You must reflect on the commitment to be undertaken in acquiring a bird. Take time to read this page and related pages before taking your decision.

 

1 – Your commitment:

 

The decision to acquire a parrot should be very well thought through, because such birds live between 30 and 80 years on average depending on the species. It will be a part of your family for many years.

 

Such a commitment implies several duties:

 

a) Your future parrot will need kindness and affection. You will have to take care of it on a daily basis, remove it from its cage, and involve it in your family or personal life. A parrot can participate in meals, even if it does not eat human food. To remain healthy, your parrot must understand that you engage with it at a specific moment of the day. Are you prepared to devote time to it every day? If not, you should reconsider because your parrot will be unhappy and you will be disappointed by the relationship that you will have with it.

 

b) This bird must be fed every day with seeds, fruits and vegetables that must be prepared daily. 

 

c)  A parrot can be noisy, in particular blue-fronted or red-fronted amazons and yellow-crested cockatoos. So think of your neighbours and check the clauses in your lease or ownership agreement to ensure what type of animal you are permitted to have in your home.

 

d) A parrot’s beak is a powerful tool. Your bird will require constant surveillance.

 

e) Lastly, you must reflect on who will take care of your bird while you are away for extended periods (weekend, vacations, etc.). However, having a parrot in your life is not simply a series of constraints and as with any animal, a well-balanced (i.e., not snatched from the wild) and pampered bird will surprise you with its intelligence and learning abilities.

 

2 – Choice of species:

 

First and foremost, you should only buy parrots that are authorised for sale. To know which species are authorised for sale and possession, consul tour information sheets. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to contact us directly. An unauthorised bird can be seized by the government, who will issue a report and levy a heavy fine.

 

Your choice of one or another (authorised) species will depend on your preferences. Different criteria can help you choose, including:

 

a) Nearly all parrots (be they Cockatiels, Cockatoos, African grey parrots or Amazons) can learn to pronounce sentences. African grey parrots are generally considered the best "speakers".

 

b) Concerning their personality, parrots born in captivity and raised by hand show differences depending on the species.

African grey parrots are calm, gentle, and more readily affectionate with the different members of their family. They do not like to be left alone and can become easily depressed. Amazon parrots, on the other hand, are more assertive, very extroverted, and rather clown-like. They can easily tolerate being left alone during the day. Cocktaoos (with the exception of the rose-breasted cockatoo) are very possessive, exclusive and sometimes even "macho". They form an exclusive relationship with their owner. They may even reject your children (regardless of the timing of their arrival) out of jealousy. A cockatoo’s screams to demand attention can be painful to human ears. Lastly, do not forget that cockatiels develop very strong connections with their owners.

 

c) Besides the African grey parrot, rose-breasted cockatoo, and cockatiel, parrots have a powerful voice that they will make heard at least in the morning and evening.

 

 

3 – Where to purchase a parrot:

 

In the right place! With a breeder or in an official animal shop. 

 

Our position is clear: Never buy a wild, imported bird. The population of wild birds should be left in peace; there is sufficient reproduction in captivity to satisfy the demand for birds as pets.

 

 

4 – How to choose a parrot:

 

It is more likely that the parrot will choose you! When establishing first contact, do not approach the parrot too closely and observe its behaviour.

 

A healthy parrot should appear to be in good physical condition with bright eyes and well-maintained plumage. The droppings should be normal, the nose should not be running, and the bird should not be biting itself. 

 

For more info, see A healthy parrot 

  
Lastly, select a bird at least 4 months old so that it will have been sufficiently raised by hand or by its parents. 

 

For more info, see Hand-rearing

 

 

5 - Purchase:

Before purchasing this bird, verify that it has a ring around its leg. The ring can be open (it is slipped on at any time in the life of a bird) or closed (a closed ring can only be slipped on during the first 15 days after the bird’s birth). 

 

For more info, see Open or Closed Ring

 

During the purchase, relevant papers testifying to the bird’s place of origin should be given to you, regardless of whether the seller is a professional or amateur breeder. For more info, see Never without ID!