Talking Parrots

It is a very exciting time bringing home a new pet parrot. Often an owner has to wait for the new parrot to be old enough to be removed from the breeder so the excitement can have been building for weeks. Extra care is needed when introducing a new parrot into the family and its new environment. Planning is the key to a successful transition.

The first few days in his new home.

Whether an older parrot or a young parrot he does not know any of his new family so it is understandable that he will be scared. A critical time for introducing a parrot is in the first few days as they become familiar with their new surroundings. There will be new noises which will scare him, new colors to adjust to and different activities going on that he is not used to.

The whole family, especially if there are young children, need to be aware that the parrot is likely to be very temperamental at this time. He will want to be left in his cage with a minimum of attention with just the usual feeding and watering. Before opening his cage, make sure that all the windows and doors are closed and also when he is first let out of his cage for a walk.

Avoiding problems.

If there are other parrot pets then the new bird needs to be introduced to them slowly and kept on his own most of the time initially. Even then, the introduction needs to be done under supervision so that the new parrot does not get attacked.

Bring a new parrot home in the morning so that he has time to see his new surroundings for a few hours and get used to some of the new noises.

To ensure the bird eats, find out from the shop or breeder what the parrot’s favorite foods are and make sure they are available.

Clipping his wings.

Make sure that his first 3 flying feathers are clipped slightly so that he cannot take flight out the door or into the kitchen where he might have an accident.

His sleeping conditions.

Cover the parrot at nightfall and keep him covered until sun up. In the natural environment parrots sleep at night so covering the cage gives him a sleeping schedule.

Parrots get lonely.

When introducing a parrot into the family, make sure there are some toys in his new cage so that as he starts to relax he can play with those and keep himself occupied. Toys need to be checked to ensure that they are safe for the parrot and that he cannot bite pieces off or get his beak or claws stuck in them.

Although parrots are flock birds it is advisable only to talk to him through the cage for the first few days and not handle him a lot until he gets used to the family. A frequently handled parrot can become a very dependent parrot and that is not good if he is going to be left on his own at all because he will squawk and carry on to attract attention.

Parrot care by an owner does rely on the parrot also being happy when the owner is not there. Encourage the parrot to entertain himself during the day with toys when no-one else is around.

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Sign up to my FREE ’10 Secrets to Caring for a Pet Parrot’ mini-course at Pet Parrot Secrets. Pet parrots can be lots of fun, but if you want a happy, healthy parrot it is important to know how to look after him in the best possible way. They love learning tricks and being interactive with the family.

When parrot owners refer to the Yellow parrot they are essentially referring to any one of three varieties, the Yellow-headed Amazon, the Double Yellow-headed Amazon and the Yellow-naped Amazon. To make things more complex there are in addition a variety of subspecies that should be included in this group, such as the Magna Yellow-headed Amazon which can be differentiated by the fact the it is more predominantly yellow in color than it’s close cousins and as such attracts a premium price.

The plumage of the Yellow Amazon parrot is stunningly beautiful although slightly different for each different variety. They share a vivid green body and tail feathers but the differences occur in the placement and location of the yellow colorations. The Yellow-headed Amazon has a yellow head, the Yellow-naped Amazon has a yellow chest and neck rather than the head and the Double Yellow-headed Amazon has both a yellow nape, neck and head.

The Yellow Amazon grows to between 14-17 inches in length which is 35-43cm and so is the largest of the Amazon parrots and this fact shouldn’t be overlooked if you are considering one as a pet, as with most larger species of parrot they can be quite destructive, often needing replacement toys and perches which can quickly add up to quite an expense. They are at their happiest when they have room to fly and move around a lot, so if you consider owning one as a pet you should purchase a large birdcage for them as well as let them out of their cage daily.

To breed African Greys, healthy and productive breeding pairs are required.  The breeding pair requires the proper environment and diet to breed successfully.  Chicks must be properly hand fed, weaned and socialized in order to develop into good companion birds.  Extra effort is needed to assure that the chicks go only to good homes and responsible owners, in educating them and in keeping in touch to make sure that the birds are doing well.  All of this takes commitment, education and time and should not be entered into lightly

Breeding African Greys is not just a matter of buying two birds, putting them together and letting nature take its course..