Many questions from a beginner

[LittleMissPetPerson]

Hi!! I have many question about parrots! I'm probably not getting one for quite a while but I want to do as much research as possible! Ok here are my questions
Clipped or Flight? Which is better?
Adoption or a breeder?
How do you safely take a bird outside?
How do you safely introduce birds to other pets?
What are some good parrot books?
Male or female?

Thanks!

[Michael]

Clipped or Flight? Which is better?

Flighted. It's not about which is "better" but which is "bad." Flighted isn't better, it's just the natural state. It's how birds are. It's a fact you have to accept if you want a bird or it's not the right pet for you. Nobody thinks to keep a dolphin in their bathtub, likewise people need to stop thinking of birds as something that doesn't fly.

Adoption or a breeder?

This is a great question. It depends. But not for the reasons most people say. Most would jump and say that a baby from a breeder is always better, more friendly, etc. First off, from a poor breeder this isn't even the case. From a good breeder, even if this is the cage, many of those birds grow up and in a few years lead their owners to disappointment. It's like buying a plant as a seed, you don't know what exactly it will look like when it grows. On the other hand if you get the ready grown plant, if you like what you see, you know that's what you're getting. Rescue birds are often more of what you see is what you get, more experienced, sometimes better behaved than a baby, shorter remaining life expectancy depending on age (good for people over 50), and no adolescence phase to cope with.

How do you safely take a bird outside?

http://TrainedParrot.com/Aviator_Harness or in a carrier

How do you safely introduce birds to other pets?

You don't.

What are some good parrot books?

The Parrot Wizard's Guide to Well-Behaved Parrots but I'm biased. I frankly didn't like other books all too much which is why I ultimately wrote my own.

Male or female?

Genus and species makes a far far bigger difference than sex. The typical difference between one species of same genus and another dwarfs the sex difference of a single species.

[Harpmaker]

The only thing I would add is that some of the birds you listed in your other thread may be too small for any Aviator harness. If so, and/or until they are harness trained, you need to take them out in a travel cage of some sort, so they can get some natural sunlight. (MUCH better than the sun lamps you can buy.) Sizes are listed by weight in grams.

Also, non-flight is dangerous for a female bird, since the flight muscles are the same ones that are used to push eggs out, and if they atrophy, the bird can become egg-bound and die a horrible death. Males "only" need to fly because it is the best exercise for a bird, and works off frustration.

Having other animals in the household, means your birds NEED to fly in case the other animals accidentally get too close. It is also a great excuse to use on people who tell you your bird's safety depends on clipping its wings (untrue, but I've heard it A LOT). I keep the bird and other animals separate, but the cats WATCH.

Good luck!