Companion parrot
Tame companion parrots require daily attention and interaction with their owners, and need to be housed in a cage at least large enough to allow the bird to spread their wings and move about comfortably.
Companion parrots also need to be fed a diet that includes fresh vegetables and fruits, and a smaller amount of seeds and grains; dietary requirements vary with species and activity level.
Larger parrots can be expensive to care for, messy, destructive, and loud, and some individuals may exhibit some aggressive behaviors during adolescence.
Like dogs, parrots require some amount of basic training and proper early socialization to mature into good companions.
This is especially true for macaws and other species with dramatic, beautiful colouring, as well as cockatoos due to their intensely affectionate demeanor.
These traits unfortunately make them tempting impulse purchases, leading to hundreds of macaws and cockatoos being put up for adoption.
They offer an advantage over a seed-based diet in that a parrot cannot pick out and eat only its favorite (usually fatty) seeds.
[2] The majority of avian veterinarians will recommend a pelleted or formulated diet, and will extensively discuss with owners what their bird should and should not eat.
Although pellets may be advertised as a "complete diet," there are dozens of species of parrots commonly kept as pets, all with varying nutritional needs.
This may then lead to unwanted hormonal aggression, nesting behaviour and chronic egg laying in pet birds.
Trick training can also help to redirect a bird's energy and prevent or correct many behavior problems.
However, all the species of white cockatoos produce large quantities of dust from their powder down feathers, which may be problematic for people with allergies.
For example, Pionus parrots generally have a reserved stance, while at the other end, large cockatoos need at least several hours of attention daily.
The upbringing and genetic inclination of an individual bird plays a major role in determining its disposition, regardless of species.
Although all parrots will make some noise, species that are generally less noisy include parrotlets, budgies, cockatiels, Pyrrhura conures, Pionus, caiques, greys, and usually Poicephalus.
Cockatoos, and many macaws and amazon parrots can be very loud, though normally only at certain times of the day and some birds will learn to scream for attention.
Many parrots learn to use words in context; for example, calling family members by name, or requesting certain food items by name.
Budgies, cockatiels, lovebirds, and parrotlets have been bred in captivity the longest and are popular and readily available in many color mutations; by some definitions they are domesticated.
Although small parrots are generally much easier to care for than larger species, they are still intelligent birds who need attention and interaction.
However, even tame parrots can bite humans, particularly if confused or frightened, so it is wise to keep larger birds caged around small children they are not familiar with.
A large parrot bite to the face can do severe damage and destroy the trust between owner and bird.
A closed ring would not fit over the foot of an adult parrot, so its presence proves that the bird was banded when a young chick.
Places for young parrots include breeders and specialty bird stores that ensure the chicks are healthy, well socialized with people and raised properly.
Some breeders will additionally accustom their young parrots to different experiences, such as harness-training, traveling, and handling by a variety of people including children, taking advantage of this impressionable period of development.
