SELECTING THE RIGHT BIRD FOR YOU

If you have been planning to get a bird or just happen to pass by a pet store and get one on a whim, bowled over by the pretty colours..do take the following into consideration-

Do you have the time to interact with the bird or find time to clean the cage?

Do you have the space for the cage?
Will you or your neighbours tolerate a noisy bird?

Do you have the finances to invest in a good quality cage, food, medicine and toys as well as other essentials?

Will you be able to take care of the bird for a large span of time?

Do you have atleast some basic knowlege of bird behaviour/upkeep as here in India you will be mostly on your own, as there are hardly any Avian vets around?

Please do consider all of this to become a responsible owner, there's a life at stake here...

 Most of us just find a bird/parrot beautiful to look at and expect it to be a best friend, companion and possibly something to show off to friends and family if the parrot has talking abilities, these are very high expectations and most of the time they are unfulfilled leading to disappointment and frustration.People often obtain parrots believing that they are easy to care for because they live in relatively small cages. Often symptoms of parrot distress and trauma are simply labeled as “bad behavior” and the bird is punished.As highly social species, they require committed,intense and ongoing interactions requiring time and attention that exceed what most people are willing to provide.Mismatches between human expectations and parrot cultures frequently lead to abuse (e.g., putting the bird in a dark closet or garage for years, starvation) and neglect (e.g., avoidance of contact on the part of the human).Many birds lose their homes due to changes in the family structure such as deaths, divorces, financial difficulties, moving into places that do not accommodate ‘pets’…unfulfilled expectations and becoming bored.

Having said all this, as in all relationships, adjustments have to be made, and once that is done let me assure you that these feathered friends are absolute delights.

Choose your bird accordingly!
Species	Activity Level	Noise Level	Playfulness	Destructiveness
African Greys	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
Amazons	High	Moderate to high	High	Moderate to high
Brotogeris	Moderate	Moderate to high	Moderate to high	Low
Budgerigars/parakeets	High	Low	High	Low
Caiques	High	Low to Moderate	High	Low to Moderate
Canaries	Low to moderate	low	low	Low
Cockatiels	moderate to high	low to moderate	Moderate	Low
Cockatoos	High	High to extremely high	High	Moderate to high
Conures	High	Moderate to high	Moderate to high	Moderate to high
Diamond Doves	Low	Low	Low	Low
Eclectus	Low to moderate	Moderate	Low	Moderate
Finches	High	Low	Low	Low
Grass Parakeets	High	Low	Low	Low
Lories	moderate to high	Moderate	High	Low to Moderate
Lovebirds	High	Low	Moderate to high	Low
Macaws	moderate to high	High	High	High
Mynahs	Moderate	High	Moderate	Low
Parrotlets	High	Moderate	Moderate	Low to Moderate
Quaker Parrots	moderate to high	Moderate to high	Moderate to high	Moderate
Ringnecks	moderate to high	Moderate to high	Moderate	Moderate
Rosellas	Moderate	Low	Moderate	Low
Senegals	High	Moderate	Moderate to high	Low to Moderate

           

The Life Span of Pet Birds

Ideally, bird ownership should be a lifelong commitment between you and your pet, but many people get into owning birds without considering how long some parrot species can live. Many pet owners are accustomed to the relatively short life spans of other companion animals, such as pocket pets, cats, and dogs,and they are unaware of how long-lived some birds can be.

The following list gives you some idea of expected life spans for many common parrot species:

• African grey parrots up to 50 years
•  Amazon parrots up to 80 years
•  Cockatiels up to 30 years
•  Cockatoos up to 40 years
•  Conures up to 40 years
•  Lovebirds up to 15 years 
• Macaws up to 50 years
• Parakeets up to 20 years
• Budgies upto 10 years