The Benefits of Fresh Food for your Companion Parrot

After having a look through parrot magazines, books and websites, a person could be forgiven for being a bit confused over what the ideal diet for his parrot should consist of.  A few people insist that only pellets should be fed to parrots because they provide a perfect balance of all the nutrients a parrot will need.  Adding other foods, the argument goes, could disrupt this balance.  However, many parrot owners and breeders say that a mix of pellets and fresh foods is best. Still, a few parrot keepers do not feed pellets at all and feed a diet composed of seeds and other fresh foods.  So, what is the best diet to feed?

First, let’s look at the claim that pellets provide a perfect diet. Most companies do base the contents of their pellets on a large body of research on avian nutrition, so a parrot fed pellets will be very unlikely to develop any major nutritional deficiencies.  However, whether pellets are “perfect” for all species is questionable, particularly given that the formulations are generally based on research done either on poultry, or on one parrot species, usually the cockatiel.  When results based on studies on poultry are used in determining how much of a certain nutrient a parrot would need, the differences between the two birds’ digestive systems and growth rates are taken into account.  This may not be ideal, but is done because doing detailed studies on every parrot species’ nutritional needs is unfeasible.

Wild Sulphur-crested Cockatoos foraging

Many parrot owners also question whether a few types of pellets couldprovide perfect nutrition for the approximately 350 species that exist.  Since parrots are found in various habitats across several continents, there is no “one size fits all” diet suitable for all parrots.  For example, Hyacinth Macaws eat high-fat palm nuts almost exclusively, while other species, such as most Amazons, will include parts of dozens of plants in their diets.  An ideal diet for an Amazon would not provide sufficient fat and energy for a macaw, and a good macaw diet would make an Amazon fat.  Many pellet manufacturers have taken this into account and do make low-fat or high-energy diets.  Different formulations are also available for breeding birds or those with allergies.  Still, most manufacturers only make a small number of pellet types for the hundred or so parrot species commonly kept by pet owners and aviculturalists.  So, while pellets are a very good source of nutrition for birds, it’s unlikely they are perfect.

Also, the claim that adding additional food offsets the nutritional balance in the pellets assumes that the parrot owner is offering the parrot mostly junk food.  This is the case for a few unknowledgeable parrot owners.  However, there are many conscientious parrot owners who are careful about what their parrot eats.  Adding whole grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts to a parrot’s diet will provide extra nutrients and enrich his life greatly.

Augmenting a pelleted diet with fresh food will also allow an owner who has studied the habits of wild parrots to tailor the diet for the bird’s specific needs.  For example, the owners of large macaws can add more fatty nuts to their bird’s diet, because many wild macaws like Blue-throats and Hyacinths eat palm nuts in the wild, which are about 56% fat.  Owners of Eclectus Parrots can include fewer nuts but more fruits and vegetables in their bird’s diet, since wild Eclectus eat a great deal of fruit.  Many Australian parakeets, such as budgies, cockatiels or Bourke’s Parakeets, enjoy grains and small seeds and eat a lot of these in the wild, so owners of such birds should enrich their pet’s diet with items like millet.

Phytonutrients: A Great Reason to Feed Fresh Foods

Fruits and vegetables also provide extra nutrition to parrots in the form of

Hybrid Conure with a beak full of red pepper.

phytonutrients, which are also called phytochemicals.  “Phyto” refers to plant, so these are simply organic chemicals that occur naturally in plants.  Phytonutrients are different from vitamins or minerals in that they are not 100% necessary for proper functioning, but do provide major health benefits.  For example, a search I did for research articles on the subject revealed hundreds of studies that have demonstrated that many of the molecules that occur naturally in plants help reduce cancer rates in humans and lab animals.  Some phytonutrients actually selectively destroy cancer cells in cultures that contain a mix of cancerous and healthy cells.

Phytonutrients also help counteract the damage done by oxygen to animal cells.  Ironically, while it’s required for survival and used by the immune system, oxygen can damage animal cells over time.  This damage is called “oxidative stress.”  In particular, oxygen can react with other chemicals to produce two types of reactive, damaging molecules: free radicals and peroxides.

Normal animal cells have their ways to correct a lot of the damage done by peroxides or free radicals, but as animals age, these mechanisms become less effective.  By ingesting plant-based foods, animals can give their bodies a boost in the fight to correct cell damage.  Many fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that react with free radicals or peroxides to render them harmless.  Because a great deal of oxidative stress can cause age-related problems such as atherosclerosis, feeding lots of fruits and vegetables to your parrot will help keep him fit and healthy for a long time.  Parrots can end up with atherosclerosis, which causes inflammation in the arteries, just like people can (Bavelaar and Beynen, 2004).  Eating a great deal of fruits and vegetables also helps slow or prevent the onset of various neurodegenerative disorders.

Examples of phytochemicals include anthocyanins (which are the red, purple or blue pigments in plants), lycopenes (the red pigment in tomatoes and grapefruit), carotenoids (red, yellow, or orange pigments) or phenolic acids (found in many berries, nuts and chili peppers).  Vitamins A, C, and E also act as antioxidants.  These vitamins will be found in pellets, but other beneficial antioxidants found in plant-based foods will be either absent or present in low levels in pellets.  A few pellet brands do contain vegetables, but these tend to be far down on the list of ingredients, meaning that they make up a small part of the pellet.

Healthy Table Foods for Parrots

For most species, a pelleted diet should be supplemented with a mix of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds to give the parrot an optimal diet.  At least 25% of the diet should consist of unprocessed food, although this percentage can go higher if the owner wishes and has done his research.  For birds on a seed-based diet, many extra foods must be added to the diet to prevent the parrot from developing severe nutritional deficiencies.  The seed mixtures found in most pet stores lack many vitamins and minerals parrots need for proper functioning.  Parrots on all-seed diets often suffer from vitamin A, calcium and/or iodine deficiencies and many, especially Amazons and Rose-breasted Cockatoos, often become obese on such a diet (Stahl and Kronfield, 1998; Doneley, 2003).

Grains: A Good Source of Carbohydrates, Vitamin B, Minerals and Protein

Grains and grain-based foods can make up about 30% of the fresh food portion of a parrot’s diet.  Grain-based foods should be made of whole – not refined – grains.  Whole grains are far nutritionally superior to refined grains or products made from them.  Refined grains are those that have had the bran and germ – in other words, most of the nutrition – removed.  White bread, white pasta, and white rice are examples of products made of refined grains.  Some products made from refined grains are enriched with some B vitamins and iron, although these refined products will still contain less fiber than whole-grain products.

Examples of whole grains that can be offered to parrots include cooked brown rice, oatmeal, and brown millet.  The sprigs of millet sold in pet stores can be offered as a treat to most birds.  They tend to be marketed to people with small birds, but many large birds love them too.  My Amazon, Ripley, loves her millet, and as a bonus, it’s low in fat.  Other exotic grains or grain-like foods, including bulgur, brown couscous, quinoa or amaranth are also great to feed to parrots.  Bulgur is similar to cracked wheat, but it is usually boiled, dried, and broken up.  Quinoa and amaranth are not true grains since they are not from plants in the grass family, but they are very grain-like in taste and appearance.  Bulgur, quinoa and amaranth have a somewhat nutty flavor, so most parrots relish them. They are a good food to offer “seed junkies” or birds who eat seeds and resist their owner’s attempts to feed them a better diet.  For example, a Quaker Parrot I fostered wouldn’t accept many fresh foods at first, but he chowed down on the first bowl of quinoa I offered him.

Quinoa can be cooked like rice, but it does have one disadvantage.  The “grains” are coated in unpalatable saponins, which should be removed before cooking.  This can be done by soaking the grain in water for a couple of hours and then discarding the water, or by rinsing the grains for a few minutes under running water in a fine strainer.  Sometimes, boxes of pre-rinsed quinoa are available to purchase.  Amaranth seeds, like quinoa, are grain-like and can also be cooked like rice.  They do not need to be rinsed first.

Most whole grains are excellent sources of B vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and proteins.  Most whole grains also contain all or most of the essential amino acids your parrot will need.  Amino acids are the “building blocks” that proteins are made out of, and there are several types that parrots must consume.  The majority of whole grains contain approximately 10-12% protein, which is about how much protein most non-breeding, adult parrots need for maintenance.  During a molt, this can be increased to 15-19%.

Fruit for Provitamin A and Antioxidants

Scarlet Macaw eating Cantaloupe

Fresh fruits are an excellent item to supplement your parrot’s diet with.  All can be offered to your parrot, except avocado.  However, not all fruits are created equal and some do contain more vitamins than others.

The best way to gauge a fruit’s vitamin content is to consider the colour of the flesh (not the skin) of the fruit.  Most red, yellow, and orange fruits are excellent sources of vitamin A precursors, or provitamin A.  These are the compounds (carotenoids) that can be converted to vitamin A in the body by parrots.  Carotenoids also act as antioxidants.  The best fruit sources of them are cantaloupe, sweet red, yellow, or orange peppers, apricots, red or pink grapefruit, papayas, mangos, pumpkin, and tomatoes.  Orange peaches, plums, and green peppers also contain some carotenoids.  Generally, the darker the flesh of the fruit, the more carotenoids it contains.

On the other hand, some fruits contain few vitamins or minerals. These include fruits with pale flesh, such as apples, pears, or grapes.  However, since these tend to be many parrots’ favorite fruits, and do contain beneficial phytochemicals, feed them to your parrot as treats.  Bananas can also be fed to parrots who like them, as they are a good source of B vitamins.

Offer berries to your parrot as well, because not only are they nutritious, but many parrots enjoy extracting the seeds from them.  This can become very messy, so feed berries to parrots somewhere that a mess will be easy to clean.  My conure, Lucy, will take a bite of berry and shake it vigorously to get most of the juice out so she can get the seed inside.  She always manages to splatter juice everywhere.  Note that berries can turn the bird’s droppings red or purple.  When I first got her, I panicked temporarily once when I noticed that Garnet’s droppings were dark red (is that blood?) until I remembered I put some berries in her food.  Garnet is my cobalt Lineolated Parakeet.

Blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries are all sources of vitamin K, and all berries contain very high levels of antioxidants – more than most other fruits (Neto, 2007; Wu et al., 2004; Žitňanová et al., 2006).  In particular, blackberries contain high levels of phytochemicals that may help prevent or slow the growth of cancers (Ding et al., 2006).  Pomegranates, like berries, also contain very high levels of antioxidants.

Most fruits contain some vitamin C, with citrus fruits and berries containing the most.  However, most parrots do not need an external source of vitamin C, because they can synthesize it in their own bodies.  Injured or ill parrots, however, may benefit from receiving foods with some vitamin C.

Lentils and Beans for Protein and Antioxidants

Beans and lentils are very nutritious, and contain high levels of protein.  For example, 24%, 19%, and 27% of the calories in cooked kidney beans, garbanzo beans and lentils come from protein, respectively.  Beans and lentils also contain B vitamins and many minerals.  A combination of beans or lentils and grains will give your parrot access to all the amino acids he will need.  Additionally, some beans contain high extremely high levels of antioxidants.  Pinto and kidney beans contain more antioxidants than most vegetables (Wu et al., 2004).

Vegetables for Vitamins and Minerals

Frequently offer vegetables to your parrot, as they are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.  Over the long term, a parrot should eat more vegetables than fruits.

Many vegetables are great sources of calcium, and if you offer your parrot a lot of grains and/or beans, you will need to add a source of calcium to the diet.  This is because most parrots need a phosphorus:calcium ratio of 1.5:2 to 1:2 in their diet, and most grains contain a lot of phosphorus and little calcium.

The dark green, leafy vegetables like broccoli are among the best plant-based sources of calcium for your parrot.  The problem is that, unless they were fed these as juveniles, not all parrots will eat them!  Some persistence may be needed to get a parrot to eat his greens.  Some seeds and nuts also contain calcium, with sesame seeds being a wonderful source.  Almonds, flaxseeds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, and pistachios also contain some calcium.  Yogurt is also fine to add to your parrot’s diet because it contains plenty of calcium and little or no lactose, which parrots cannot digest. This is because the bacteria in the yogurt digest the lactose first.  Tofu – especially the kind made with calcium sulfate – also contains a great deal of calcium.

In addition to being high in calcium, most dark green vegetables also contain plenty of carotenoids – more than most fruits.  Orange veggies like carrots and sweet potatoes are excellent sources of carotenoids.  Green peas and green beans also contain some carotenoids, lots of vitamin K, B vitamins, and some protein.  Try offering green peas whole in the pod, because some parrots like opening the pod to get the peas on the inside.  If you can find them, unsprayed, clean dandelion or chickweed greens can be fed to birds as well – they are good sources of calcium and provitamin A.  Beets and Brussels sprouts can also be fed to parrots and they contain very high levels of antioxidants (Žitňanová et al., 2006).  Just be careful when feeding beets to your bird – the dark red juice stains most things it touches and will turn the bird’s droppings bright red.

Avoid feeding onions, as they can cause anemia in some other animal species.  I do not know if this is the case with parrots, but I do not feed mine onions anyway.  Also, limit the amount of spinach in a parrot’s diet.  Spinach contains oxalic acid, which interferes with calcium utilization.

Seeds and Nuts: A Parrot’s Favorite!

Hyacinth Macaw eating a macadamia nut

For a long time, it was common for parrot owners to feed their birds nothing but seeds and nuts.  This is an inadequate diet.  However, seeds and nuts should be offered as part of the diet.  Use as treats for parrot species that are prone to obesity, such as Amazons, Rose-breasted Cockatoos, or Pionus parrots.  For example, Ripley recieves, on average, an almond or two daily, and spoonful of a sunflower-free seed mix a couple times a week, and sunflower seeds or bits of various nuts as rewards during training sessions.  However, seeds and nuts can make up a bigger part of the diet for large macaws, like Hyacinths and Greenwings, which eat a lot of high-fat nuts in the wild.  I have noticed that many of the Blue and Gold and Greenwing Macaws I have met who are given a handful of nuts in addition to their pellets each day have much more vibrant-looking feathers than ones fed only pellets.  Many conures also metabolize fat well and can have a spoonful of seeds each day without becoming obese.  Since most parrots love shelling and eating seeds and nuts, they also make terrific training aids.  I haven’t met many parrots that will refuse a sunflower seed or piece of nut and most will gladly “step up” or do simple tricks for the opportunity to have one.

Most nuts are great sources of trace minerals, fat, and protein.  Some also contain essential fatty acids.  We are all probably used to viewing fat as something bad – and too much of it is – but it is required for many biological processes, like hormone production and the absorption of certain vitamins.  The fatty acids are essential for growth, proper nerve functioning, and the formation of new, healthy feathers.  There are two types that need to be included in the diet: Omega-3 and Omega-6.  Flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, and walnuts are a great source of both, with pecans, sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, and pumpkin seeds being moderate sources of them.  Flax and fish oils contain essential fatty acids as well, as do most oils from plant sources.

While seeds and nuts are nutritious, be careful in how you offer them to your parrot.  Many parrots, if offered a lot of seed along side other foods, will ignore the other foods and eat only the seeds.  If your parrot does this, then do not offer seeds alongside his fruits, pellets, and vegetables.  None of my birds will touch fruits or vegetables if there are seeds around to eat.  The seeds will be eaten and the other foods will be tossed to the floor.  I’ve noticed that my Amazon, Ripley, does this with corn as well.  If I add corn to her grain and veggie mix, she eats the corn and throws out the rest of the food.  If I leave the corn out, she’ll eat the carrots, peas, and grain.  Since corn is not as nutritious as other grains and vegetables, I’d prefer she not eat it to the exclusion of other foods.  She does, however, receive it sometimes as a treat.  Remember that offering your parrot a varied diet doesn’t always mean that she’s actually eating a varied diet, so monitor what your parrot eats at first to be sure she’s actually eating a variety of foods.

Most parrots love peanuts, which are really not a nut but a legume.  However, be careful if you like to offer your parrot peanuts, and do not feed him anything but clean, roasted, human-grade peanuts.  This is because a toxic fungus, Aspergillus, sometimes grows in peanut shells. This fungus produces aflatoxins, which can damage a parrot’s liver.  Look for black specks inside the shells, which indicate that the fungus is present.

Sprouts: Living, Concentrated Packets of Nutrition

Sprouts are one of the most nutritional foods a parrot can eat.  Once a seed starts germinating, it begins to produce lots of protein, antioxidants, and provitamin A.  Mung beans, lentils, wheat, alfalfa seeds, millet, quinoa, or sunflower seeds are among the many seeds that can be sprouted.  Seeds for sprouting are best purchased from health food stores or grocery stores.  Use seeds that are intended for human consumption.

Here’s how to sprout seeds: First, obtain clean seeds and rinse them until the water runs clear.  Then, soak them overnight in water and rinse them off well in the morning.  Spread them out in a jar, pan, commercial sprouter, or colander and place them in a dark, ventilated area.  Rinse them several times daily.  They are ready to feed once the little tails (the roots) appear.  It is not necessary to wait until the green plant shoot appears.  These newly-germinated seeds are another good food to offer seed junkies.

Sprouts are prone to becoming moldy, which is why the many rinses are needed.  Refrigerate them right after they sprout and don’t keep them for more than a few days.  Do not feed sprouts that smell sour or rancid.

Species with Special Dietary Needs

Red Lory

1. Lories and Lorikeets

These vibrant, lively parrots have nutritional needs quite different from those of the “typical” parrot.  Most wild parrots consume a lot of seeds, fruits and vegetation, while lories and lorikeets tend to eat a lot of nectar.  Many commercial nectar mixes are available for owners of these parrots, and a dish of nectar should replace pellets or seeds as the base diet for a lory or lorikeet.  The nectar will need to be replaced a few times daily, to prevent bacterial growth.

In the wild, the diet of the smaller species (like the Scaly-breasted Lorikeet) will contain proportionally more nectar than the diet of one of the larger species.  Lories and lorikeets also eat the sugary excretions that some species of insect leave behind on vegetation.  These excretions and the nectar they eat are composed primarily of water, simple sugars and a small amount of amino acids.  One of the sugars is called raffinose and cannot be digested by lories.  However, raffinose seems to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the birds’ digestive system.  These beneficial bacteria can inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.  Raffinose is found in beans, whole grains, and vegetables in the mustard family, such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, or cabbage.

Wild lories and lorikeets will also consume pollen in the wild.  However, they do not digest it very well: adults can only digest 4.5-6.6% of pollen, while nestlings can digest up to 26% of it.  Lories overall do have lower protein requirements than other parrot species, and if fed a very high-quality and easily digestible source of protein (like egg whites), Rainbow Lories can do well on a diet with as little as 3% protein.  Wild lories will also eat fruits, including figs, if available.  They eat very few seeds.

Based on a review of the diet of wild lories, Debra McDonald, Ph.D (2003) recommends that they be fed a diet made of commercial lory nectar, very few seeds (if any), very little food that has a high iron content, lots of fruit containing provitamin A (like apricot, mangos, or cantaloupe), and small servings of foods that contain raffinose.  She also recommends adding some pollen, although I noticed that this is an ingredient of many lory nectar mixes.  Don’t forget to provide water as well!  Even though their nectar mix is water-based, lories given water will drink and bathe in it.  Try offering edible, unsprayed flowers as an enrichment item.  Many lories with eat the pollen of flowers such as pansies, marigolds, roses, or hibiscus, before they tear them up.

2. African Grey Parrots

Congo African Grey Parrots

While all parrots need calcium, African Grey Parrots seem to suffer from hypocalcaemia more often than other birds. Symptoms include weakness and seizures.  Recent research suggests that African Grey Parrots need to be exposed to UVB rays to properly metabolize calcium, because in an experiment on this, birds exposed to UVB light had more calcium in their blood than they did prior to having access to the UVB (Stanford, 2006).  Lights designed for reptiles give off the required UVB rays that African Grey Parrots need.  However, carefully read the box to be sure that this is the case.  The lights only need to be on the birds for an hour or so a day to be effective and they should be kept a few feet away from the parrot.  Natural sunlight also contains UVB rays; however, glass filters them out.  Leaving a bird outside in a cage (with supervision) will also benefit his health by giving him access to UVB rays.

Vitamin D

Birds also need vitamin D to metabolize calcium properly.  Exposure to sunlight allows birds to synthesize vitamin D3 from plant-based lipids.  However, vitamin D3 is also available in pellets.  Do not add extra vitamin D to a parrot’s diet unless a veterinarian recommends you do so.  Excess vitamin D can cause kidney problems and gout.  In general, it’s not necessary to add vitamins to your parrot’s diet if he’s eating pellets and healthy, fresh foods.

Conclusion

Pellets are a very useful, healthy item to include in a parrot’s diet, and parrots that are fed them as a base diet are unlikely to become malnourished.  However, augmenting the diet with healthy, unprocessed foods will enrich your parrot’s life and provide him with many beneficial phytonutrients.  The best items to supplement a pelleted diet with are whole grains, vegetables, fruits (especially carotenoid-rich ones and berries), nuts, seeds, sprouts, and beans.

References

Bavelaar, F. J., and Beynen, A. C.  2004.  Atherosclerosis in parrots: A review.  Veterinary Quarterly. 26: 50-60.

Ding, M., Feng, R. T., Wang, S. Y., Bowman, L., Lu, Y. J., Qian, Y., Castranova, V., Jiang, B. H., and Shi, X. L.  2006.  Cyanidin-3-glucoside, a Natural Product Derived from Blackberry, Exhibits Chemopreventive and Chemotherapeutic Activity. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 281: 17359-17368.

Doneley, B.  2003.  The Galah.  Seminars in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine. 12: 185-194.

McDonald, D.  2003.  Feeding Ecology and Nutrition of Australian Lorikeets.  Seminars in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine. 12: 195-204.

Neto, C.  2007. Cranberry and blueberry: Evidence for protective effects against cancer and vascular diseases.  Molecular Nutrition and Food Resesarch. 51: 652-664.

Stahl, S., and Kronfeld, D.  1998.  Veterinary Nutrition of Large Psittacines.    Seminars in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine. 7: 128-134.

Stanford, M.  2006. Effects of UVB radiation on calcium metabolism in psittacine birds.  Veterinary Record 159: 236-241.

Wu, X., Beecher, G. R., Holden, J. M., Haytowitz, D. B., Gebhardt, S. E., and Prior, R. L.  2004.  Lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacities of common foods in the United States.  Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 52: 4026-4037.

Žitňanová, I., Ranostajová, S., Sobotová, H., Demelová, D., Pecháň, I., and Ďuračková, Z.  2006.  Antioxidative activity of selected fruits and vegetables.  Biologia. 61: 279-284.

Other Resources

http://www.nutritiondata.com/

-This is an interesting website to play with.  You can enter nearly any type of food, and it’ll give you nutritional data on it.  You can also do searches on a certain nutrient, and it will tell you which foods are highest in it.

Figures

A noisy cockatoo, plus Pet Expo 2010

Today’s post is just a bunch of miscellaneous musings on parrots.  I recently took a few of my parrots – Lucy, Peggy, and Ripley – to the Edmonton Pet Expo.  We help out with the parrot club information table, which I think is one of the more popular tables there, along with the reptile society’s table.  A lot of people ask me if any of my birds talk and I think that’s the most common question I get, next to, “Can I hold them?”  None of my personal birds are great talkers, although Ripley sure tries sometimes.  However, some of my parrots are great screechers!  Here are a couple of videos of Mitri, my Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, sounding off:

At about two and eleven seconds in, you can hear my Jenday Conure (Peggy) and at about 24 seconds in, Ripley the Red-lored Amazon sounds off in the distance.

Mitri’s not angry or upset in either video.  He just likes to have a good screech off on occasion.  Since quite a few parrots find themselves in need of a new home due to their owner’s inability to tolerate their noise, I tend to warn most potential parrot owners about the noise parrots can make.  It’s not something everyone wants to put up with.

I have noticed that what is and isn’t tolerable does seem to be subjective.  At Pet Expo, Peggy (a Jenday Conure) would sometimes screech at people. Reactions ranged from, “Well, that’s not so bad!” to people thinking that Peggy’s screech was one of the worst sounds ever produced.  Sun and Jenday Conures have reputations for being ridiculously noisy birds and they really are quite shrill and loud.  Some people who’ve visited my house think Peggy’s just adorable and think they want a Jenday of their own until she opens her mouth.  However, Peggy’s screeches barely register in my brain and I just accept them as part of the background noise.  She’s also downright quiet compared to Mitri.  Oddly enough, I’m generally a quiet person that enjoys peace and my house is usually quiet.  If the radio’s on, it’s usually classical music or soft jazz.  This keeps the animals fairly mellow, although if they make noise, it doesn’t upset me.   Animal noises just don’t bug me that much.

Peggy the Jenday Conure

Peggy is missing a foot so at Pet Expo I have to explain to a lot of people what happened.  People tend to feel sorry for her and her accident was unfortunate, but I think she’s adapted very well.  She can perch on large, wide perches just fine and is very comfortable perching on shoulders.  I don’t allow large, volatile birds on my shoulder but Peggy is quite predictable and I trust she won’t bite my face while she’s up there.  Plus, if she did, it’s not something I’d get upset with her over.

Lucy, the Maroon-bellied Conure

Lucy is probably my friendliest, most docile parrot and she often will go to strangers and perch on their fingers.  This year she was more interested in her food dish, which was fine.  If she doesn’t want to go to someone, she’ll just refuse, rather than bite.

Ripley the Red-lored Amazon

Here’s Ripley, my Red-lored Amazon.  She’s very, very calm in public unless someone tries to touch her.  As I explain it to people, she really should be approached like she’s another person.  Most people don’t mind talking to strange people, but nearly everyone would get upset if a stranger just walked up to them and grabbed their feet or hair or whatever and Ripley feels the same way.  She will “step-up” to some men, but for the most part, she’s not that comfortable with strangers touching her.

Of course, every bird is an individual and this lovely female Green-wing Macaw just loves attention and will stand on the arm of any friendly person.  She’s very popular at Pet Expo and lots of people take pictures of their friends or family members holding her.

Moluccan Cockatoo

I don’t bring Mitri to Pet Expo since he’s very highly strung and can be volatile.  If sometime tries to pick him up when he doesn’t want that, he will bite hard with little warning.  This is unlike Ripley, who will scream and squeal a lot before resorting to nipping someone.

However, the Moluccan Cockatoo in the picture above was amazingly calm.  He’d let anyone scratch his head and he stayed on his perch the whole time and relished the attention.  Mitri loves head scratches too and will let strangers scratch his head but sitting still on a perch just isn’t his thing.

Congo African Grey Parrot

Here’s a nice African Grey Parrot that was there.  He seemed pretty calm about everything and did well.

Greys seem to have a reputation for being very shy and neurotic. Indeed, I have come across some greys that fit that description well.  However, there are lots of African Greys in the parrot club I’m in that are very well-adjusted, are calm in public, and are quite friendly.  It seems to me that if an African Grey was well-socialized as a youngster, given lots of toys, and introduced to plenty of friendly people then it has a good chance of becoming a well-adjusted adult.

I’m going to end this post with this cute photo of Chiku! my current foster bird:

Chiku! A Crimson-bellied / Green-cheeked Conure mix.

She loves climbing up on that paper holder.

Good “beginner” parrots?

A very common question posed on message boards about parrots is, “what’s a good pet parrot for someone who has never owned one before?”

The species listed usually include parrots that are relatively gentle, are quiet, and are not prone to severe behavior problems such as self mutilation.  One thing that I do think is important for potential parrot owners to understand is that there are no completely low-maintenance parrot species that can be kept as companions.  A single parrot will always need some time out of its cage daily, a good-sized cage, a daily serving of healthy fruits and vegetables, toys and a clean living space.  However, some parrot species do tend to be mellower, better adapted to living as pets and easier to handle than others.

The other thing I think is important for potential parrot owners to understand is that it’s a bad idea to get a parrot only because you want a talking bird. The reason I say this is that parrots live a long time and the novelty of owning a talking animal will wear off.  Additionally, even among species that are well known as being talkers, there will be individuals that don’t say much, or only learn to do sound effects (like whistles).  I also know a lot of parrots that can talk quite well, but have a few favorite words they say over and over again.

Finally, the descriptions below are meant as generalizations.  A neglected bird of any species can become aggressive or shy, and a lot of a bird’s personality will depend on how it was raised and socialized.

Anyway, the species I tend to recommend are (arranged by size):

Small Birds

1) Lineolated Parakeet (Bolborhynchus lineola).

“Linnies” are my top pick under “parrots that are great for people new to parrot ownership.” The first parrot I got was a linnie, and in general they are very quiet, gentle birds. They are perfectly fine to keep in apartments, and are quite small, yet they are smart and can learn to do tricks.  Some linnies can even be kept tame while being kept in pairs, which makes them a good choice of pet bird for people who work long hours. The two birds can keep each other company during the day and the owner can enjoy them while at home.

Budgies

2) Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)

Yes, budgies are parrots too! The budgie is the most popular parrot of them all, and for good reason. They have pleasant voices, are small, are fun to watch, and males can learn to talk. The drawback to getting a budgie is that few people hand feed them as babies, meaning that many are not tame with people. However, it is not difficult to tame a young budgie, and it’s not impossible to find breeders who do hand feed their babies.

Budgies are very active, friendly birds, but, on average, are a touch more nippy than the average linnie. They are another bird species where individuals may remain friendly despite being kept in pairs, and a pair of budgies can make a nice addition to a household where people are not home very often. The two budgies can keep each other company.

3) Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)

The cockatiel is in the same scientific family as the cockatoos (Cacatuidae). These delightful birds originally come from Australia, but, like the budgerigar, they have been bred in captivity for a long time.  They are the second most popular parrot species and, if socialized well with people, can be very friendly. They aren’t too loud and many can learn to whistle tunes.

4) Bourke’s Parakeet (Neopsephotus bourkii).

This little parakeet is another native of Australia. Their quiet nature makes them a great choice for people who live in apartments. They are also generally quite non aggressive and some people even keep them in large aviaries with other gentle species like cockatiels and society finches.  They are not quite as active as budgies, but can make nice companions for people looking for a sweet bird.  However, daily handling is necessary to keep one tame.  What makes them particularly nice for people who work during the day is that Bourke’s Parakeets tend to be crepuscular, meaning that they are active during dusk and dawn.

Green-cheeked Conures

5) Pyrrhura conures

The Pyrrhura genus of conures includes several species of South American birds with long, mostly red or maroon tails and dark green wings. Species that are common in aviculture include the Green-cheeked Conure, the Maroon-bellied Conure, the Black-capped Conure, the Crimson-bellied Conure, the Pearly Conure, the White-eared Conure, and the Fiery-shouldered Conure.

Conures have a reputation for being noisy, but the Pyrrhuras are quiet birds. If socialized well from a young age, most conures will be friendly with people. Some individuals become nippy around their cage, but this can be remedied by teaching the bird to step-up on a hand held perch. The problem can even be preventable with young birds by teaching them to step-up on a hand from their cage using lots of positive reinforcement.

Conures tend to be active, so they need lots of chew toys and relatively large cages for their sizes.  The other larger conures can also make great companions, but many people cannot stand their shrill voices.

Medium Birds

Maximilian's Pionus

6) Pionus parrots.

The genus Pionus contains several species of medium, short-tailed parrots from South America. Common species include the Blue-headed Pionus, the White-capped Pionus, the Bronze-winged Pionus, the Maximilian’s (or Scaly-naped) Pionus and the Dusky Pionus.

As a general rule, Pionus parrots are quiet and relatively non-aggressive. They are suitable for apartments. Some birds, males in particular, may become a bit territorial around the cage and may become nippier during the breeding season. However, such behavior can be managed with proper training (e.g. by teaching the bird to step up on hand held perches using positive reinforcement).

Pionus parrots are not terribly needy or clingy, and are often content to hang out on a play stand next to their owners. Two things that owners should know about these birds is that they can get very wheezy when stressed or excited and they do have a bit of a musky scent to them, which can get stronger when the bird is excited. Amazon parrots also release a musky scent when excited.

The plumage of a juvenile Pionus can look a little dull in comparison to other parrot species. However, their colours become more intense as they age.  In the sunlight, adult Pionus are gorgeous birds and many of their feathers will even look iridescent.

7) Poicephalus parrots.

A juvenile Meyer's Parrot

The genus Poicephalus contains several medium parrot species native to Africa.  The most common member of the group is the Senegal Parrot.  However, Brown-headed Parrots and Meyer’s Parrots can make great companions…if you can find one. Brown-headed Parrots are reputably very sweet, calm birds and the people I’ve met who have one have nothing but great things to say about them. However, they are quite rare.  As a generalization, Poicephalus parrots are quiet (for parrots!) and they are not terribly clingy, but like any parrot, a Poicephalus parrot would need to spend some time each day out of its cage, and they do need some attention from their owners.

Most of the members of this genus are medium birds, but the Jardine’s Parrot and Cape Parrot are large birds.  They are generally calm, although some do have a tendency to bond to one person.  I’ve met a lot of Senegals that have a favorite person and won’t allow other people to hold them. However, some are very friendly and having many different people handle a parrot from a young age will help prevent the parrot from bonding to and guarding just one person.

The members of this genus that are common as pets include the Senegal Parrot, the Red-bellied Parrot, the Jardine’s Parrot, and the Meyer’s Parrot. Less common Poicephalus include the Brown-headed Parrot, the Rueppell’s Parrot and the endangered Cape Parrot.  The last two members of the genus – the Yellow-fronted and Niam-niam Parrots – are extremely rare in captivity and I’ve never seen them for sale as pets.

Red-bellied Parrots are quite unique among this group in that the adult males and females are very easy to tell apart. The females are mostly green and grey while the males have a bright red belly.

8 ) Quaker Parakeets

Quaker Parakeet

Quakers are fun, chatty, medium-sized birds that occur naturally in South America.  However, they have been introduced to many other places in the world, and there are feral populations in the United States and Europe (among others).  Unlike other parrots, wild Quakers buil d very large nests out of sticks. One Quaker nest may contain several chambers, each of which will be used by a different breeding pair. They will, however, use artifical nest boxes in captivity.

Of all the small and medium parrots on this list, the quaker is the one most likely to become a good talker.  Some male budgies can learn to talk and some develop very large vocabularies, but they can be hard to understand. Quakers have much clearer voices.  However, note that even among species with reputations for being good talkers, there will be individuals that just do not say much.

The big caveat I want to note here is that some quakers are very chatty and they can be noisy at times.  Their natural vocalizations are loud and  squawky. Before getting a quaker, consider whether that will bother you. Quakers are also very busy birds and should have relatively large cages and lots of chew toys. Some quakers will even weave things like straws and wooden coffee stirrers in the bars of their cage.

The other warning I have here is that quakers are actually banned in some states and restricted in others. Before getting a quaker,  make sure that they are legal where you live.  The reason they are banned in some areas is that they are very hardy birds and released pets have formed feral populations in some areas. This doesn’t mean that most pet quakers could survive in the wild – the feral quakers in the United States are likely the descendants of wild-caught birds.  Pet parrots should never be released into the wild.

Large Birds

9) Alexandrine Parrot

Alexandrine parrots (or parakeets) are elegant, long-tailed birds native to Asia, from Pakistan to southeast Asia.  Males have a black and pink ring around the neck that the females lack.

Alexandrines can be very friendly, talkative birds if handled frequently.  Most Alexandrines do love to chew, so they need to be given access to safe, non-toxic wooden toys.   They can also be somewhat loud.

Alexandrines are related to the smaller Indian Ringneck Parakeets, which can also make nice companions.  Many Alexandrines and ringnecks are good talkers.

What about those who want a species that does not have a reputation for being a good “starter bird?”

I left birds off this list that have unusual dietary requirements, are very large, have strong tendencies to become feather pluckers, have the potential to become very aggressive, are extremely active, or are very rare. There are also a few species I wasn’t sure if I should add to the list or not. Lovebirds and parrotlets are in that category. They’re small, playful birds that can be a lot of fun but they do have a tendency to be nippy.  On the other hand, a lot of people adore these little birds and some lovebirds and parrotlets are very friendly.

Do people who have never had a parrot before have to stick with the smaller species? Well, I don’t think anyone should get a parrot they don’t really want.  It’s unfair for someone to get a small bird and then neglect it later on once he gets the type of bird he really wanted.  If you have your heart set on a macaw, then maybe that’s the best type of bird to get, even though they aren’t usually considered good pets for first time bird owners.  However, I recommend doing a great deal of research before getting a bird like a cockatoo or large macaw.  Actually, no matter the species one wants, it’s best to carefully research the care it requires, whether it be a cockatiel or cockatoo. If a person does a lot of research, talks to other parrot owners, and gets some experience with handling parrots, then he may do just fine with whatever type of bird he decides to get.  One can learn a lot about parrots by joining a parrot club or volunteering for a rescue, something I highly recommend for people who live in areas that have good bird clubs or rescues.

I’d also like to clear up the myth that all birds in rescues are unsuitable for first time owners.  Sometimes, very friendly birds end up at rescues, not because they were mistreated or are aggressive, but because their owner just couldn’t keep them anymore.  Don’t completely discount adopting a “second hand” bird because you’ve never owned a bird before.   However, I don’t recommend that first time parrot owners take on the difficult cases (very aggressive birds, birds who self mutilate, etc.) unless they’re really confident with what they’re doing.

Related Posts (from this blog)

An introduction to the Lineolated Parakeet

Living with a Maroon-bellied Conure

Other Links

I don’t believe in “starter birds.”

(an essay on the “starter bird” concept from the “Parrot Nation” blog.