Parrots are more high-maintenance than other pets. How do you care for one?
They're chipper, can live long lives and sometimes repeat words we don't want them to: Parrots are colorful animals that, given the right care and attention, will make any home better.
People share videos all over the internet of parrots playing with one another and playing games with their owners. Though they can be fun, Dr. Amelia Baldwin, an associate veterinarian at the Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital, discourages people with zero experience with birds from adopting them as a last-minute decision. That goes for any of the more than 300 types of parrot, which includes parakeets, cockatoos, macaws and others.
"Birds are not ideal for a first-time pet owner," she said. "They require a ton of mental stimulation and care."
Parrots require tender, careful handling
Owning a parrot is difficult, Baldwin said, because avians require at least five hours a day of exercise and human interaction "just to feel a bit natural." Beyond play, the birds are also dirty and have sensitive bodies.
Baldwin's clinic recommends housing the bird in a cage large enough for its wings to be fully extended. Inside, the cages should have stainless steel vertical bars and be placed in temperature-controlled rooms away from any fumes.
"It is important to remember they have sensitive respiratory tracts," she said. "You shouldn't use candles, aerosols and nonstick cookware."
That warning means to keep cages and birds out of the kitchen as nonstick pans are toxic to the animals and hot surfaces can injure them.
The Long Island Bird and Exotics Veterinary Clinic cautioned that parrots are messy by nature and will bury their feces or food at the bottom of their cages. Because of that, the New York clinic says to clean cages daily.
"Deep cleaning of the cage should be done at least once weekly, or more as needed based on cage cleanliness with your bird, ensuring to clean all the cage wires, all perches and toys, and any crevices that harbor food or feces," the clinic wrote.
When it comes to feeding the birds, Baldwin and other veterinarians recommended that parrots eat a pellet-based diet and snacks like fresh fruits and vegetables. Pender Exotics in Fairfax, Virginia, warned against feeding the birds avocados and food high in salt, sugar or grease.
The clinic urged owners to not rely on a 100% seed diet as the foods can cause obesity and vitamin deficiencies.
"Some seeds are sold as 'vitaminized,' but the vitamins are applied to the shells of the seeds, which are lost when the bird shells the seed before eating it," according to the clinic. "While it is okay to feed some seed it should make up no more than 15-20% of the diet."
With all the care and preparation required, the birds still make great pets, Baldwin said.
Choosing the right parrot
A parakeet isn't the only species of parrot. Baldwin said there are numerous types, with the African grays, macaws, cockatoos, cockatiels and budgies being the most common ones people get.
She recommended homes with small children to get larger parrots like cockatoos and macaws as smaller birds like parakeets are fragile. People who don't want to hear the parrot mimic sounds should get budgies since they can't copy words.
People can train the birds that mimic human speech not to repeat what they say. Some of the parrots that can mimic sounds are the African gray, Amazon parrot, cockatoo and parakeet.
"They repeat sounds that bring attention to themselves or others," she said. "The main thing is to make sure when you say those words, nothing exciting happens afterward because they're trying to incite a certain reaction."
Don't know where to start the search for a parrot? Baldwin suggested that people reach out to nearby parrot rescues. If people are concerned about the bird outliving them, she suggested adopting an older bird.
"For anyone's interest, we and a few other clinics will have care recommendations by species," she said. "So making sure you're looking at that is very helpful too."
Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at knurse@USATODAY.com. Follow her on X @KrystalRNurse, and on BlueSky @krystalrnuse.bsky.social.