Future parrot owner

[Nyx]

I'm pretty, almost definitely sure I'm going to get a Quaker or Indian Ringnecked. I'm hoping for a tame parrot and a talker. Since I'm often at home, I have plenty of time to nurture a creature so intelligent as a parrot, and understand that it's a lifetime commitment. That said, I've never had any kind of bird as a pet before.

I look forward to perusing the forum to learn what I can before welcoming my new friend to my family.

[Polarn]

pretty much the first thing I would decide if I were you, just to know what parrot to go for when you finally find one: Am i willing to spend a month or two, sometimes longer, before I can pet my new bird or ask it to step up for me?

to be frank if the answer is no, then you probably should get a parrot at all, however what I want to get at, is that a bird that is out for rehoming for any particular reason and has had the stimulans and interaction with different peoples etc as they need to be cuddly, might be quicker to get to a state where you are comfortably able to handle it. However i find rehomed/handfed birds that i have met more bity... but then again that might be a lot down to the owners/handlers as well.

basicly you either get an already tame bird that needs a new home, or you get an untamed bird. there is no real difference in the end result in my oppinion and getting one over the other in no way guarantee you to have a bird that is comfortable with you quicker than the othr, even if the bird might have been cuddly with the previouse owners. Also.. be prepared to be bit, atleast a couple of times, and usually in periods every now and then.

But if you have the time to spend and the will to learn there are a great amount of resourses out there to help you get your bird(s) to where you want them, both on this forum and other places. When looking for info, just keep in mind there is as many techiques as there is birdowners. Some might work for you and others don't. so basically you read 20.000 worth of words and end up with 400words of information you feel is the right thing for you and your bird.

And welcome to the forum

[Michael]

Do you have other pets? What kind of household do you have (live solo, roommates, kids going in and out)? Do you have/use ceiling fans, teflon coated pans, or keep open doors/windows? These are some important questions to ask to determine if a parrot is suitable to the household. There are other questions to see if a parrot is suitable for the individual but I'll guess you thought of those in making your decision to get a bird.

[GlassOnion]

One thing that I can't stress enough is, WHERE you get your bird. If you're going for the hand raised baby bird route, make sure you choose a breeder who will socialize his babies to various people/situations, fledge the babies before choosing to clip, and offer a wide range of foods from an early age. Ask if he'd be willing to start on the harness training as well, a good breeder should be willing to.

I personally don't like pet stores, except for the few specialty bird stores that do a good job. But almost every bird store I've seen/seen videos of/heard of, big red flags for me. They look like factories that pump out birds rather than a healthy environment for growing babies.

Rescue/Sanctuary/Craigslist/Kijiji is a good way too. Many baby birds change in personality and in their choosing of a favourite person as they hit maturity; just like human babies that are drastically different from adult humans, a baby bird can grow to be an adult that may be completely opposite of its baby stage. With an older bird, you see what you get. No crazy hormonal/personality changes to deal with. Prices are usually cheaper too.

One thing that I want to stress for when you do get your bird is to give it lots of enrichment. Foraging is the biggest enrichment for captive and wild birds, and you can buy many cool types of foraging toys online for bits of treats/toys/meal portions. This is a good Do-It-Yourself foraging webiste. http://foragingforparrots.com/