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      1: The Pros and Cons of Life With a Parrot

      Parrots engage us from the first moment we catch sight of them: Their feathers are gorgeous, they seem to represent an exotic landscape, and they are as interested in us as we are in them. If you have not spent a lot of time with a parrot, you may be surprised at the attention a parrot gives to every detail of a human’s movement and tone of voice. And, in response, their attempts to get human attention are fascinating. The sounds they make, the way they move their bodies, the color of their feathers are interesting, but their fascination with us is gratifying—flattering even. Additionally, parrots take us from the mundane, ordinary life of our homes and lead us to imagine life in a foreign and magical place.

      Introduction

      Living as a companion of parrots for more than twenty-five years—currently with two African grey parrots—and as a writer about parrot behavior, biology, ecology, and husbandry (the keeping of what is essentially a wild animal in a human home), I can tell you that I would not be anxious to acquire a third companion parrot who was neither a cockatiel nor a budgerigar (parakeet).

      The principal reasons for this come from the fact that a parrot is a wild animal, evolved to live in places where they fly miles each day, communicate with their flocks with loud calls, and where the detritus from their feeding serves a useful purpose. I and many of my parrot-loving friends have faced difficulties with neighbors over the noise that our parrots make. We tire of cleaning the mess that seems to reappear over the course of an hour. Our partners and friends resent the time, attention, and expense lavished on our birds. We wrestle with our conscience over the difficulty of providing an environment and companionship that is stimulating enough for an animal as intelligent and as persistent as a parrot can be. At times, we have talked with one another about our problems, sought solutions, engaged with consultants, and worked with veterinarians, nutritionists, and experts in animal behavior.

      I have thought hard about how to open this book about a species that has brought so much pleasure and richness into my life. Psittacines, as parrots are called in scientific circles, are a very large and diverse group of birds. Mainly, they live in equatorial climates in the wild, and many of their habitats are disappearing at alarming rates. In fact, for some species of parrots, only the skills of aviculturists (bird breeders) have kept them alive.

      Thousands of people around the world have dedicated their lives to studying, raising, and understanding this most fascinating group of birds. Whether a parrot belongs in your home or not is a very personal decision. What I can tell you echoes what everyone else I know who loves and respects parrots will say: think hard about your adaptability, your willingness to commit to a parrot for many years, and your ability to provide what your companion needs, including making trade-offs in order to spend time with your companion parrot.

      In addition to being demanding, psittacines are so long-lived that scientists believe they hold a key to unlocking the secrets of staying young. As a result, anyone who has a parrot larger than a parakeet can expect that, unlike most other companion animals, the bird will live for fifteen to eighty years, depending on the species. (Consider this: many of us have difficulty committing to live with another member of our own species for that length of time!) Parrots not only speak a “foreign” language, but they also have needs that are completely different from our own. In addition, as companion animals, they are completely dependent on us for their well-being. This is a trust that begins the day you decide to bring a parrot into your home. My goal here is to help you envision, to the extent possible, what your experience of parenting a parrot can be. Depending on your expectations, the choice of species you make, and your flexibility, your experience can be either a lifelong and mostly positive experience or a frustrating and unhappy one for both you and your parrot. Let’s look at both the positive and the potentially difficult aspects of this endeavor.