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[jaylasmomma1007]

im am looking into getting a parrotlet, i have a husband who doesnt like birds lol and a 2 year old daughter and i live in an apartment. i just wanted some advice and tips on these birds . behavior feeding intelligence etc... thanks!

[nogrules]

If you wanna get a bird I suggest that you do a couple of months of research before you even look at them. Buy a bunch of books, read forums, make sure you can devote at least 2 hours of one on one time everyday to your parrot. There is no such thing as a starter bird as birds are very intelligent and very social creatures. Some people will say a cockatiel is a good way to go but remember they can be very shrill and loud. Most birds produce a ton of dust and are hard on people who have allergies. The biggest thing to remember is they are not an ordiment and needs tons of upkeep. They need an a variaty of different fruits, vegtables, pellets, seeds, and treats. Also you need a huge budget for toys. Parrots like toys that can be ripped shredded and destroyed as well as other things. I am personally against clipping wings because if you don't want something to fly around your house you shouldn't have a bird, so bird proofing your house is a must. Don't forget depending on the bird they can poop up to every 10 minutes. Remember birds have huge life span smaller birds can live 10 - 25 years and bigger ones can live into there 100s.
I'm not trying to discourage getting a bird, I'm just saying that everyone considering getting a bird should know pretty much everything about that paticular species before buying one. My cockatiel was not hand raised or tame when I got him and I had never owned a bird before but thanks to six months of researching and learning and reading books everyday I was able to tame him and have him Doing basic tricks within the first 2 weeks. Hard work and dedication and constant learning are a must. Sorry for the long winded speech I just want you to know what your getting into. If you can't commit a couple plus hours a day for the next 20+ years get a fish.

[MandyG]

Hello and welcome! Being here is a great place to start when looking for a new bird. There's a wealth of information here about proper care of parrots in general as well as a lot of species specific information.

Besides everything that the above poster stated, research is very important to not only make sure a parrot is the right pet for you but also find out which parrot is right for you. Many people have their hearts set on a certain type of bird. After they get to know more about that specific species and they discover other species it's quite common for them to find that a completely different species is better suited to them than the one they were originally wanting.

I don't have any hands on parrotlet experience, but I have heard that they are very active and require a larger cage than their size would lead you to believe. Also I've read that they are VERY big birds in a tiny body; they can be strong-willed and fearless. Of course I've never actually interacted with one before, but I believe there are a few parrotlet owners here that may be able to give you some more first-hand information about them.

Good luck with your research! Also, if you find that a parrot is not for you but you still want a bird you could look into canaries or finches. They're wonderful pets but don't require the hands on interaction and one-on-one time that parrots do.