun & funny, friendly and cuddly, smart. Budgies are another great option, they also tend to do well with lots of people.



My concern with pionus and eclectus are that they are fairly quiet and sensitive birds from my understanding, and perhaps so many people and one day children would stress out the bird?

I also second bug n flock's suggestion. I have an untamed Cockatiel- a bird which escaped from some aviary/ breeding cage and landed with me. She is still very adorable and friendly, even though not hand tame. But when I see you tube videos of hand tame ones that can whistle game of thrones tunes etc , i am full of envy.

 

[Flboy]

Welcome to you! Central PA, no rescues? I disagree! We have a very well respected member who’s life gravitates around a rescue, and she is in your neighborhood! Remember, there is no perfect bird, just like any two year old child! Great and, sometimes, ugly habits!
A biggie is to realize any behavior can be redirected, or just as easily, misdirected! A parrot is a relationship bond, same as any family member! If hubby is open, he will be hopelessly sucked in!

 

[shinyuankuo]

Hmmm, have you considered cockatiels? Maybe I am biased, but I think they are amazing. A tiel, in my experience, will probably have one person who is "their" person, but most tiels I have known or known of actually do quite will with other people. They are fun & funny, friendly and cuddly, smart. Budgies are another great option, they also tend to do well with lots of people.



My concern with pionus and eclectus are that they are fairly quiet and sensitive birds from my understanding, and perhaps so many people and one day children would stress out the bird?

I have considered cockatiels. Quite honestly, both me and my husband prefer bigger birds. Cockatiels are great, but I don’t want to get one and still think “I wish it’s a different bird.” That’s not a good mindset.

I agree with your concerns of Pionus and Eclectus are quiet and sensitive, which is why I feel they are better fits for our family. We are very quiet people without guests. My guests are mostly church people (we have regular home meetings), so it’s not like we will put parties on and rock out. LOL

However, I am mindful of our social lifestyle, which is another reason pushing me towards getting a bird from breeder. I feel I might have a bigger chance of success if I raise the parrot in this environment instead of making a rehome or rescue fit into our life.

I appreciate your thoughts. Please feel free to share more whether you agree or disagree with my imagination of having a parrot. This is very helpful.

 

[shinyuankuo]

Welcome to you! Central PA, no rescues? I disagree! We have a very well respected member who’s life gravitates around a rescue, and she is in your neighborhood! Remember, there is no perfect bird, just like any two year old child! Great and, sometimes, ugly habits!
A biggie is to realize any behavior can be redirected, or just as easily, misdirected! A parrot is a relationship bond, same as any family member! If hubby is open, he will be hopelessly sucked in!

I am located in State College, PA. From my research, there’s one rescue in Pittsburgh, which does not do home visits outside of the city. So we are out. There’s a another one near York, which requires previous parrot experience of the kind of bird. We are out again.

If there are more rescues that I don’t know of, I welcome the knowledge! I would love to visit a rescue center. We’ve only been to bird shops. I’m really not shut off from the rescue idea. We might move next year, so i won’t get a parrot until we are for sure ready. Maybe we will have a nearby rescue center in the future.

I totally agree that there’s no perfect bird. I just don’t want to set up for failures. I maybe just a planning freak and want to make sure that I’m not crazy bringing a parrot into my life. Sometime I overthink too...

Appreciate your thoughts!

 

[itzjbean]

I do think getting a weaned baby from a reputable breeder will be your best bet in terms of temperament, adjustment and your parrot experience. Lots of great people out there who do go the rescue route but it is not for everyone. I have two rescues and 1 handfed breeder bird.... who is much more friendly and tolerable of strangers then my other two.

I have cockatiels so I can't speak for the other species you've mentioned but do note that the larger the bird the more likely they are to need more socialization nd training so they don't freak out when people come over or when someone walks by the window.

Also... it takes a very special person to tolerate the NOISE of parrots! The bigger the bird, generally the louder they are! If your husband is home a lot he may have to tolerate a considerable amount of noise, you just never know what kindo f parrot personality you will get.

Also consider that when you get a baby, they will be sweet now but when they mature, sometimes they get nasty. Especially Eclectus, I hear! They can be sweet one year and the next turn into huge A-holes.... you'll have to manage their hormones once they mature and it can be tricky. Bringing a human baby into the situation will also make it harder during hormonal time.

I would not get two bids at one time if you don't have much experience, what happens is they often bond ot each other and don't want anything to do with their human owners.

Lots of things to think about, but I wish you all the best and keep us updated on what you find out.

 

[clark_conure]

I vote conure or cockatiel for just get along with anything type of bird. And both are great with children.

A lot of times teens want to get a bird and we tend to discourage that because there are so many changes about to happen ...but a married 20yo is perfect place to start a flock.

 

[Flboy]

As hokey as this site is, it has you think outside the box!
https://myrightbird.com/quiz

For me, it picked a Senegal! Quite a very nice, medium sized parrot that can be a real sweetheart!

 

[EllenD]

Welcome to the Community!!! I too live in State College, and have been the Medical Liaison at a large, privately-owned Avian and Reptile Rescue for about 8 and a half years that is located about 30 minutes from State College, beyond the Milheim/Aaronsburg/Spring Valley area, in the middle of nowhere...The address is officially Lewisburg, but it's actually closer to Woodward, not far from the Woodward Sports Camp...It's owned by a couple in their 50's and is located on their farm...She does not advertise on Facebook or any other Social Media because we basically get full to-capacity dealing with birds and reptiles/amphibians coming from local law-enforcement and the Penn State students leaving their pets behind at the end of each semester. Right now we have about 20 or so birds and about 40 or so Reptiles, but this is going to quickly jump to over 50 birds and well over 100 Reptiles/Amphibians due to the semester ending...The PSU students usually just let their birds and Reptiles go free on-campus and downtown because they are either going home for the summer and their parents don't know they have them to begin with, or because they are moving into a different apartment/townhouse and they don't allow pets, etc. They don't care, they just let them go and that's that...If you take a walk on-campus around any of the dorms and the Frat/Sorority Houses next week, you'll see dozens of Bearded Dragons, Geckos, Tortoises, AQUATIC Turtles (they really don't care at all), Iguanas, Monitors, Tegus, Pacman Frogs, etc. running all over the place, scared to death and not knowing what to do...And occasionally you'll also see Budgies, Cockatiels, and several different species of Conures sitting up in the trees if they haven't already left the area or gotten hit by a car yet...It's sad...The same thing happens in December at winter-break, and of course it's winter then, snow on the ground and literally freezing outside...So it's a sad time of year for us...

We are a part of a very large network of private Avian and Reptile Rescues that are NOT non-profits or 501c3 Rescues, and it's not unusual for people to know about them/us except by word of mouth...There are also 2 Avian Rescues in Williamsport, one that is very large and the other that used to be very large but the owners have scaled-back quite a bit. The large Avian Rescue in Williamsport actually gets a lot more larger species of parrots than we do, not that we don't get them as well, but most of the birds that are brought to us are the ones that the PSU students buy locally, typically at Petco, so they're basically Budgies, Cockatiels, Green Cheek Conures, Sun Conures, Jenday Conures, and Nanday Conures, with the occasional BeeBee Parakeet, Moustache Parakeet, Indian Ringneck, and Alexandrine (the Petcos in Altoona, Dubois, and Williamsport sell more species of parrots than the Petco in State College does)...There is also a large Avian Rescue in the Harrisburg area, one in York, one in the Chambersburg/Gettysburg area, several in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, and then in the other direction there is one outside of Dubois towards Ridgeway, a very large one in Cinnamahoning (this is spelled very wrong, lol), a few in the Johnstown/Windbur/Somerset areas, one in-between Bradford and Erie, and then several around Pittsburgh and it's suburbs...The same goes for the Philly area, there are a ton of private Rescues all around the surrounding counties in Allentown, Schyullkill (spelling again, lol), and a large one that I've heard a lot about somewhere in the Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg area...These are all privately-owned Rescues and are not non-profits, most of them are owned by people who are life-long parrot owners, breeders, and pet shop owners. We also regularly communicate and make runs back and forth to a few extremely large Avian Rescues in Maryland, Virginia, and the D.C. area, some of which don't require a home-visit. And a lot of the other Rescues that I mentioned in PA do not require a home-visit either, or they are willing to drive as far as need-be to do them if they feel the person/people who are wanting to adopt a bird are going to be good, responsible owners...We definitely frown-upon the "max-distance" from the Rescue rule, because it automatically eliminates an entire population of potential adopters that would make wonderful Parronts...So I feel your pain on that, but as I said, there are many more Avian Rescues in PA and other surrounding-States that don't have a home-visit issue...

Right now we don't have any Eclectus or Pionus residents with us, the largest bird we have right now are Sun/Jenday Conures, but like I said, we'll be filling-up to capacity and beyond in the next couple of weeks, in-fact I got a call last night that an Iguana and a Russian Tortoise were dropped on our doorstep, so I have to go in and do their intake-exams and get with our CRV to have their Blood-Tests and Fecal Cultures run...I actually sell cars for a living and am not paid to work at the Rescue, so I am usually there either early in the mornings or after 7:00/8:00 p.m., or on my days-off. I don't have to be there at a specific time to do my job, so it works well...And I always bring one of my birds with me when I go, and rotate the 4 of them every day so they all get to spend time with Mama at the Rescue a couple of times a week...

 

[munami]

Welcome to the forum! I'm glad you got lots of good advice and I wish you luck on your journey!

 

[EllenD]

To address your questions regarding what you want in your new bird...And I'll be echoing a lot of what others have already said....

FIrst and foremost, DO NOT GET 2 BIRDS BECAUSE YOU THINK 1 WOULD BE "LONELY" BY ITSELF!!! I'm not trying to "scream" at you by writing that in caps, but to say it loudly to you, as this is an extremely common mistake that new bird owners make in the beginning, and then they end-up paying for it and wishing that they hadn't done it for one reason or another. First of all, there is no guarantee at all that whatever 2 birds you bring home will get along with each other at all, even if they are siblings from the same clutch of babies that you buy from a breeder, as sibling-relationships usually change drastically once they go through puberty and become sexually-mature, which happens at around 1-2 years-old for both the Electus and the Pionus species/sub-species. And if you bring home one baby or adult bird first and then bring home a second baby or adult bird at some point in the future, you ONLY ever want to do it because YOU want a second pet-bird FOR YOURSELF, because they may develop any type of relationship with each other, from so close that they want nothing more to do with the people in their house, to hating each other so much that they cannot ever be allowed to be out of their cages together because they are so aggressively-violent with each other.

If you work 8-5 Monday-Friday then whatever parrot you bring home will be fine just as long as #1) You make sure that he/she has a very large cage that has at least 6-10 or more different types of toys/activities to do with different purposes, like 1 for chewing, 1 for shredding, 1 for foraging, 1 for climbing, 1 for swinging, etc., and you rotate-in new toys monthly; #2) You make sure that they have Active-Foraging activities inside of their cage so that they feel like "they have a job to do and to work on" like they do in the wild (Parrots in the wild spend 6-8 hours a day flying 8-10 miles a day, in order to simply find a forage for enough food to meet their daily nutritional needs; in-captivity they take 3-steps to the right and have a bowl full of nutrient-dense food, so you have to make-up for that Active-Foraging in some way to keep their brains and bodies busy.); #3) As soon as you get home every day you open up their cage and let them be out and with you, as you and whomever else lives in your home are going to be "Their Flock", and they are extremely social "Flock-Animals", so you must be able to provide them with a "Flock" to be among as much as possible. And the same on the weekends, they need to be with you as much as possible whenever you're at home...Locating their cage in the "main-room" of your home is a must, meaning in the room of your home where you spend the most time whenever you're at home, instead of in a spare-bedroom or other room that is away from from where you guys spend your time. A lot of people designate a spare-room as being "the bird room", but honestly just having their cage in the living-room, family-room, TV room, Den, etc., whatever room it is in your home, helps to not only bond the bird with you, but even more-so it keeps the bird happy, secure, and content, because they are "among their flock" like they are in the wild. So even when you're not paying direct attention to the bird, just having their cage in the room with you while you're watching TV, reading, talking to each other, eating a meal, gaming, on the computer, etc. will make the bird feel very comfortable and secure, and they are way more likely to entertain themselves in their cage or on a stand, etc. if they are in the same room as whomever is home. Usually if someone is home and the bird is in a spare-bedroom/room away from where the person is, the bird won't play with their toys or entertain themselves at all, but rather they usually scream and scream until the person comes back to the room, then they stop. Then the person leaves again and goes back to the living room and they start screaming again...

***As far as wanting to get a bird who is going to be easily "socialized" and good with visitors to your house, etc., this is something that must not be a deal-breaker for you, because parrots are NOT at all like any other type of pet, and are NOTHING like a dog, cat, etc. Parrots are typically not pets that you actually "socialize" at all beyond developing their relationship with you and the people in the house. And I would not advise allowing anyone outside of the people who live in the bird's home to touch your bird, handle your bird, etc., unless it's someone who is at your house quite a lot and that the bird knows well...Otherwise, this typically ends badly for both the bird and the people. People who are new to parrots often let their new birds out of their cages whenever they have visitors over to their homes, and of course there are going to be people who have parrot experience and those who don't, but inevitably someone gets bitten or the bird gets scared to death or injured. Whenever I have visitors to my house, unless it's one of the few people who also have birds and who know to basically either ignore them or not try to grab them, pet them, etc., otherwise they stay in their cages until the people leave. It's safer for the bird and for the people...So it's not going to be a situation where as time goes on your bird will get more and more comfortable being around visitors to the house, like it happens with a dog. That's just not something you can demand from a parrot. It might happen, you might get lucky, but in my 33 years of experience it just is not a good idea...

***The other thing about not wanting a 1-person bird, wanting an independent bird, and your husband being supportive of you having a bird but doesn't want much to do with the bird himself...This could be fine, or this could be a HUGE ISSUE...First of all, there is no way at all to be able to tell how independent any bird you choose is going to be, regardless of their species. If you mean independent as in "The bird will be able to entertain itself inside of it's cage during the day when I'm at work", then that's fine, as I wrote above...But if you mean independent in any other way, such as "The bird will be okay not coming out of it's cage some days, or be okay not getting any affection or interaction from their person/people some days, then no, that's not going to work at all, because once again, they are ALL, regardless of species, very social Flock-animals who need to be with their people...So if you work M-F 8-5, then you're going to have to let the bird out of it's cage whenever you get home, and allow the bird to be with you/around you and interacting with you each day until it's bedtime for the bird (they need at least 12-hours of sleep every night to stay healthy and happy). On the weekends when you're at home the bird will need to be out and about with you. Can you take a break and put them back in the cage for an hour hear and there? Absolutely. But all species of parrots have the intelligence of a 3-4 year-old human child, they use logic and reasonsing skills, and they are Flock-Animals, so they not only want to be with their Flockmates, but they NEED to be with their flockmates.

***Here's something that I'd say you need to be aware of more than anything else, AS DOES YOUR HUSBAND...Regardless of the species of parrot you bring home, or whether you bring home a young baby bird who has just fully-weaned or you adopt an adult bird from a Rescue or an individual who is re-homing them, doesn't matter, you have NO WAY at all to decide which person in the house the bird is going to choose as "their person". There is typically no rhyme or reason AT ALL as to why a parrot chooses the person in the home as being their person, and a lot of the time they choose the person who wants nothing to do with them. It's not at all unusual for new members to come here to the forum looking for help or just needing to vent about the fact that they were the one who wanted a parrot, not their spouse/significant other, that they are the one who does everything for the bird, they feed them, they clean their cage, they let them out of their cage, they give them all their treats, etc., and the bird chose their spouse/significant other as their person, and they want absolutely nothing to do with the bird, they spend no time at all with the bird nor do they want to, and the situation is causing problems for them...And it's not at all fair to the bird if they do choose someone else in the home to bond-closely with and that person pays no attention to the bird at all and wants nothing to do with them. It's a situation that can result in very upset, stressed people, along with a bird who is also frustrated, craving attention from the person they want to be with, and then the plucking starts, etc. So typically most of us here always say that the decision to get a parrot needs to be a Family-Decision, with everyone who lives in the house on-board with the idea, as well as ready to spend time every day with the bird, participate with the care and the attention/interaction with the bird, etc. And you have to be willing to accept it if the bird that you choose to bring home doesn't choose you in-return, but rather your husband. Now of course this might not happen, and you need to make sure that you are the person who does all of the "good stuff" for the bird and with the bird from the day you bring them home so they associate you right off the bat with good things...And hopefully things will work-out just fine...But you both need to be prepared if that's not what happens, because you must still be fair to the bird and give them enough attention and affection each and every day anyway, regardless of who the bird bonds with...

 

[Ellie777Australia]

"Welcome to the Community!!! I too live in State College..."

I'm glad that you responded EllenD.. it was you to whom I referred in my post as the 'senior member living nearby'...

 

[noodles123]

WELCOME!!!
Thanks for doing your research--I wrote a small book (reply)-EEK!- listing some of the things that have really impacted my life...Despite knowing what I was getting into, the time and effort required to keep a happy/healthy parrot in a very unnatural environment (a home) is huge. I love my bird, but I wish that I had a better understanding of the following when I took the life-long plunge--the goal is not to discourage, but to prepare:

The lifestyle changes will be gigantic (this goes for all birds, but bigger birds=bigger mess and more damage). These include cleaning routines, pet safety, sleep schedules, cooking changes etc.

If you do get a bird, any sort of heated mechanism (anything that heats or is heated) and contains PTFE/PFOA/PFCs/Teflon will be out of the question--This includes things like pots, pans, cupcake trays, cookie sheets, cake pans etc, but it will also things like include hair-dryers, straighteners, curling irons, curlers, rice-cookers, SLOW COOKERS, popcorn poppers, air fryers, microwave meals (including certain types of microwave popcorn), steamers, irons, ironing board covers, electric skillets, griddles, George Foreman Grills, drip trays, toasters, toaster ovens, poaching pans, electric blankets, humidifiers, heat lamps, SPACE HEATERS, etc etc...To find out what contains PTFE/PFOA/PFCs/Teflon, you have to call and be a bull about it over the phone (and in some cases, you won't get far). Almost always, it will take a few days for them to get back to you and you must provide the full chemical names, abbreviations and brand-names. Shopping when you have a bird is super annoying..You cannot visually ID these chemical coatings, as they can be colored, transparent, or mixed into metal/fabric during the manufacturing process. Teflon and chemically similar products have killed birds on separate floors with the doors shut. Similarly, while DuPont claims that off-gassing only occurs at higher heats, there have been myriad parrot deaths (even within academic circles) at temperatures well within the 300 degree F range!

Your bird should wake up about 12 hours after it goes to bed. They need 10-14 hours of dark, uninterrupted sleep. Sleep=essential to hormonal and immune function. This means that someone must be there to cover and uncover the bird at the same time each night and that your home must be conducive to sleep...or you must have a sleep cage in a quiet room. If I wake up in the morning and am moving around, my bird wakes up too (even if she didn't get enough sleep). This means that I have to plan her bedtime based on my morning wake-up time. She goes to bed at 5:30 because I wake up at 5:30 for work. She will fall asleep in the evening if there is some mild noise etc, but after sleeping for many hours, she will wake up and be ready to be uncovered even if she hasn't gotten enough sleep.

If you cannot be home at roughly same time each night and wake the bird up at roughly the same time each morning (forever), you will have issues. They need a decent routine (light/dark schedule), so a 6:00 PM work dinner cannot stand in the way of a bird's dinner and sleep schedule...Late nights at work become a thing of the past...You have to come home and put your bird to bed (and socialize with it beforehand).

Make sure you aren't using any unsafe products around the bird. This is pretty much everything with a scent (and some things without).

THIS ONE IS A HUGE LIFESTYLE CHANGE--
No perfume, carpet cleaner, flea shampoo, aerosols, solvents, air fresheners, paints, smoke of any kind, vaping, sunscreen, bugspray, candles of any kind (organic or non), insecticides, certain soaps/shampoos, fire-places, burning or heated oil/fat, self-cleaning ovens, gas and any household cleaners (e.g., bleach, windex, lysol, fabreeze, scrubbing bubbles, kaboom, pine-sol etc)...You will seriously have to re-think your entire home and your cleaning routine will change a ton.
The list goes on. Birds have VERY sensitive respiratory systems. Essential oils are also fairly unsafe due to their ability to be absorbed into the blood-stream and due to a bird's sensitive air sacs.

This also makes traveling with a bird complicated, as it is very unsafe to bring your bird with you into a location where teflon or chemical cleaners are being used. Unless you are visiting close family and you can give them a 30 hour instructional course on eliminating respiratory dangers from their homes before you get there, it is going to be a bad idea to take your bird (and no one wants to be a pushy guest!).

If you get a bird, pet your bird only on the head and do not allow any shadowy spaces in the cage (boxes, bedding, crumbled paper, tents, blankets, low furniture, in clothing etc)..Cuddles are the devil...and so are tents/huts/hammocks etc. These things are hormonal triggers and they can cause health and behavior problems.

DO NOT assume that all members of the family will be able to safely handle the bird. It doesn't matter how much time you spend with a bird--some birds just prefer certain people....AND others may become the source of violent jealously (not always, but it can and does happen). If the "favorite" person is out for the evening, the person picking up the slack may get bitten etc, and that can wear on a person over time. Again--- not all birds are like this, but many are and even with proper socialization, there can still be issues in this area. There is really no way of knowing what you will end up with because they change so much over time (depending on environment, triggers, socialization, hormones and individual bird personality).

Also, know that people can have fairly severe allergies to birds and their dander. I would make sure that you and your family spend a lot of time around birds in case anyone is sensitive. If you have asthma etc, this could be problematic, even with an air filter running.

If you get a bird and are bitten, DO NOT react to bites and do not scold. This is VERY difficult for most adults (let alone children). They pick up on your tension and are very astute. If you are fearful, they will know it and react to it. If you haven't been bitten hard by a larger parrot, it is hard to imagine the level of composure and confidence that are required to persevere and to not react. Smaller birds, like cockatiels can still draw blood, but they won't break a child's finger. A bite hurts--- even from a small bird, and it is easy to say that you won't react, but this can be quite difficult for people who haven't been bitten numerous times before. It can really become a source of fear for people because the more frightened and reactive they are, the more the bird picks up on that...which changes bird behavior.

If you get a bird and they scream, DO NOT react to screaming and do not scold. Again, everyone who interacts with the bird must not react. Birds move in slow-motion and can "out-stubborn" the most willful of humans. You cannot give in to the temptation to attend to the behavior.

It can be VERY difficult to have a parrot with a young child in the house...My mother is 60+ and I am still trying to train her to not react to biting and screaming when we visit...Everyone has to be on the same page...My ex was on board when I adopted mine, but he became fairly resentful of the time and lifestyle changes that it required...

ABA is an important behavior concept that you should research thoroughly if you are getting a parrot--especially the larger varieties (even the small ones are VERY intelligent, so don't assume that a small bird is less brainy-- they just are capable of less damage).

ALL BIRDS ARE LOUD! As a rule, the bigger the bird, the louder the sound...Doesn't matter what type you get (although some are louder than others, even the "quiet" varieties are loud). Since when they scream for attention you MUST ignore them until they are quiet, this can lead to hours of screaming at inopportune times early on. For example, nap-times, business calls, when guests are over for dinner etc..You just have to wait it out because, while attending to the bird will stop the screaming, it will increase the behavior pattern in the long run and teach them that if they scream, they get your attention (good or bad---doesn't matter to them).

If you do get an eclectus, know that they have some fairly extreme and rigorous dietary requirements that entail daily cooking/chopping. They are one parrot variety that should not eat pellets. I know it seems like a little thing now, but they can live for a long time, so that's a lot of time and money spent on food-prep.

Also- do not assume that a bird's personality as a baby or even when adopted will stay that way forever. Babies are much quieter and much nicer than adults and all birds change when they hit sexual maturity. The age at which sexual maturity occurs varies by species, but it can take a few months to 7 years (depending on the species). Birds are often rehomed at puberty because their allegiances can change and they can appear to transform over night. Preventing hormonal triggers early on is huge in avoiding some of this, but it can't be avoided completely.

Last thing-- Birds hide illness like crazy, so there is nothing intuitive about their diseases. You have to be ready to study your birds poop and behavior daily, because even the slightest change can be a huge indicator. Blood work must be done yearly and should be done soon after you get a new bird. They can spread deadly diseases without showing symptoms---it's a giant pain. Make sure that you have a certified avian vet (CAV) near you. Exotics vets who see birds are not the same thing. If you don't have a CAV near you, your life will be much more anxiety-ridden than if you do (and the difference between a CAV and an exotics vet can mean the difference between life and death for your bird in certain instances). Also, be prepared to spend a lot of money on vet bills ....birds are like money pits.

 

[shinyuankuo]

Welcome to the Community!!! I too live in State College, and have been the Medical Liaison at a large, privately-owned Avian and Reptile Rescue for about 8 and a half years that is located about 30 minutes from State College, beyond the Milheim/Aaronsburg/Spring Valley area, in the middle of nowhere...The address is officially Lewisburg, but it's actually closer to Woodward, not far from the Woodward Sports Camp...It's owned by a couple in their 50's and is located on their farm...She does not advertise on Facebook or any other Social Media because we basically get full to-capacity dealing with birds and reptiles/amphibians coming from local law-enforcement and the Penn State students leaving their pets behind at the end of each semester. Right now we have about 20 or so birds and about 40 or so Reptiles, but this is going to quickly jump to over 50 birds and well over 100 Reptiles/Amphibians due to the semester ending...The PSU students usually just let their birds and Reptiles go free on-campus and downtown because they are either going home for the summer and their parents don't know they have them to begin with, or because they are moving into a different apartment/townhouse and they don't allow pets, etc. They don't care, they just let them go and that's that...If you take a walk on-campus around any of the dorms and the Frat/Sorority Houses next week, you'll see dozens of Bearded Dragons, Geckos, Tortoises, AQUATIC Turtles (they really don't care at all), Iguanas, Monitors, Tegus, Pacman Frogs, etc. running all over the place, scared to death and not knowing what to do...And occasionally you'll also see Budgies, Cockatiels, and several different species of Conures sitting up in the trees if they haven't already left the area or gotten hit by a car yet...It's sad...The same thing happens in December at winter-break, and of course it's winter then, snow on the ground and literally freezing outside...So it's a sad time of year for us...

We are a part of a very large network of private Avian and Reptile Rescues that are NOT non-profits or 501c3 Rescues, and it's not unusual for people to know about them/us except by word of mouth...There are also 2 Avian Rescues in Williamsport, one that is very large and the other that used to be very large but the owners have scaled-back quite a bit. The large Avian Rescue in Williamsport actually gets a lot more larger species of parrots than we do, not that we don't get them as well, but most of the birds that are brought to us are the ones that the PSU students buy locally, typically at Petco, so they're basically Budgies, Cockatiels, Green Cheek Conures, Sun Conures, Jenday Conures, and Nanday Conures, with the occasional BeeBee Parakeet, Moustache Parakeet, Indian Ringneck, and Alexandrine (the Petcos in Altoona, Dubois, and Williamsport sell more species of parrots than the Petco in State College does)...There is also a large Avian Rescue in the Harrisburg area, one in York, one in the Chambersburg/Gettysburg area, several in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, and then in the other direction there is one outside of Dubois towards Ridgeway, a very large one in Cinnamahoning (this is spelled very wrong, lol), a few in the Johnstown/Windbur/Somerset areas, one in-between Bradford and Erie, and then several around Pittsburgh and it's suburbs...The same goes for the Philly area, there are a ton of private Rescues all around the surrounding counties in Allentown, Schyullkill (spelling again, lol), and a large one that I've heard a lot about somewhere in the Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg area...These are all privately-owned Rescues and are not non-profits, most of them are owned by people who are life-long parrot owners, breeders, and pet shop owners. We also regularly communicate and make runs back and forth to a few extremely large Avian Rescues in Maryland, Virginia, and the D.C. area, some of which don't require a home-visit. And a lot of the other Rescues that I mentioned in PA do not require a home-visit either, or they are willing to drive as far as need-be to do them if they feel the person/people who are wanting to adopt a bird are going to be good, responsible owners...We definitely frown-upon the "max-distance" from the Rescue rule, because it automatically eliminates an entire population of potential adopters that would make wonderful Parronts...So I feel your pain on that, but as I said, there are many more Avian Rescues in PA and other surrounding-States that don't have a home-visit issue...

Right now we don't have any Eclectus or Pionus residents with us, the largest bird we have right now are Sun/Jenday Conures, but like I said, we'll be filling-up to capacity and beyond in the next couple of weeks, in-fact I got a call last night that an Iguana and a Russian Tortoise were dropped on our doorstep, so I have to go in and do their intake-exams and get with our CRV to have their Blood-Tests and Fecal Cultures run...I actually sell cars for a living and am not paid to work at the Rescue, so I am usually there either early in the mornings or after 7:00/8:00 p.m., or on my days-off. I don't have to be there at a specific time to do my job, so it works well...And I always bring one of my birds with me when I go, and rotate the 4 of them every day so they all get to spend time with Mama at the Rescue a couple of times a week...

Please allow me to first thank you for doing what you do to help the animals.



Wow! I have no idea that State College and students get this bad with animals...I am relatively new to Penn State, and I did not spent the summer here last year. It's a shame that some of the students are irresponsible.


Question for the rescue you work with, is it open to visitors? I will have to be honest with you that we are still in the planning phase, so I don't have the ability to adopt now. We are in a transition year between finishing up school and setting down, so I gave myself this whole year to do research. Yep, a whole year, so I don't make impulse decisions.



I don't want to waste the resue's time and resource. However, if it is open to visitors, I would love to just go and learn more about parrots.



I appreciate your sharing!

 

[shinyuankuo]

FIrst and foremost, DO NOT GET 2 BIRDS BECAUSE YOU THINK 1 WOULD BE "LONELY" BY ITSELF!!! I'm not trying to "scream" at you by writing that in caps, but to say it loudly to you, as this is an extremely common mistake that new bird owners make in the beginning, and then they end-up paying for it and wishing that they hadn't done it for one reason or another. First of all, there is no guarantee at all that whatever 2 birds you bring home will get along with each other at all, even if they are siblings from the same clutch of babies that you buy from a breeder, as sibling-relationships usually change drastically once they go through puberty and become sexually-mature, which happens at around 1-2 years-old for both the Electus and the Pionus species/sub-species. And if you bring home one baby or adult bird first and then bring home a second baby or adult bird at some point in the future, you ONLY ever want to do it because YOU want a second pet-bird FOR YOURSELF, because they may develop any type of relationship with each other, from so close that they want nothing more to do with the people in their house, to hating each other so much that they cannot ever be allowed to be out of their cages together because they are so aggressively-violent with each other.

If you work 8-5 Monday-Friday then whatever parrot you bring home will be fine just as long as #1) You make sure that he/she has a very large cage that has at least 6-10 or more different types of toys/activities to do with different purposes, like 1 for chewing, 1 for shredding, 1 for foraging, 1 for climbing, 1 for swinging, etc., and you rotate-in new toys monthly; #2) You make sure that they have Active-Foraging activities inside of their cage so that they feel like "they have a job to do and to work on" like they do in the wild (Parrots in the wild spend 6-8 hours a day flying 8-10 miles a day, in order to simply find a forage for enough food to meet their daily nutritional needs; in-captivity they take 3-steps to the right and have a bowl full of nutrient-dense food, so you have to make-up for that Active-Foraging in some way to keep their brains and bodies busy.); #3) As soon as you get home every day you open up their cage and let them be out and with you, as you and whomever else lives in your home are going to be "Their Flock", and they are extremely social "Flock-Animals", so you must be able to provide them with a "Flock" to be among as much as possible. And the same on the weekends, they need to be with you as much as possible whenever you're at home....

Thank you! THIS is exactly what I am looking for! I generally understand the theory behind why only 1 parrot, but it seemed more like a myth to me before your post. However, I REALLY needed your action items #1,2,3! This is so much more helpful than my online research of 1 or 2 parrots. Don't mean to yell, but THANK YOU!

***As far as wanting to get a bird who is going to be easily "socialized" and good with visitors to your house, etc., this is something that must not be a deal-breaker for you, because parrots are NOT at all like any other type of pet, and are NOTHING like a dog, cat, etc. Parrots are typically not pets that you actually "socialize" at all beyond developing their relationship with you and the people in the house.

This is a very good reminder. No, it's not a deal-breaker, but it is a strong preference. I'm not asking for a bird that can be a crowd pleaser. It's just my church life is a very important aspect. It's more about not wanting a parrot to stress everytime when we gather. My hope is the parrot will comfortably stay in cage or be on a stand in the main room. Still included, but not involved.


I know this is not a guarantee, but again, I wanted to hear from people like you to know the likelihood. It's all about making informed decision.

***The other thing about not wanting a 1-person bird, wanting an independent bird, and your husband being supportive of you having a bird but doesn't want much to do with the bird himself...This could be fine, or this could be a HUGE ISSUE...First of all, there is no way at all to be able to tell how independent any bird you choose is going to be, regardless of their species. If you mean independent as in "The bird will be able to entertain itself inside of it's cage during the day when I'm at work", then that's fine, as I wrote above...But if you mean independent in any other way, such as "The bird will be okay not coming out of it's cage some days, or be okay not getting any affection or interaction from their person/people some days, then no, that's not going to work at all, because once again, they are ALL, regardless of species, very social Flock-animals who need to be with their people...So if you work M-F 8-5, then you're going to have to let the bird out of it's cage whenever you get home, and allow the bird to be with you/around you and interacting with you each day until it's bedtime for the bird (they need at least 12-hours of sleep every night to stay healthy and happy). On the weekends when you're at home the bird will need to be out and about with you. Can you take a break and put them back in the cage for an hour hear and there? Absolutely. But all species of parrots have the intelligence of a 3-4 year-old human child, they use logic and reasonsing skills, and they are Flock-Animals, so they not only want to be with their Flockmates, but they NEED to be with their flockmates.

Independence in my opinion is being able to handle my work schedule. I will guarantee daily interaction unless extreme event happens. By extreme, i am refering to family emergencies, which hopefully does not happen often.

***Here's something that I'd say you need to be aware of more than anything else, AS DOES YOUR HUSBAND...Regardless of the species of parrot you bring home, or whether you bring home a young baby bird who has just fully-weaned or you adopt an adult bird from a Rescue or an individual who is re-homing them, doesn't matter, you have NO WAY at all to decide which person in the house the bird is going to choose as "their person". There is typically no rhyme or reason AT ALL as to why a parrot chooses the person in the home as being their person, and a lot of the time they choose the person who wants nothing to do with them. It's not at all unusual for new members to come here to the forum looking for help or just needing to vent about the fact that they were the one who wanted a parrot, not their spouse/significant other, that they are the one who does everything for the bird, they feed them, they clean their cage, they let them out of their cage, they give them all their treats, etc., and the bird chose their spouse/significant other as their person, and they want absolutely nothing to do with the bird, they spend no time at all with the bird nor do they want to, and the situation is causing problems for them...And it's not at all fair to the bird if they do choose someone else in the home to bond-closely with and that person pays no attention to the bird at all and wants nothing to do with them. It's a situation that can result in very upset, stressed people, along with a bird who is also frustrated, craving attention from the person they want to be with, and then the plucking starts, etc. So typically most of us here always say that the decision to get a parrot needs to be a Family-Decision, with everyone who lives in the house on-board with the idea, as well as ready to spend time every day with the bird, participate with the care and the attention/interaction with the bird, etc. And you have to be willing to accept it if the bird that you choose to bring home doesn't choose you in-return, but rather your husband. Now of course this might not happen, and you need to make sure that you are the person who does all of the "good stuff" for the bird and with the bird from the day you bring them home so they associate you right off the bat with good things...And hopefully things will work-out just fine...But you both need to be prepared if that's not what happens, because you must still be fair to the bird and give them enough attention and affection each and every day anyway, regardless of who the bird bonds with...

It is a family decision. My husband will be involved with training and all the good parts of having a parrot. I will probaby be the one doing the hard work anyways because I asked for it. Honestly, I would be okay if the parrot just tolerates me if my husband becomes the favorite person. But still, this is a good consideration.



Again, your sharing is very helpful for us. I thank you again for your knowledge and all you do for animals.

 

[shinyuankuo]

WELCOME!!!
If you do get a bird, any sort of heated mechanism (anything that heats or is heated) and contains PTFE/PFOA/PFCs/Teflon will be out of the question--This includes things like pots, pans, cupcake trays, cookie sheets, cake pans etc, but it will also things like include hair-dryers, straighteners, curling irons, curlers, rice-cookers, SLOW COOKERS, popcorn poppers, air fryers, microwave meals (including certain types of microwave popcorn), steamers, irons, ironing board covers, electric skillets, griddles, George Foreman Grills, drip trays, toasters, toaster ovens, poaching pans, electric blankets, humidifiers, heat lamps, SPACE HEATERS, etc etc...To find out what contains PTFE/PFOA/PFCs/Teflon, you have to call and be a bull about it over the phone (and in some cases, you won't get far). Almost always, it will take a few days for them to get back to you and you must provide the full chemical names, abbreviations and brand-names. Shopping when you have a bird is super annoying..You cannot visually ID these chemical coatings, as they can be colored, transparent, or mixed into metal/fabric during the manufacturing process. Teflon and chemically similar products have killed birds on separate floors with the doors shut. Similarly, while DuPont claims that off-gassing only occurs at higher heats, there have been myriad parrot deaths (even within academic circles) at temperatures well within the 300 degree F range!

If you cannot be home at roughly same time each night and wake the bird up at roughly the same time each morning (forever), you will have issues. They need a decent routine (light/dark schedule), so a 6:00 PM work dinner cannot stand in the way of a bird's dinner and sleep schedule...Late nights at work become a thing of the past...You have to come home and put your bird to bed (and socialize with it beforehand).

THIS ONE IS A HUGE LIFESTYLE CHANGE--
No perfume, carpet cleaner, flea shampoo, aerosols, solvents, air fresheners, paints, smoke of any kind, vaping, sunscreen, bugspray, candles of any kind (organic or non), insecticides, certain soaps/shampoos, fire-places, burning or heated oil/fat, self-cleaning ovens, gas and any household cleaners (e.g., bleach, windex, lysol, fabreeze, scrubbing bubbles, kaboom, pine-sol etc)...You will seriously have to re-think your entire home and your cleaning routine will change a ton.
The list goes on. Birds have VERY sensitive respiratory systems. Essential oils are also fairly unsafe due to their ability to be absorbed into the blood-stream and due to a bird's sensitive air sacs.

This also makes traveling with a bird complicated, as it is very unsafe to bring your bird with you into a location where teflon or chemical cleaners are being used. Unless you are visiting close family and you can give them a 30 hour instructional course on eliminating respiratory dangers from their homes before you get there, it is going to be a bad idea to take your bird (and no one wants to be a pushy guest!).

If you get a bird, pet your bird only on the head and do not allow any shadowy spaces in the cage (boxes, bedding, crumbled paper, tents, blankets, low furniture, in clothing etc)..Cuddles are the devil...and so are tents/huts/hammocks etc. These things are hormonal triggers and they can cause health and behavior problems.

DO NOT assume that all members of the family will be able to safely handle the bird. It doesn't matter how much time you spend with a bird--some birds just prefer certain people....AND others may become the source of violent jealously (not always, but it can and does happen). If the "favorite" person is out for the evening, the person picking up the slack may get bitten etc, and that can wear on a person over time. Again--- not all birds are like this, but many are and even with proper socialization, there can still be issues in this area. There is really no way of knowing what you will end up with because they change so much over time (depending on environment, triggers, socialization, hormones and individual bird personality).

If you get a bird and are bitten, DO NOT react to bites and do not scold. This is VERY difficult for most adults (let alone children). They pick up on your tension and are very astute. If you are fearful, they will know it and react to it. If you haven't been bitten hard by a larger parrot, it is hard to imagine the level of composure and confidence that are required to persevere and to not react. Smaller birds, like cockatiels can still draw blood, but they won't break a child's finger. A bite hurts--- even from a small bird, and it is easy to say that you won't react, but this can be quite difficult for people who haven't been bitten numerous times before. It can really become a source of fear for people because the more frightened and reactive they are, the more the bird picks up on that...which changes bird behavior.

If you get a bird and they scream, DO NOT react to screaming and do not scold. Again, everyone who interacts with the bird must not react. Birds move in slow-motion and can "out-stubborn" the most willful of humans. You cannot give in to the temptation to attend to the behavior.

It can be VERY difficult to have a parrot with a young child in the house...My mother is 60+ and I am still trying to train her to not react to biting and screaming when we visit...Everyone has to be on the same page...My ex was on board when I adopted mine, but he became fairly resentful of the time and lifestyle changes that it required...

ABA is an important behavior concept that you should research thoroughly if you are getting a parrot--especially the larger varieties (even the small ones are VERY intelligent, so don't assume that a small bird is less brainy-- they just are capable of less damage).

ALL BIRDS ARE LOUD! As a rule, the bigger the bird, the louder the sound...Doesn't matter what type you get (although some are louder than others, even the "quiet" varieties are loud). Since when they scream for attention you MUST ignore them until they are quiet, this can lead to hours of screaming at inopportune times early on. For example, nap-times, business calls, when guests are over for dinner etc..You just have to wait it out because, while attending to the bird will stop the screaming, it will increase the behavior pattern in the long run and teach them that if they scream, they get your attention (good or bad---doesn't matter to them).

If you do get an eclectus, know that they have some fairly extreme and rigorous dietary requirements that entail daily cooking/chopping. They are one parrot variety that should not eat pellets. I know it seems like a little thing now, but they can live for a long time, so that's a lot of time and money spent on food-prep.

Also- do not assume that a bird's personality as a baby or even when adopted will stay that way forever. Babies are much quieter and much nicer than adults and all birds change when they hit sexual maturity. The age at which sexual maturity occurs varies by species, but it can take a few months to 7 years (depending on the species). Birds are often rehomed at puberty because their allegiances can change and they can appear to transform over night. Preventing hormonal triggers early on is huge in avoiding some of this, but it can't be avoided completely.

Last thing-- Birds hide illness like crazy, so there is nothing intuitive about their diseases. You have to be ready to study your birds poop and behavior daily, because even the slightest change can be a huge indicator. Blood work must be done yearly and should be done soon after you get a new bird. They can spread deadly diseases without showing symptoms---it's a giant pain. Make sure that you have a certified avian vet (CAV) near you. Exotics vets who see birds are not the same thing. If you don't have a CAV near you, your life will be much more anxiety-ridden than if you do (and the difference between a CAV and an exotics vet can mean the difference between life and death for your bird in certain instances). Also, be prepared to spend a lot of money on vet bills ....birds are like money pits.

(Sorry that I have to modify your quote. It's too long for the system to pass!)


Thank you for the write up. Yes, I am aware of most of your warnings. This is a very good reminder. It's different from me reading stuff online when I actually get to have a conversation with someone. It is on different learning levels.



The respiratory requirement. I don't use most of the scent products anyways, so I won't miss them. I know there are a few things that I have to toss out when I get a bird.

I know only head scratch. What I look for is the companionship, not cuddles. I would be okay if the parrot just tolerates me.

Hormones I know, but still am very nervous about it. But if I move forward, I will just have to face it and work through it.

Biting and screaming will have to be trained by positive reinforcement, and I will just have to expect it.

I am aware of the diet requirement, but I rather decide if parrots are right before I seriously start worrying about breeds and diet. That will be my next phase of research.

I know a bird can change from baby to adult. Can't say i'm not concerned about it. I don't have expecation of a bird staying the same. I'm more interested in knowing whether personality change can be work through.

Yep, I know I will have to spend money on vet. We actually might move next year (and I'm not getting a bird before we settle down), so we will have to wait and see if the environment is right. We don't know where we will be moving to yet. It's depends on the job market.

Thank you for sharing!

 

[Scott]

Welcome to the forums, deep respect for approaching in logical and introspective manner! Not much to add to the superb advice thus far. Please take your time and try to have contact with as many targeted species as possible. While every bird is unique, most species have some generalized traits.