Life Style
Parrots go through some very bizarre stages of life. As a parrot owner you need to know what these are so they don’t catch you by surprise.
Every species of parrot is unique but there are many similarities across species that will be discussed generally here. Keep in mind that not everything mentioned in this article will apply to your particular bird.
Baby Parrots
Parrots start their lives inside of eggs. Most eggs are laid in the hollow of a tree and are incubated by the parents until they hatch. In captivity, some breeders incubate eggs with artificial heat away from the parents.
The typical parrot hatchling breaks out of its shell completely naked and blind. The chick either depends on its parents to regurgitate food for it to eat, or for a human breeder to inject warm parrot formula into its mouth. This is usually done with a needleless syringe. The content of the formula varies from species to species but is designed to simulate the half digested food that the natural parents would feed the chick.
Fledgling Parrot
A fledgling is a parrot that is just getting ready to start flying or that has begun flying but is still dependent on its parents for food and protection.
Some people clip bird’s wings before they learn to fly, others clip them after, and I prefer not to clip them at all. As you can imagine, there is a lot of debate about when wings should be clipped, how they should be clipped, and if they should ever even be clipped at all.
Parrot Puberty
When we talk about parrot puberty we are talking about when the animal becomes sexually mature. The age that this transition takes place varies from species to species and can vary according to the animal’s gender as well.
Most parrots go through a significant personality change as they become sexually mature, some of these changes are temporary and only occur during breeding season (which also varies from species to species). In the wild, parrots who want to breed will have to find and defend their nesting spots. In captivity they may become aggressive and territorial.
Mating
Parrots pair up with a mate during breeding season and if your bird doesn’t have another parrot to fall in love with, he just might fall in love with you. Parrots that are never exposed to other parrots during childhood can become sexually imprinted to humans which means that they will think they are supposed to mate with people and can actually reject other parrots as potential mates.
If your bird falls in love you, he (or she) may become extremely aggressive toward other people and may do strange things with you. Love struck parrots regurgitate food and offer it for you to eat, they may also try making love with your hand or pressing their back up against you inviting you to mate.
What Do They Eat?
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​​Seeds: safflower seeds, sunflower seeds, millet seed, canary seed, hemp seed, thistle seed and more
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Vegetables: dark-leafy greens, parsley, spinach, kale, collard greens, bell peppers, squashes, pumpkins, butternut squash, roasted seeds and whole grains
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Protein: broccoli, quinoa, soybeans (edamame), legumes/beans, nuts and sprouts.Also well cooked unseasoned chicken, turkey or fish.
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Fruits: high in vitamin A , mangoes papayas, cantaloupe, persimmon, apricots and pomegranates. Feed lots of berries, like blueberries, strawberries
Skills
All parrots tend to stop talking if they think they are in a dangerous situation. This is an instinct that helps them avoid being found by predators. Unfortunately this means that even your talking parrot may not always perform for your friends if they make him feel threatened. It’s somewhat rare to find a bird that will readily talk for strangers or even in front of a video camera.
Parrots usually only talk if they have been strongly bonded to humans since birth. When they love you and consider you a part of their flock they have a natural desire to mimic your sounds.
