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| CHILDREN AND PARROTS |
| Closed Breeding Aviary Located in Frederick, Maryland |
What kind of bird is good with young children? This is one of the hardest, yet easiest, questions that I get so I thought I
would explain it out in more detail and hopefully be able to clarify the subject a bit more for those parents wanting to
get their child and/or family a feathered friend.
First and foremost, the subject about children and parrots, there is nothing definite. It would be very hard to
second-guess what individual parrots or any other pet for that matter will do at any given time. Thus, it is best to
protect the children from harm by always being aware of the risks and taking the necessary steps to prevent it.
Young children can be loud and their quick movements can startle parrots and make them nervous. And when a parrot
is nervous, they might bite or lash out in other ways by screaming or running away. Even the nicest parrot can bite
when nervous and sometimes the bite is just a little bite that might be considered a warning bite or it can be a much
harder one that may do bodily damage. I must put emphasis on this, any parrot can and/or will bite when threatened in
any way.
Parrots and children can also become jealous of each other. Although rare, I have heard of this happening and when it
does, it can get quite ugly.
Although a species of parrot is known to be good with children, the individual parrot you have may not like children. I
know this first hand as I have a pet Sun Conure that loves everyone as long as you are 5 feet or more taller. He hates
children and will attack them if they get too close to his area of the birdhouse. It doesn't matter how the child is
behaving, it is a child and he does not like them. And...he was raised with a child who loved him dearly when she was
smaller. Where did this behavior come from, no one knows but the fact remains, he does not like child.
Last but not least, when getting a bird for your child and/or family, remember it is a long-term commitment. Once the
child is older and interested in different things, goes off to college, gets married, etc., consider who will be taking care
of the bird. If you have no desire to be responsible for caring for the bird once these things happen, than you
might want to reconsider getting a bird.
With all this said, what is a good parrot for children?
Certain species of birds are generally known for certain personality traits. Please remember that there are always
exceptions and birds are individuals. Early socialization, training, discipline, and whether the bird was hand fed also
contribute to the bird's personality. Below is just a list of birds we would recommend as a good bird with children,
families and/or first time bird owners.
PARAKEETS (aka Budgies)
The Budgie is one of the most loved parrots around the world. They are smart, affectionate, and beautiful. The Budgie
can make a wonderful addition to any home. The Budgerigar comes in a wide spectrum of color variations and many
varieties.
Budgerigars can be taught to speak, whistle tunes, and play with humans. They are intelligent and social animals and
enjoy the stimulation of toys and interaction with humans as well as with other budgerigars. A common behavior is the
chewing of material such as wood, especially for female budgerigars.
These little jewels are thoroughly under-priced and therefore under-appreciated. They are often kept in tiny, boring
cages that don't allow them to get sufficient exercise and play, as they like to do. A cage should be accommodate
several perches and toys, food and water dishes -- in addition to leaving space for the budgie to fly from perch to
perch.
COCKATIELS
I found Cockatiels to be quite similar in personality to Parakeets. They are smart, affectionate, and beautiful. They tend
to be a bit more laid back than a Parakeet. They can make a wonderful addition to any home, and come in a wide
variety of colors.
Cockatiels popularity as pets is in part because of their calm temperament, to the point that smaller but more confident
birds such as Parakeets and the far more aggressive, Lovebirds / Parrotlets, can even bully them. Great care and
supervision should be provided when mixing cockatiels with other birds. It is not uncommon at all for a larger or smaller
bird to maim the cockatiel, potentially creating life-threatening injuries.
LOVEBIRDS
They are mostly known for their affectionate behavior towards their "chosen mate." They love nothing more than
"hanging out" with their bonded mate (which can be his or her owner, or another bird). These little birds are truly
devoted to their owners. This, however, may cause problems of jealousy towards other birds and other pets (including
cats and dogs). These brave little beings will not think twice about attacking other birds much larger than themselves,
even cats and dogs -- anybody indeed whom they perceive as rivals for your attention.
Most of them are true clowns, playing for hours at a time. They love hanging from their toys, resting in their birdie
tents, riding on their owner's shoulder. Their most favorite place of all is usually their owner's shoulder; snuggling up to
his or her neck or hiding in their sweaters. When they get bored, they are likely to chew on clothing and jewelry, and
pull off buttons. So it's best to protect your clothes when you have your pet with you.
Provided lovebirds are well socialized, they make wonderful pets. They do require just about daily socialization though.
Don't continue to ignore a lovebird and expect it to stay tame. That won't happen. It's a great bird for someone who
REALLY wants a cuddly bird and is willing to provide daily interaction to his / her pet. It is difficult to tame an adult
lovebird though, but if you come across a "throw-away" lovebird, please give him or her a chance. I have seen them
develop into loved pets. However, the easiest way is to get them young and hand fed.
Special Note: It is a myth that lovebirds have to be kept in pairs of two. A single lovebird makes a much better pet than
a pair of them.
PARROTLETS
I found Parrotlets to be quite similar in personality to lovebirds. Cuddly and animated but require daily interaction with
their "chosen mate" for them to stay tame and loving. Some learn to talk. Handling in addition to a nice personality is
going to determine its pet quality.
Parrotlets are visually sexed. The males tend to have more blue throughout their bodies, wings, back, around eyes.
The females tend to remain one solid color, but as far as personality goes, there really is very little difference. I
personally think that the females are sweeter birds but know that there are many others that would argue that with me
so to be fair to everyone, they are very much alike.
CONURES
Conures are clowny birds. We love them for their great sense of humor, their fun-loving personality. With a little
training, they usually can easily be trained to do tricks. Most may learn to talk. Conures, in general, love to snuggle
under things, so providing them with a tightly woven washcloth, soft piece of fabric, or fuzzy toy will be appreciated. A
bird tent as a place to sleep and hang out is usually eagerly accepted and treasured. As they like to climb under
pillows and blankets, care needs to be taken not to accidentally smother them.
They make great birds for those who don't mind the occasional (or NOT so occasional) screeching outburst. This is
something to be considered when thinking of adding a conure to your family. Conures can be VERY noisy and
can also be nippy, if not trained and socialized properly. They do enjoy learning new tricks and can be very
entertaining. They love to dance, and can also be taught to go to the toilet with a simple command such as
"toilet" or "poop".
Conures do require more time and effort than say a cockatiel or budgie. Please keep this in mind. Owners report that
they are smart and interactive, but are also more prone to behavioral problems than are cockatiels or budgies - but
this would be the case with any conure. They all require a committed owner who will work with their pets to guide their
behavior, while cockatiels and budgies are "beginner birds."
MEYER'S PARROT
The Meyer's is every bit as pretty on the inside as it is on the outside. One author wrote, "The Meyer's is reputed by
many to be the nicest of the "nice-to-be-around family" birds". Calm and steady by nature, the Meyer's is a good
choice for homes that include children. Senegals, for example, tend to be one-person birds. Meyer's on the other
hand, are likely to maintain balanced relationships with a number of people. They are unlikely to bite. It's been my
observation that Meyer's have a certain demure quality about them that gives them a fresh and unique charm. They
are sweet, but not shy. And they tend to truly like people, even strangers. One famous breeder put it this way:
"Senegals loved being loved by you, but Meyer's love loving you."
would explain it out in more detail and hopefully be able to clarify the subject a bit more for those parents wanting to
get their child and/or family a feathered friend.
First and foremost, the subject about children and parrots, there is nothing definite. It would be very hard to
second-guess what individual parrots or any other pet for that matter will do at any given time. Thus, it is best to
protect the children from harm by always being aware of the risks and taking the necessary steps to prevent it.
Young children can be loud and their quick movements can startle parrots and make them nervous. And when a parrot
is nervous, they might bite or lash out in other ways by screaming or running away. Even the nicest parrot can bite
when nervous and sometimes the bite is just a little bite that might be considered a warning bite or it can be a much
harder one that may do bodily damage. I must put emphasis on this, any parrot can and/or will bite when threatened in
any way.
Parrots and children can also become jealous of each other. Although rare, I have heard of this happening and when it
does, it can get quite ugly.
Although a species of parrot is known to be good with children, the individual parrot you have may not like children. I
know this first hand as I have a pet Sun Conure that loves everyone as long as you are 5 feet or more taller. He hates
children and will attack them if they get too close to his area of the birdhouse. It doesn't matter how the child is
behaving, it is a child and he does not like them. And...he was raised with a child who loved him dearly when she was
smaller. Where did this behavior come from, no one knows but the fact remains, he does not like child.
Last but not least, when getting a bird for your child and/or family, remember it is a long-term commitment. Once the
child is older and interested in different things, goes off to college, gets married, etc., consider who will be taking care
of the bird. If you have no desire to be responsible for caring for the bird once these things happen, than you
might want to reconsider getting a bird.
With all this said, what is a good parrot for children?
Certain species of birds are generally known for certain personality traits. Please remember that there are always
exceptions and birds are individuals. Early socialization, training, discipline, and whether the bird was hand fed also
contribute to the bird's personality. Below is just a list of birds we would recommend as a good bird with children,
families and/or first time bird owners.
PARAKEETS (aka Budgies)
The Budgie is one of the most loved parrots around the world. They are smart, affectionate, and beautiful. The Budgie
can make a wonderful addition to any home. The Budgerigar comes in a wide spectrum of color variations and many
varieties.
Budgerigars can be taught to speak, whistle tunes, and play with humans. They are intelligent and social animals and
enjoy the stimulation of toys and interaction with humans as well as with other budgerigars. A common behavior is the
chewing of material such as wood, especially for female budgerigars.
These little jewels are thoroughly under-priced and therefore under-appreciated. They are often kept in tiny, boring
cages that don't allow them to get sufficient exercise and play, as they like to do. A cage should be accommodate
several perches and toys, food and water dishes -- in addition to leaving space for the budgie to fly from perch to
perch.
COCKATIELS
I found Cockatiels to be quite similar in personality to Parakeets. They are smart, affectionate, and beautiful. They tend
to be a bit more laid back than a Parakeet. They can make a wonderful addition to any home, and come in a wide
variety of colors.
Cockatiels popularity as pets is in part because of their calm temperament, to the point that smaller but more confident
birds such as Parakeets and the far more aggressive, Lovebirds / Parrotlets, can even bully them. Great care and
supervision should be provided when mixing cockatiels with other birds. It is not uncommon at all for a larger or smaller
bird to maim the cockatiel, potentially creating life-threatening injuries.
LOVEBIRDS
They are mostly known for their affectionate behavior towards their "chosen mate." They love nothing more than
"hanging out" with their bonded mate (which can be his or her owner, or another bird). These little birds are truly
devoted to their owners. This, however, may cause problems of jealousy towards other birds and other pets (including
cats and dogs). These brave little beings will not think twice about attacking other birds much larger than themselves,
even cats and dogs -- anybody indeed whom they perceive as rivals for your attention.
Most of them are true clowns, playing for hours at a time. They love hanging from their toys, resting in their birdie
tents, riding on their owner's shoulder. Their most favorite place of all is usually their owner's shoulder; snuggling up to
his or her neck or hiding in their sweaters. When they get bored, they are likely to chew on clothing and jewelry, and
pull off buttons. So it's best to protect your clothes when you have your pet with you.
Provided lovebirds are well socialized, they make wonderful pets. They do require just about daily socialization though.
Don't continue to ignore a lovebird and expect it to stay tame. That won't happen. It's a great bird for someone who
REALLY wants a cuddly bird and is willing to provide daily interaction to his / her pet. It is difficult to tame an adult
lovebird though, but if you come across a "throw-away" lovebird, please give him or her a chance. I have seen them
develop into loved pets. However, the easiest way is to get them young and hand fed.
Special Note: It is a myth that lovebirds have to be kept in pairs of two. A single lovebird makes a much better pet than
a pair of them.
PARROTLETS
I found Parrotlets to be quite similar in personality to lovebirds. Cuddly and animated but require daily interaction with
their "chosen mate" for them to stay tame and loving. Some learn to talk. Handling in addition to a nice personality is
going to determine its pet quality.
Parrotlets are visually sexed. The males tend to have more blue throughout their bodies, wings, back, around eyes.
The females tend to remain one solid color, but as far as personality goes, there really is very little difference. I
personally think that the females are sweeter birds but know that there are many others that would argue that with me
so to be fair to everyone, they are very much alike.
CONURES
Conures are clowny birds. We love them for their great sense of humor, their fun-loving personality. With a little
training, they usually can easily be trained to do tricks. Most may learn to talk. Conures, in general, love to snuggle
under things, so providing them with a tightly woven washcloth, soft piece of fabric, or fuzzy toy will be appreciated. A
bird tent as a place to sleep and hang out is usually eagerly accepted and treasured. As they like to climb under
pillows and blankets, care needs to be taken not to accidentally smother them.
They make great birds for those who don't mind the occasional (or NOT so occasional) screeching outburst. This is
something to be considered when thinking of adding a conure to your family. Conures can be VERY noisy and
can also be nippy, if not trained and socialized properly. They do enjoy learning new tricks and can be very
entertaining. They love to dance, and can also be taught to go to the toilet with a simple command such as
"toilet" or "poop".
Conures do require more time and effort than say a cockatiel or budgie. Please keep this in mind. Owners report that
they are smart and interactive, but are also more prone to behavioral problems than are cockatiels or budgies - but
this would be the case with any conure. They all require a committed owner who will work with their pets to guide their
behavior, while cockatiels and budgies are "beginner birds."
MEYER'S PARROT
The Meyer's is every bit as pretty on the inside as it is on the outside. One author wrote, "The Meyer's is reputed by
many to be the nicest of the "nice-to-be-around family" birds". Calm and steady by nature, the Meyer's is a good
choice for homes that include children. Senegals, for example, tend to be one-person birds. Meyer's on the other
hand, are likely to maintain balanced relationships with a number of people. They are unlikely to bite. It's been my
observation that Meyer's have a certain demure quality about them that gives them a fresh and unique charm. They
are sweet, but not shy. And they tend to truly like people, even strangers. One famous breeder put it this way:
"Senegals loved being loved by you, but Meyer's love loving you."