It is always a very good idea to think about buying pet parrots before you actually buy them. Research is always a necessary part of the process if you want your pet parrots to live a good, long, healthy life. There are many things to take into consideration before you actually bring your pet parrots home to roost.

Some of the obvious things that need to be considered of course are the cage for your new parrot. Whether you plan on buying a large parrot or small parrots this will play into the equation. Obviously the larger the parrot the bigger the parrot cage you will need and the more money you will spend.

The same goes for parrot toys. The larger parrot toys will cost more money and be chewed through much more quickly than if you were to purchase parrot toys for smaller parrots.

The cost of food and parrot care will also be less exuberant if you were to buy a smaller pet parrot. They don’t eat as much and the smaller parrots tend to do nicely with seed.

The large parrots have large beaks and will break through their parrot toys easily and of course, because of their size will need more parrot food. This just stands to reason.

Another thing to consider when thinking about purchasing pet parrots is your location. If you live in a house then it may not be a major problem, but large parrots tend to scream a lot and therefore are much more likely to disturb  your neighbors. I don’t know of any apartments that will allow a large parrot as a pet. These dwellings are just not suitable for large parrots such as the African Gray Parrot or Macaw, or Cockatoos.

If you are purchasing the parrot for a pet for a child then beware that a large parrot can do more harm with it’s beak than a small parrot can do. If children are involved I generally suggest that you stay with the small parrots.

A small male budgie, for instance, will generally talk and has a pleasant little personality. They are very friendly creatures and a delight to play with and watch. You can teach a budgie or Parakeet the same words and tricks that you could teach a large parrot and they are easier to keep clean.

Let’s face it, parrot care can be overwhelming when you consider that the larger the parrot the more stuff will be flung onto your floor and around the cage. With a budgie or parakeet you can pretty well contain the mess with a covering that goes over the bottom of the cage. This will not stop all of the mess but it will keep it done to a reasonable limit.

For small parrots, these little guys are really delightful and they now come in a variety of colors. I personally love the blue ones, they are almost a teal blue…very beautiful. But, perhaps you would prefer a yellow budgie or white or harlequin, it really depends on your taste.

Since this is a blog post and not a book I will end here and just summarize what I have said.

1. Small parrots make better pets if you live in an apartment
2. Small parrots are easier to keep clean
3. Small parrots are less expensive to maintain

I would just like to make mention though that if you want your little guy to talk then you should be sure to get a male budgie. I also recommend that no matter which pet parrots you choose that you find yourself a hand-fed, young bird.

I know you will love having these small parrots or large parrots for a pet. They are so adorable!

Large Parrots

Pet parrots definitely come in a variety of sizes to meet every fancy. I don’t know about you, but many people are curious to know the size of particular parrots and their age expectancy before deciding on which pet parrots to think about.

Some pet parrots are very large but if you live in an apartment and want a smaller parrot then it is best to find out which pet parrots are better for apartment dwellers.

I have made up a list that will help you if you are deciding on which pet parrots to look into based on size and life expectancy.

Pet Parrots Based on Size: Largest to Smallest

(The Canary is not part of the parrot family but I have added it so you can get an idea of the size of the Pacific Parrotlet)

If you plan on buying a pet parrot then I strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with proper pet parrot care. The Parrot Training Videos below will help you to learn to handle all types of parrot behavior. Please consider purchasing these DVD’s as part of your pet parrot care.

Firstly, I would like to mention that whether you decide to own a small parrot or a large parrot they will both require a good amount of attention given to them. Generally the rule of thumb is: The bigger the pet parrot is, the more attention that pet parrot will need. This doesn’t include the goffin cockatoo though. He is a much smaller parrot than the rest of his cockatoo family, but like all cockatoos even this small parrot will require lots and lots of attention. A cockatiel, on the other hand requires about as much attention as a pet budgie.

I am not talking about run of the mill budgie that can be picked up at the local pet shop for a dime a dozen. Many of these small parrots are bred only for the money and not much care has gone into familiarizing them with people to be sociable. Here again though, I don’t want you to think that these small parrots cannot make good pets. They too need attention and the more attention you spend with your pet parrots, the tamer and more sociable they will become.

When choosing a small parrot the first thing you should make sure of is that the small parrot is hand-fed. Many breeders will take the time to hand feed their fledgelings until they are able to eat on their own. By hand feeding these small parrots, they get used to being held and have very little fear of human hands or faces. They will willingly come up on your hand and spend some time chatting away with you and playing silly games.

Small parrots should be chosen if you meet the following criteria:

* You are young -under the age of 21. Small parrots are best for this age group as they are easily handled and if the young person gets bored with them then it is not such a hassle to either take care of the parrot yourself or find a good home for it.

* You are older – over 50. Remember that large parrots can live a very long time and may become heartbroken if you were to pass on before they do. Small parrots have much shorter life spans and so the chances of you being well enough and able to care for him is greater.

Which small parrots would be the best choices for you?

• If you want a talking parrot that is small then I would suggest that you choose a male, hand-fed budgie from a reputable breeder or pet store.
• If you don’t care if your small parrot talks then love birds are cute little birds. They can be a little devilish at times though. They tend to try and escape every time they get a chance.
• Cockatiels are lovely little birds and the males can generally learn to talk a little. Their speech is more like a whistle but it is identifiable.

Remember

• No pet parrots are guaranteed to talk, whether they are small parrots or large parrots.
• You will be much happier and it will be easier to teach your small parrot to talk if you find yourself a male bird rather than a female.
• It is much easier to keep a hand-fed bird tame than it is to tame a non hand-fed small parrot.
• A large parrot may not be advisable depending on your age bracket.

Small parrots are adorable

Remember: Good things come in small packages.