How to Care for More Than One Parrot

Many people buy parrots on a whim, without thinking it through. They do not realize the amount of work involved. These parrot owners do not last long, and eventually they give up their parrots. For the rest of us, one parrot may not be enough. For true parrot lovers it can be difficult not to want more. It is not uncommon for bird owners to have several parrots of the same or different species. Various problems can arise, however, from owning more than one parrot, even if they are of the same species. Fortunately, with careful planning and lots of patience, it is possible to own more than one parrot successfully.

Things You'll Need

  • Bird cages
  • Bird dishes
  • Variety of bird toys for cages
  • Bird food, organic fruits and vegetables
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Instructions

    • 1

      House your parrots separately in different cages. If you do not house them separately, they will bond to each other and be aggressive towards their owner.

    • 2

      Include your parrots at the dinner table; allow them to eat with you but not from your plate. Train your birds early to eat from their own plate or dish. This is important because not all human foods are good for birds, and some can be deadly. Teach your birds to eat together and to share by giving them food together and by physically feeding the parrots together when they are young, so that they grow up eating together.

    • 3

      Share attention equally among the birds you have. Spend time individually with each parrot as well as in a group. This helps establish a strong bond with your birds. According to Hooimeijer et al, authors of "Standards of Care for Parrots," introduce new parrots to the flock slowly and with great care and supervision. New birds will not be welcomed into the flock right away and are in danger of being bullied by other parrots in the flock.

    • 4

      Take the parrots in for yearly checkups and at the first sign of unusual behavior that cannot be explained. In the wild, parrots have to hide their ailments to survive. With a pet, it's no different. Typically you won't know your bird is very ill until it is too late. It's important to pay attention to signs such as dropping coloration, uneaten food, heavy breathing and sneezing or coughing. Note that many parrots copy human noises such as coughing, so it's important to note the difference between mimicking and a real cough. When in doubt, always take your parrot to the veterinarian.

    • 5

      Provide appropriate toys for your parrots, and hang them on the cage walls. Provide plenty of bird toys appropriate for the type of parrot you have, such as a large or small parrot species. Feather boas, baby blocks, blank printer or register paper for shredding and bird toy making kits are great items to have on hand. Provide a play structure outside of the parrots' cages so you have a place to put the birds when they want out of their cages but you are not able to hold them.