Mary Allen
Not all parrots are colorful and can talk. There are many different types. If you want to keep parrots, you need to know a few things. Where do you get them, how do you keep them? Am I even suitable as a parrot owner? Here are answers to frequently asked questions.
From the tiny woodpeckers of New Guinea, which are just eight centimeters long, to the hyacinth macaw from Brazil, which is one meter long, the parrot family includes a great variety of species and forms. Not all parrots are colorful, and far from all are docile imitators. The black vasa parrots of Madagascar look like crows, the colorful rosella parakeets hardly learn to speak. Some eat mainly nuts with their massive beaks, while others lick flowers for nectar. Keas slide over ice fields, blue-bearded amazons fly over the canopy of the forest in a hot and humid climate. The saying “parrots are colorful and come from the tropics” is only partially true.
Here is an overview of the most important points that should be clarified before keeping a parrot and the most important things that need to be considered.
Can I Keep a Parrot Individually?
No! This is forbidden by law. Parrots are social birds. Most species should be kept in pairs. In many species, same-sex birds can be kept together without any problems, but not in the long-winged parrots from Africa, such as the black-headed parrot. Smaller species such as lovebirds can even be kept in a swarm if the aviary is big enough.
I Want Talking Parrots
That must not be the incentive to keep parrots. Many never learn to speak but are impressed with comical behavior. Parrots are much more likely to caw loudly. This is their normal behavior and you as the owner have to put up with it.
What Do I Need to Know About Parrots?
Read reference books on parrot husbandry. A bookseller can give you information about the different titles available. Information from the Internet or from bird forums is often contradictory and a bad path. In autumn there are bird exhibitions all over Switzerland. There are opportunities to talk to breeders, ask questions, and admire a wide range of species. If you know which species you want to keep, the selection of specialist literature becomes easier. Specialist information is published weekly in “Tierwelt”. There are also magazines exclusively for birdkeepers.
Which Type is Suitable for Me?
If you live in a house with a garden, you can build a birdhouse with an outdoor aviary. An outdoor aviary can also be attached to a ground-floor room. If neighbors are nearby, the question of noise quickly arises. Almost every parrot makes itself known by calling, clamoring, whistling, or croaking. But there are species such as grass parakeets from Australia that only emit subtle vocalizations. Anyone who lives in an apartment does not have to do without keeping parrots. Many smaller species such as parrotlets from South America or lovebirds from Africa that can live in an indoor aviary are a lot of fun.
Where Do I Buy Parrots?
Preferably directly from the breeder. Contacts can be made at bird exhibitions or breeders can be found through advertisements in “Tierwelt”. Patience is better than rushing to buy parrots. It doesn’t matter if the indoor aviary is empty for a few months or even a year.
Can I Start with Large Parrots?
Anyone who has never kept parrots should not get large parrots right away. Smaller species often exhibit just as attractive, playful behavior and can be treated more fairly in keeping them. Most breeders started keeping budgerigars before breeding larger species. Anyone who has experience with budgerigars, lovebirds, or grass parakeets is suitable for keeping large parrots. A pair of gray parrots can be kept in an indoor aviary of 2 × 2 × 2 meters. However, the birds whistle loudly, produce a lot of feather dust, and make dirt. A separate room for the parrots is, therefore, a requirement. Amazons are usually too loud in the living area, the African long-winged parrots are more suitable, they also screech, but less piercingly.
How Old do Parrots Get?
Parrots live a very long time. A small black-headed parrot can be 40 years old. It, therefore, makes no sense for a young person to acquire large parrots if their parents are not willing to take care of them. He begins an apprenticeship, completes language stays, and ends up in situations that would not allow keeping large parrots. Budgerigars or lovebirds, for example, are more suitable for children and young people. Although they also grow old at about 15 years of age, they are more able to cope with a change of residence.