I Love Birds...

[HarpyFishLover]

I love love love birds, and I'm wanting to know how hard they are to take care of... and how much space they need. If I have enough space, a family friend is selling his parrot!

 

[ginaekdal]

A parrot should be considered a lifelong commitment. Most species have the potential to reach a very high age. Please do not acquire one on a whim...

 

[HarpyFishLover]

I know very well how long they live. I am prepared to take it to a new home... an apartment... THIS IS WHY I'm asking how hard they are to take care of.

 

[fluttermoth]

It's like having a toddler, for 50 years... they're a huge commitment. They need a lot of attention, and to be out of their cage as much as possible.

 

[HarpyFishLover]

Oh... hmmm... are they very messy when out of their cage?
 
EDIT- to fix "They"

 

[ginaekdal]

Besides setting yourself into the proper management (have you looked at dedicated parrot sites...), have you considered the logistics of purchase costs and running costs and where a properly sized cage would go, in an apartment? You would also need to bird proof the room where it would roam. Parrots are expensive, relatively large, potentially noisy, and when allowed to stretch their wings, as every bird needs to, you risk bird mess around the apartment where you might not want it. Individual birds can also take a dislike to certain persons.
 
I would honestly not recommend one for a first bird. I do not keep them; they are well beyond the responsibility I can take on, but my aunt has kept several. I admire them from a distance.

 

[NickAu]

 
It's like having a toddler, for 50 years... they're a huge commitment. They need a lot of attention, and to be out of their cage as much as possible.

Yes it is,
 
My father had a Sulfur Crested Cockatoo that lived for over 35 years. They are noisy and poop anywhere but they are also great, They are not pets they are members of the family.

 

[HarpyFishLover]

My father had a Sulfur Crested Cockatoo that lived for over 35 years. They are noisy and poop anywhere but they are also great, They are not pets they are members of the family.

Same as dogs.

You guys are probably right, I'm not going to want a bird once I get one... *sigh*... where we live it is VERY hot in the summer as well, so impossible to keep anything besides native species outdoors. One day...

 

[Fishmanic]

maybe get a couple of small birds...like parakeets....with patience on your part, they can learn to talk and whistle, though not as clearly as a parrot,  and can be trained to do light tricks.   They live about 5 years so it's not a lifetime commitment and small bird means small poops so not as messy as a large parrot.   Don't need a lot of bird seed and the cage would be much smaller and less expensive than that needed for a parrot.  

 

[HarpyFishLover]

Hmm... about how big might a parakeet's cage need to be?

 

[ginaekdal]

If I was to keep birds again personally I would only do so if and when I had the space and resources for an aviary, regardless of species.
 
But if you have the time and commitment to properly socialize smaller birds and let them be out a much as possible then a big cage might be an acceptable solution.

 

[Baccus]

One of the best ways to work out suitable cage size for a bird is to know the wing span and tail length of the bird in question. Then you want to ensure that the birds wings will not touch the width or height of the cage when in flight, and that the tail doesnt poke out through the cage when resting on any of the perches. If you are planning on allowing free time out of the cage then the cage still needs to be roomy but the room now becomes part of the birds daily exercise area. The bird should also be able to at least fly a little in the cage rather than only have to hop from one perch to the other. Also depending on the species of bird you may need to get a high/tall cage for things like canaries or long for birds like parrots.
Perches in a cage are very important, NEVER use dowel as it doesn't exercise the birds feet. Instead where possible use natural perches from non-toxic plants. I have seen manmade perches that are made from clay which vary in size and allow the birds to also chew. 
if keeping more than one bird in a cage then you need to again ensure the size of the birds and allow double the room in the cage so that the birds wont bang into each other if they take fright and can avoid each other if one is having a bad day. Believe me birds can have spats and each bird has its own personality.
While it is true the smaller the bird than the smaller the poop, the only trouble is the smaller the bird the more frequently they poop. I have seen where a person taught their corella (a small species of cockatoo) to poop on command, I am guessing you could also train them to mess on a puppy toilet training pad.
Parrots do need plenty of interaction since they are social birds, and when you cant be there toys are very important. Always think carefully about any toys you add to a cage and change them regularly (remember you get bored with the same old all day everyday too), and inspect used toys for wear and tear. I have seen the popular rope type toys get tangled around birds feet and toes. I have also seen birds get their beaks caught in certain styles of bird bells.