Most people can clearly state which animal is their favourite pet.

Some people love cats, others love dogs and yet others love parrots. If you have gone ahead and bought yourself a parrot there are a number of things that you will have to keep in mind in order that your pet stays clean, happy and healthy.

The first thing you will need to have is the right cage.

Birds are naturally free and as such, you might not enjoy having them around if they are always flying around the house.

Further, they are susceptible to injuries due to the many barriers present within the house.

One other important reason for having a cage is that you might have more than one pet in the house and as such, a cage will be able to protect the parrot from other pets in the house.

The cage you choose must be wide enough to allow the parrot to move from one position to the other. No living thing likes to be or feel confined.

The cage must also be strong enough to withstand the weather changes or the frequent falls that may arise.

The bars to the cage must not be too wide that the bird can escape through or too wide that other predators can get through.

Again, birds love to perch on items and for that reason, the parrot must have at least one perch in the cage.

Further, the cage must make it easy for the parrot to get access to its food and drink.

A parrot’s diet must always be given due consideration. Like most birds, it is accustomed to and is well able to fend for itself in the wild.

Further, the kind of food it is able to get from the wild is highly nutritious.

Due to this, it is important that you provide the parrot with the necessary quality and quantity of food.

Feed it on nuts, seeds or other organic foods available in the market.

However, parrots can eat almost everything that we humans eat and so if you love your parrot but are not able to get it any of those sophisticated foods, feel free to share your meals.

Also, make sure that it has enough water in its cage and change the food daily.

Since the parrot is not in its natural habitat where it can clean itself regularly, it is important that you give it a bath every now and then.

To do this all you will require is a shallow bowl filled with water. Warm water is most preferable because parrots get cold too.

For larger parrots, you can opt to squeeze them into your bath every evening since most of them love taking baths with their owners.

If your parrot hates the water and is small enough to fit in your hand, use a spray bottle to splash water on them. Let them dry off at a warm and dry place.

Every living thing loves to play and parrots are no exception.

To make their life colourful, place some toys in its cage and let it have fun on its own.

Once in a while, make a point of initiating some physical contact between the two of you by cuddling and touching the parrot. It makes them feel loved and appreciated.

If you have adopted a parrot, whether it is a juvenile that you have adopted from a breeder or it is an older bird, you will find that it is your responsibility to take care it.

Ideally, before anything goes wrong, you will have found an exotic veterinarian in your area who takes care of parrots.

Most veterinarians only deal with dogs and cats, so take some time, and make sure that you know of a vet who has experience on parrots.

If your parrot looks ill or listless, it is important to make sure that you know what vet can take care of him.

One thing that often surprises new bird owners is how fast their parrots can take a turn for the worse.

The truth of the matter is that parrots, like many other birds, need to look as healthy and as strong as they can for as long as they are able in the wild.

This helps them fend off predators who might think of them as easy prey.

Make sure that you keep an eye on your parrot and if he or she suddenly seems to act strange or look sick, you need to take action as quickly as you can.

If you have a sick parrot, and if you have already been to the vet, you will find that convalescence is something that is fairly easy for your parrot.

The most important thing that you can do is to keep your parrot warm.

Your parrot will be most comfortable in an environment that is between 78 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and constructing a hospital cage might be the best way to do this.

All you need to do is to create a box from plywood with a clear acrylic front and a false bottom.

After you punch in some air holes, you can add two or three light bulbs for heating purposes.

If the light bulbs are not doing the trick, a heating pad laid against the side of the cage can help.

Some parrots seem more prone to respiratory illnesses and you will find that one thing that you can do to make your parrot’s breathing easier is to keep a vaporizer in the room.

A humidifier can be the best way to keep the air more pleasant in your parrots room, but if you want to ease your parrot’s breathing immediately and you do not have access to a humidifier, bringing your parrot into the bathroom and running hot water can produce the steam that you need.

If your parrot is dehydrated, you might need to feed him from a syringe or a spoon for some time.

Even a healthy parrot can starve to death within two to three days.

Ideally, your parrot will be able to feed himself, so keep food and water close on hand. If your parrot is feeling poorly, make sure that you remove the perches from his cage so that he does not fall and hurt himself.

Keep the room dark and remove any toys; this will encourage the inactivity that your parrot needs to heal himself.

Taking good care of your parrot while he is ill is not difficult, but you do need to know what to do, so these are just some of the things to keep in mind.

When you are in a place where you are thinking about adopting a parrot, there are many things that might be on your mind.

You need to be able to find a healthy and well socialized bird and you need to look into how you can prepare your home for the new arrival.

When you are considering your home, you need to look into the kind of parrot cage that is going to be best for your bird, and as you do this, there are going to be a few things that you need to keep in mind.

The first thing that you need to remember when you are looking for a parrot cage is that bigger is always better.

The larger a cage you can get for your parrot, they happier they are going to be.

Parrots that are too cramped are going to be unhealthy and extremely stressed and this can lead to both behavioral and physical problems down the line.

Some people do not purchase a cage at all and end up converting a full room for their parrot’s use.

When you are looking at a parrot cage, there are a few things that can help you make the right decision.

When you are looking at a metal cage, make sure that you examine it to make sure that it is free of sharp edges and that the coating on the metal, if there is any, is non-toxic.

Your cage needs to have sturdy bars because parrots do love to climb.

Look for bar spacing on the cage that is at least 1 1/4 inches wide.

Beware of using cages that have small spacing between the bars as your parrot can get his claws trapped between the bars and injure themselves.

A parrot cage should be comfortable for your parrot, so make sure that there are perches made of soft wood, as these are going to be the best for your parrot’s claws.

Also, the doors on the cage should be large enough that you can comfortably reach in.

You should be able to easily take hold of your parrot and you should have plenty of access that will allow you to clean the cage and to refill the food and the water cups.

To reach the bottom of the cage more easily, where most of the debris and droppings will fall, a removable drawer or tray will be ideal.

When you go to buy a parrot cage, you need something that will last a lifetime.

Parrots have very powerful beaks, and they can go through a cage designed for a smaller bird in no time at all.

Remember that your cage should be placed away from high traffic areas in your home, and that direct sunshine and drafts can affect your bird’s health.

A corner is a great place to stick a large parrot cage, so look around, and consider where a large one can be placed.

Take some time and make sure that you purchase a parrot cage that will make your parrot a healthy and happy bird!

Parrots can make great companions for all types of people. They are interactive and live a long life devoted to their owner.

However although they are fun, they also require much time and attention.

To give your parrot a high quality life, it is important to educate yourself on the desires and needs of a parrot.

No matter which type of feathered friend you own, it is essential that you learn about its proper feeding habits.

This includes everything from the type of healthy foods that it is needs to grow, to how it likes to feed, to the best times to feed the parrot.

Feeding a parrot is a bit more complicated than driving to the pet store and buying a bag of bird feed.

While there are a variety of bagged parrot feeds at the pet shop that provide nutrients parrots need to stay healthy, this should not be the bird’s only source of diet.

Like people, parrots enjoy variety in their diet.

They want different flavors and textures of food. When a parrot becomes bored with his feeding, he often becomes noisy and try to demand something different. This can be a stressful time for both the pet and the owner.

In order to keep your parrot both happy and healthy, it is a wise idea to give him a combination of pellet foods and fresh foods.

Parrots enjoy fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, cooked grains, seeds, and nuts.

These foods are the same foods that many people enjoy.

Make it a habit to prepare a portion of these foods for your parrot while you are preparing foods for yourself and family.

The fresh foods purchased for your parrot can be the same foods that you buy in a produce section at a grocery store.

Look for special fruits and vegetables when they are in season.

Choose combinations that your family enjoys for a snack. Some great suggestions that are safe for parrot feeding are:

• sweet potatoes,

• carrots,

• bell peppers,

• corn,

• bananas,

• grapes,

• kiwi,

• melons, and

• oranges.

However before throwing in all types of table foods to your bird, be certain that you have researched to ensure that they are safe for your pet.

Fruit seeds, avocado, mushrooms, and any foods containing caffeine, cocoa, alcohol or chocolate should never be fed to parrots.

Some pet bird owners find that their pet develops a particular taste and avoids some foods while devouring others.

Feeding your parrot a variety of foods may take some trial and error to discover exactly what it is that he likes or dislikes.

The most important issue in feeding your feathered friend is healthy and safe foods.

Once you have a good understanding of the foods that are and are not appropriate for parrot feeding, the next step is to create variety in your bird’s diet.

Keep in mind that a good meal to people and to birds is very much alike.

Include different colors, textures, and taste when serving up your parrot’s dinner.

A lot of people are aware that parrots have what is roughly the intelligence of a two year old human.

However the chances are good that you have known both wonderful two year olds and two year olds who you don’t want to be around!

The truth of the matter is that if you want a parrot that is well behaved and sweet, you are going to need to put some work into it and choose the perfect parrot.

Take some time and look into what parrot breed is right for you and make sure that you find the one that suits your lifestyle.

The more you know about the different breeds out there, the better a choice you can make.

When you are looking for the perfect parrot, you may want to look into the African Gray.

The African Gray parrot is talkative and quite intelligent and you will find that it can bond quite closely with the family.

It is also important to remember that there is a chance that your African Gray will bond closely with only one person in the family; this can make it indifferent or even hostile to the rest of the family!

This bird will learn to talk fairly easily, so be ready for a real chatterbox to develop.

The Blue and Gold Macaw on the other hand, is more brightly colored than the African Gray and it can be quite playful and active.

This is one of the larger parrot breeds and they do need their space; they are quite affectionate and will be playful their entire lives.

If you are looking for a parrot that is less active than the Blue and Gold Macaw, make sure that you look into the Greenwing Macaws.

The Greenwing Macaw is also talkative, and though they are larger, they are less active than the Blue and gold Macaw.

If you have children in the home, it might be best to look into the smaller parrots that are available.

Cockatoos are parrots as well and they tend to be not so demanding and a bit quieter than the larger parrots out there.

The Lesser Sulphur Crested Cocaktoo is a great pet and you can recognize them by their yellow crests and cheeks.

They are a fairly easy going species and they are quite active, though their smaller size means that their caging needs are easier.

If you are trying to find the perfect parrot for your household, remember that the breed is going to be important.

Look at your current household and consider what your options are going to be when you are thinking about bringing a parrot home.

The more you know about the different breeds out there, the better a choice you are going to be able to make!

However, making sure that they get the right one for their species will help them live longer and be better pets.

Unfortunately, most people feed their parrots the wrong things.

A diet composed mostly of seeds is not what a parrot needs to survive.

Instead, it needs all kinds of fruits and vegetables, as well as other foods, in order to keep it healthy and happy.

Parrots sometimes seem to do well on a seed based diet.

This isn’t because this is the appropriate diet for them, but because parrots are relatively hardy birds.

Seeds don’t provide enough calcium and vitamin A and are too high in fat. This can result in a bird that is overweight and suffering from vitamin deficiencies.

Large parrots should have only about ten percent of their diet made up of seeds, while cockatiels and budgies, which naturally eat more seeds, can tolerate up to a quarter of the diet in nuts and seeds.

Pellet foods are a better choice than seed mixes for owners who want a convenient, balanced diet for their birds.

These are nutritious and easy to offer. They’re made up of all the important components of the wild parrot diet, combined according to species.

However, they can get boring – after all, parrots crave stimulus.

That’s why it’s a good idea to supplement a pellet diet for your parrot with other foods, too.

Consider making the pellet diet about half to two thirds of the parrot’s total diet, and filling in the rest with other food.

Offer fresh fruits and vegetables, either chopped or in large chunks.

You can even hang them on the side of the cage to encourage problem solving.

Good parrot vegetables include squash like cucumber and zucchini, carrots, sweet potato, eggplant, corn right on the cob, green beans, cauliflower and sweet peppers.

Choice fruits include melon, pineapple, kiwi, mango, papaya, cherries, apples, grapes, bananas, oranges, pomegranates and peaches. Remove all seeds to prevent poisoning.

Never feed your parrot avocado, chocolate or chocolate products, caffeine or alcohol, or any fungi. These can be toxic to your bird.

Offer only foods that have natural colorings and no preservatives, and avoid food with too much salt, sugar or fat.

Whole grain breads, cereals and pasta are a good idea for many birds, as well.

Remember – many behavioral problems with your parrot are actually because it’s malnourished and feeling ill.

A responsible parrot owner will learn to take care of their bird properly, so it’ll live a long and healthy life.

These interesting and popular pets are originally from the coastal area of Mexico.

Yellow headed Amazons have striking markings, with mostly green bodies, a bright yellow head and a red patch on both wings.

Their range includes parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize, and they tend to prefer habitats in tropical and subtropical forests.

They also live in savannas, mangrove swamps and cultivated land that still retains trees

Unfortunately, these parrots are now on the endangered species list.

Deforestation has destroyed their habitat, illegal pet trading has reduced their numbers in the wild, and poaching is responsible for the deaths of many birds.

Captive bred birds are available as pets, but like most other parrots, they are quite expensive.

This is due to the effort required to raise one.

Considered perhaps the second best talker in the parrot world (after the African Grey), these parrots are popular because of their vocal abilities.

Remember, however, that not every parrot will talk.

The amount your pet will talk will depend on its preferences and surroundings.

Some birds chatter right away, while others won’t talk at all.

That doesn’t mean there’s not a lot more than talking there, however.

Even a nontalking parrot is smart, active, and entertaining.

These birds love attention, and can be playful and very vocal.

In fact, they’re generally called the loudest of the Amazon parrots, and may need some training to quiet them down a little.

The activity level of the yellow headed Amazon parrot means that it needs an environment that’ll allow it to fly.

For many, this means an aviary or parrot room.

Indoor cages are still a possibility, however.

You just need to offer enough daily exercise to keep your bird happy.

These parrots are easy to tame and train, but be sure to supervise them when they’re out.

Like most large parrots, yellow headed Amazons are quite destructive.

Be sure to provide lots of branches and toys to chew on, as well as perches, ropes and ladders for climbing.

Don’t be surprised if your bird tends to explore and climb with its beak as well as its feet.

You may find your pet eating all kinds of foods and trying out new things on a regular basis.

Feed a good, balanced diet, and offer plenty of toys and interaction to keep your pet happy and healthy. You’ll get years of entertainment and companionship as your reward.

The only issue is that sometimes they get out of hand and can behave badly. Interestingly, the solution can be to teach them tricks!

The truth of the matter is that parrots are intelligent and they get bored if they are not stimulated on a regular basis.

The challenge of learning new tricks will keep them mentally occupied and it will help them bond more tightly to you.

Take some time and consider how you can learn more about teaching your parrot some fun and exciting tricks!

One of the most common and simple tricks that you can get your parrot to do is to step up.

Essentially, this just means getting your parrot to willingly step on to the surface that is in front of him.

This can be very handy when you want to easily move the bird and it can be a good way to get him used to tricks in general.

To get started with teaching your parrot to step up, you can use your forearm or a platform of some type.

Tell your parrot to step up in a calm and soothing voice while using a piece of food to tempt him into place. The food can act as a reward and your parrot will soon get the idea.

Also remember that your parrot is going to be vocal.

Parrots in the wild will use a whole range of whistles and screeches to communicate with their flock, and as their human flock, they are going to try to communicate with you in the same way.

Remember that your parrot is simply trying to talk to you, but the screeches can be quite frustrating. So you need to replace the screeches with something else?

This is why many people teach their parrots to talk!

In some cases, your parrot will simply start to imitate you. In others, you can simply repeat certain words to your parrot until your parrot starts to repeat it back to you.

The younger that your parrot starts this, the better he is going to be at it and the more comfortable that he will be with it as well.

Start with simple words and don’t be surprised when your parrot answers back in a voice that sounds like your own!

When you are teaching your parrot tricks, remember that they are going to be distracted very easily.

This is why you should make sure to keep your sessions short; this will keep them interested. It will allow them to remember what you are trying to teach them a little more effectively and it will make them more interested in training in the future.

Remember, being a parrot owner is a big responsibility.

You should be willing to keep your parrot entertained and mentally healthy as well as physically healthy; good training can lead to a more sociable, friendly bird, so start today.

Parrots are classified as a type of bird, belonging to the family known as psittacines.

There are somewhere between 350 to 400 species of parrots, which can generally be divided into three main categories:

• The Psittacidae (‘true’ parrots)

• The Cacatuidae (cockatoos)

• The Nestoridae (New Zealand parrots)

The most commonly known parrots are:

• budgies,

• cockatoos,

• rosellas,

• loris,

• conures,

• African grays,

• lovebirds,

• senegals,

• jardines,

• ringnecks,

• amazons, and

• macaws.

You may also have heard them referred to as ‘hook-bills’, due to the hook-like shape of their bills.

Generally, parrots can be found in most regions where there is a warm or tropical climate, in particular South America and Australasia.

The parrot possesses the widest array of colors within all bird species.

The color you are most likely to think of is green, and you are right in that it is the most common, but some, for example the Amazon parrot, have complementary colors of red, blue or yellow which intensify their physical beauty.

The Cockatoo on the other hand come in shades of white, black, or a light pink.

In terms of size, they can range from a length of 8cm, namely the Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot, to the Hyacinth Macaw, which can reach lengths of 1 meter.

They are familiarized by their strong, hook-shaped beaks, which are vital to the birds when they climb, feed, or build nests for their young.

The tongue is also very powerful and is used to position nuts and seeds so that the right pressure can be given when using the beak.

They tend to have a large head with the eyes placed on the side, which gives them a great advantage in peripheral vision.

Like other birds, a parrot has four toes, the difference being that unlike other birds, the parrot has two facing forward and two backward as opposed to three forward and one backward.

This is thought to give them a better hold on things.

Cockatoos have what is called a crest of feathers on the top of their heads that may resemble a Mohican, only it can be raised and retracted at will.

A parrot’s diet is mostly made up of nuts, seeds, fruits, nectar and some will occasionally eat on small insects.

Their intelligence is shown in their ability to understand their human companions.

Imitating human voices, singing, and performing various tricks are quite usual of a parrot’s capability and is perhaps the reason why they are a popular choice of pet.

In the wild, they group together in what is known as a ‘flock’, in which they are very vocal amongst the rest of the flock, giving justice to their interactions with humans in captivity.

All in all, a parrot will enjoy bonding with their owners, if through talking, entertaining or even cuddling!

They are very intelligent, have fairly complex needs, and can live more than sixty years.

If you want to make sure that you have a companion that will keep you company for the better part of the next century, you need to look into where they come from, and this is where parrot breeders come in.

A parrot that has been hand raised from the egg, who recognizes and is social with humans, is going to be a much better pet and companion, so how can you make sure that you find a good breeder?

Check out some of the qualifications of finding a good parrot breeder.

First, make sure that your parrot breeder is one who comes highly recommended.

Most breeders have websites these days, and even if they do not, you should be able to find news about them on the Internet.

Look at the people that they have sold birds to; where those people happy with the parrots that they received and were they pleased with the attitude of the breeder?

Did they receive a bird that had a good constitution and was their bird well socialized?

Looking into the people who have worked with the breeder before is very important.

It is always important to make sure that you are going to be able to visit the breeder before you make your purchase and selection.

A good breeder will be happy to show you around the animals that he or she has, and these animals should impress you as being very healthy and happy.

If they are secretive and will not let you meet the parents without a good reason to be so, it is time to consider taking your business elsewhere.

A good parrot breeder is going to be one who knows all of their birds personally, and they will know about individual birds’ likes and dislikes.

If you notice birds that are plucking out their own feathers or obviously unhealthy, it is time to find another breeder.

Ideally, the breeder will also have let the baby parrots learn to fly before they clipped their wings.

A baby bird should know how to fly, maneuver and land before their wings are clipped for the first time; this is essential to making sure that your parrot will have the coordination and muscle tone that is necessary to keep the bird healthy well into old age.

The healthier the bird is as a chick, the better a chance it has to live a long and happy life.

Most good breeders will also not sell birds long distance.

Shipping the bird or requiring it to travel can be hard on a tropical animal, and if the bird is local, the transition will be much easier.

They should be inquisitive about your life and they should be doing their best to make sure that you are going to give their parrot chick a good home!

Take some time to make sure that you are going to be getting a good parrot from a good parrot breeder; this can make a huge difference.