There are several factors that need to be considered before
Purchasing/Adopting a Parrot.
One key factor to remember that parrots unlike dogs and cats
and other commonly kept pets is they do come with a good amount of requirements
and on occasion including visits to the Avian Vet.
Which brings up the point in the screening of the previous
owners what is the birds overall health?
There are owners sadly that will
intentionally/unintentionally sell you a bird that is ill and on top of that if
you have other companion parrots in the household can make them ill.
This is why it important that if you are around other birds
make sure and clean and sanitize your hands before handling any of your other
birds.
Breeders, zoos parks etc. will require, for the most part,
this to be done prior to handling or coming into contact with their
birds/investments to some.
It would be a great idea to quarantine from the rest of your
flock as pointed out in an article by the bird channel "Unfortunately,
many bird keepers regard quarantine as a required procedure only for the bigger
breeders or those who import or export birds. Some consider quarantine a
nuisance, and others shortcut the procedure to hurry things along. However,
quarantine restrictions are in place to protect both the bird owner and their
pet birds. Quarantining can literally mean the difference between life and
death for your flock".
When choosing a provider of your bird, for Adoption or
Purchasing (these two can be misinterpreted) but with the help of Wikipedia can
be easily explained.
By this article definition:
A. Adoption-is the process of taking guardianship of and
responsibility for a parrot that a previous owner has abandoned or released to
a shelter or rescue organization. Common sources for adoptable pets are animal
shelters and rescue groups.
B. Purchasing-This would be from Breeders locally from local
hobby breeders to large breeding farms.
The best advice as always is regarding the health of your
Parrot is to seek the advice of an Avian Vet.
Time:
In regards to time and the amount required for a parrot is
dependent upon the species as well as how many you have in your flock.
With the 4 pet birds that I own and by species here are the
time requirements that we have experienced.
Congo African Grey - In comparison requires more
companionship time the all the rest put together.
This of course could be the
spoiling effect as well. The African Grey is always active and always wants to
be the center of attention primarily of my attention. He is a "Hold me
Baby" and he could and often does perch on my shoulder all day
long.Occasionally sleeping as I work on the computer.
Lilac Crown Amazon - Does like some quality time spent with
my wife mainly but only for a couple of hours a day combined. He usually likes
to pass the day napping and of course eating. Occasionally swinging on his
swing and playing on top of his cage.
Pineapple & Fancy Green cheek Conure - These two are
characters often prefer playing and sitting on top of cage. They do like to be
held but not near as much as the African Grey or the Amazon. They are perfectly
happy sitting on the cage snuggling and preening each other.
The above are examples of differences between species and
the time requirements daily for having the most important relationship with
your companion parrot.