FAQs - EURO PARROT SHOP

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What Parrots Are Best for First-Time Owners?

While only you can decide what parrot will work best for you, some are generally considered beginner friendly, while others are more challenging to own. The best parrots for beginners include cockatiels, budgies, and conures.

Are Parrots Hard to Take Care Of?

If you lack experience, some parrots can be quite tricky to learn to care for. They are emotional creatures that thrive on companionship as much as they do on environment and diet. One of the most challenging things to ensure is that they have enough to do. Bored, lonely birds can turn into squawking, aggressive, nervous creatures.

How do parrots learn to talk?

Parrots talk because they are taught to do so. If you see a parrot who has amassed a huge vocabulary and can speak with exceptional clarity—it represents hundreds of hours of hard work. Some parrots are more prone to speech than others. The African Grey and Quaker parrots are known to be exceptional talkers. However, you still need to work with your bird to encourage him to speak. You can do this by speaking to your bird on a regular basis. Keep in mind that parrots are individuals and some birds just may not want to talk.

Should I feed my bird only seeds?

No! Although birds love seeds, this should not be the primary component in their diet. Seeds contain a high level of fat, they can cause your parrot to become overweight or obese if they are consumed in large portions on a regular basis. Remember—the key to keeping your parrot healthy and happy is a balanced diet, which includes fresh fruits, veggies, legumes, pellets and a few seeds.

Is Owning a Parrot Expensive?

Owning a pet parrot can be expensive, depending on the supplies you buy and the type of parrot you own. For example, a macaw will be pricier to feed than a small conure.

Why do parrots scream?

There are several reasons. In the first place, this is how parrots communicate. Dog’s bark, cats meow, chickens cluck and parrots–well, they scream. So if you see your bird sitting on his bird perch screaming, he may simply be trying to say something. In the wild, loud vocalizations are how parrots communicate with one another.
However, if you have a parrot who screams incessantly, you may have a much larger problem. Many parrots scream out of boredom or because they want attention. One way to eliminate this issue is to provide your feathered friend with an abundance of bird toys. This will help keep your bird occupied mentally and physically. Additionally, ignore your bird when he screams in order to teach him that his loud screaming will not get your attention. When your feathered friend is quiet and is exhibiting a behavior that you want you should give your feathered friend lots of attention. This will teach your bird which behaviors get attention and which behaviors do not.

Are there any parrots that don’t bite?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Biting is how parrots defend themselves in the wild. If your bird becomes startled or scared, he may resort to biting. The good news is that a parrot who has been hand-raised will not bite as often as a wild caught bird.

Is it safe to ship my bird?

We love our birds and would never put them at risk. We will not ship in the winter months if the temperature is less than 45 degrees. Rest assured, your bird will be well taken care of during his journey home to meet you!

What is the difference between weand and un-weaned?

Baby birds are pulled from their parents and we, in essence become their new “moms”. Just like human babies, these bird need help with feeding. We feed our birds formula by syringe until they can eat on their own.
We WILL NOT sell un-weaned birds, nor would we force a bird to wean. The time-frame for weaning is different in each bird. When the bird has repeatedly refused formula and gained back it’s weight on solid food, we will consider it “weaned”.

Is my bird male or female?

In most cases we actually don’t know! Some species can have their sex determined by the color of their plumage, like parakeets and the easily sexed Eclectus Parrot (the males are green, the females red). These birds are called dimorphic.
Most of the birds that we raise and sell, however are monomorphic, meaning that you cannot visually determine the sex of your bird. In this case, if you are looking to breed your bird, or just want to be sure, we do offer off-site DNA testing.