"Polly Wants a Cracker!"

photo credit: flowerdreamy.blogspot.com

Many people believe parrots are only seen in movies.  Many people also believe that parrots only talk in movies.  Believe me, I was one of these people.  The first time I went to an aviary (a place or building that has birds), I was astonished. The sight of so many species of colorful parrots in one place, living and socializing with people and each other created a life-long memory that I can never forget.  But the best part was when I was browsing through the birds and a little "hello" came out of nowhere.  Believe it or not, that "hello" came from a parrot.  After getting my first parrot, Perry, my view on birds changed tremendously.  There are many benefits one can receive from owning a parrot and although it takes a lot of care and time, having a parrot is literally having a life-long friend.

Quick Facts About Parrots

Parrots are a medium-sized group of birds that are best known for their extremely bright colored feathers and their unique ability to talk and mimic sounds (a-z animals, n.d.).  There are hundreds of different species of parrots and they can be found in nearly all of the warm climates across the globe.  The largest diversities are generally located in Central America and South America.  All parrots have curved beaks and are zygodactyls, meaning that they have four toes on each foot, two pointing forward and two projecting backward (National Geographic, n.d.).  Typically, parrots feed on fruit, seeds, nuts, flowers (when in the wild), some vegetables, and insects (when in the wild).  Take a look at a few species of parrots in this Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7g0lDLcEKE.

Parrots as Pets

photo credit: www.petcaregt.com

As stated by National Geographic, parrots have been popular companions throughout history because they are intelligent, charismatic, colorful, and musical.  Parrots are not considered domesticated like dogs or cats.  Their nature is very much the same as if they were in the wild.  Parrots can chew through your walls and furniture, scream to their heart's content if not trained properly, make a lot of mess, are constantly active, require a diverse and varied diet, and they are very expensive to care for (Avian Welfare Coalition, n.d.).  Parrots are social animals and require daily socialization and attention.  Even though these behaviors seem a bit pressuring, you can train your parrot and teach them right from wrong.  A marvelous advantage with training and teaching your bird is that they can talk and understand what you're telling them.  What makes parrots bond to their owners even stronger than a cat or dog is that they live very long.  In fact, the largest of the parrot species, the Macaw, has been known to live for up to 80 years.

Parrots are amazing creatures.  Unfortunately in the wild, many species of parrots are becoming endangered because of the growth of many predators and the destruction of their habitats like the Amazon Rainforest.  The best way to help these birds is to help save the rainforest and other habitats as well as create a more captive method of living for them to protect them from becoming extinct.  The more captive parrots that find homes within families, the more that can be saved and have a promising life and future.  Do you think that you would be interested in owning a parrot? If the answer is yes, there are many certified aviaries all over the country that would love to give baby parrots a good home.  If you would like to know more information on parrots or owning a parrot, read 10 Facts About Owning A Parrot by Rebecca K. O'Connor.

Works Cited:

a-z animals. (n.d.). Parrot. Retrieved March 20, 2013, from a-z animals: http://a-z-animals.com/animals/parrot

National Geographic. (n.d.). Parrot. Retrieved March 20, 2013, from National Geographic: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/parrot/

The Avian Welfare Coalition. (n.d.). Keeping Parrots as "Pets". Retrieved March 20, 2013, from The Avian Welfare Coalition: http://www.avianwelfare.org/issues/pets.htm