Need a Chatty Friend? Get a Parrot!
May 27, 2015
Need a Chatty Friend? Get a Parrot!
Polly want a cracker? Yes, I went there. That is after all the obvious and most cliché thing to say when we’re talking about parrots. But, if we’re wanting to step off the band wagon for a minute let’s point out this one fun fact about parrots before going further: did you know that they can learn over 100 words! Yes, it’s true. There was an African Grey named Alex, who had a vocabulary of over 100 words; that certainly gives us more things to choose from than “Polly want a cracker?” Although, Alex’s human was an animal psychologist that did a lot of work with him over the course of his 30year life span, so this kind of word acquisition probably cannot be expected of all African Greys. Either way, parrots are clearly smart creatures and definitely make for an interesting pet with their communicative ways.
Common Parrot Pet Breeds
African Greys: although African Greys are housed as pets all over the world, their home is in the Congo of Africa. This parrot is rated as vulnerable due to its mass trade and environment decline – so if you’re interested in this guy, make sure you’re not contributing to any of these problems!
Macaw: these are wonderfully colorful parrots native to the South Americas. Although they’re primary habitat is the forest, some subspecies are to be found in savannah-like environments or woodlands.
Amazon Parrot: these birds are native to South America, Mexico and the Caribbean and are loved for their brilliantly green plumage. These parrots are also quite adept at mimicking human language.
Budgerigar (budgies): these birds are indeed parrots included within the parakeet family. They are very common pets mainly because of their size – they are quite small relative to other parrot classifications.
Quakers: these little guys are also known for their bright green plumage and are formally called Monk Parakeets. Although, these birds are all green in the wild, some of other colors like blue or white have been bred.
Cockatoos: these parrots are known for their majestic feathered crown that they display on top of their heads. They’re native throughout parts of Asia and Australia and although they’re known for their beauty some breeds of cockatoos aren’t very pretty at all!
Things to Know before Deciding on a Parrot
- There are many parrots to choose from, so you must do your research on the specific needs of your chosen species.
- Parrots can have behavioral problems that could be caused by ways they’re being treated, and just like a dog they need to be trained properly.
- Not all parrots eat just seeds, many need proteins too!
- Make sure you have a large living space. Parrots don’t do well in cramped spaces and need to roam outside of their cages.
Well, if you do decide to have one of these absolutely majestic beauties in your home, we wish you many upon many happy chatty years!
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Author: Aileen Schultz
Photo Credit: Pretty colours via photopin (license)