Parrotlet Owners, Heads UP!!

[The Outlaw]

OK, I'm curious. Just what is it about these little cuties that sold you on yours. I rarely see the little birds, but I must confess I know absolutely nothing about them. Now's YOUR chance to brag and SELL ME!

THE OUTLAW

[Tivona]

Well I must say they are very facinating little guys!! With such a small size they have a BIG personality! If you like Amazones then you will like parrotlets. They are about 5 inches in length but think they are the biggest member of the household, it's really quite endearing, plus their little voices are really adorable.

Mine, Quentin is a year old and my first parrotlet, I used to hand raise parrots in pet stores and funny enough all of them I met I really disliked. They have such a painful bite for a small bird! I would rather have been bitten by a cockatoo than a parrotlet that has it out for me! Funny enough. They can grab your hand and grind their beak right in! Luckily mine is a sweety, I got him thinking he'd be a great challenge and he has been! He's my little Jalapeno pepper! I call him spicey cause he is a crazy little guy he is always on the move, trying to impress my friends.

He talks very well too, much more than one would expect fromm a little budgie sized bird! Anyways they are also great snugglers letting u snuggle thier little heads just like cockatoos do. My absolute favorite thing they do is self pet!!! I have mine in the kitchen and he will watch us when I have friends over or when we have supper and he will look with this sweet face at us while he slowly scratches his whole head, turning it all the way upside down!

Anyways hope I u check them out as they are fun little guys even beside the bigger parrots, I have an Eclectus and Quentin is still a big part of our family and has a stronger personality than my other birds! PLUS THEY ARE SOOO CUTE!

[Stasia]

I am a very new parrotlet owner, but I can tell you that I'm already in love! Their little size and smaller voices is perfect for someone living in apt., as we do. Pedro is just a little love bug, he loves to snuggle right up against you, and since he's so small, he fits right in the crook of our necks and he will settle there until he falls asleep. He is quite the little character when he wants to be though too! I am convinced that he sees his small size as a convienence and is not intimitated by others AT ALL! :) He will walk around to check on everyone when out of his cage, he looks like he's just supervising! The cutest thing too is when I walk around when he's loose, he will jump onto my slipper to catch a ride over to someone else, and then hop off. I think he thinks it is a bus!! (well, they are yellow haha). My absolute favorite about p'lets is their sweet faces! It's impossible to get mad, even with the accidental (and painful!) nibble, at such an aborable and innocent looking face. Good luck if you decide to check them out, they are a great little companion! :)

Stasia

[Tracey]

Parrotlets are very cute, sweet and smart parrots in a very tiny package. I have had Romeo, a Lucida Pacific for 6 years. He can say about 20 words and sounds. He is very cuddly. He loves to be with me and do whatever I am doing. Romeo knows how to laugh and he will do so at very appropriate times. He is very colorful and extremely cute. His little face is angelic. He uses his size to his advantage. He can get to anything he wants to see. His curiousity is amazing. He can also crawl into my hair and go to sleep, which he does every night. The sound of his tiny beaky grinding in my ear is my very favorite thing. Romeo loves to be scritched. He will climb on my hand and fluff his whole head up and turn it upside down. I can pet his entire body and help him with his pinnie feathers. Romeo can also bite very hard. He will bite my husband at any time. Romeo usually doesn't bite me unless we are playing. Then all bets are off. I would say that Romeo is the same as any male Amazon parrot, just in a very tiny package. I also have a female Eclectus and her and Romeo are very similar in many ways. They both need the same amount of time and attention. They both bring the same type of joy and chaos into my life. I wouldn't trade either of them. If you could meet my little Romeo, you would fall in love. I know 3 other people who went and found a P'let of their own after meeting him. :icon_smil

[Emily]

You know I've had my little Cory for about 2 yrs now. He is my sweetie but not to anyone else. I have socialized him, my son and grandson pick him up and put him on their collars and take him around. He loves to go "for a ride".
Now I've notice he will bite them on the neck! If you haven't been biten by a parrotlet, be thankful....dang it hurts worse that my B&G.

Cory is a Split to blue Pacific parrotlet. He talks....you have to listen close, and gives kisses, scolds me to remind me of his treats, and does tricks like plays dead in the palm of my hand even closing his eyes not moving a foot till I tell him "OH Look!! He's alive!!". They are so small Cory is 32 grams and about 5 inches, and they usually don't live really long due to accidents.

Cory eats veggies, he loves green beans,carrots, corn on the cob sliced and yellow squash. He gets a seed and pellet mixture that I buy from the breeder. He is a sweetie, but the older he gets the more attached to me and not as friendly to anyone else.

Hope this helps,

Emily

[Skyebirdsmom]

Well I heartily agree with everything everyone else has said about their Parrotlets. I can't imagine having any other bird besides Skye. They are SO darned smart, sweet, cute, intelligent, cunning, absolutely fearless, easy to clean up after, easy to take care of, easy to love, LOL. Toys are inexpensive, everything is 'less' except themselves. And goodness forbid, do NOT tell them they are small. They won't believe you anyway. Yes, attitude of a Amazon for sure! Skye is nippy only when 1. sleepy 2. hormonal 3. molting & 4. when he feels like it! And like everyone else has said IT HURTS like the dickens!! But when he nips, he looks at me like " I don't know what possessed me to do that mama, I'm weally, weally sorry!" I swear he does say that, ha,ha,ha. Ok, maybe not, but he looks like that's what he'd say. Skye is a blue Pacific mutation, and they are a bit pricey. The normal greens are relatively inexpensive depending on where you live. In NC they can be had from breeders for anywhere from $60-$120. And the American Yellow, White and some of the lesser known can be downright exhorbitant. Parrotlets are becoming more and more popular, so it is tending to bring down some of the prices. But on the other hand, it's causing more and more birds looking for new homes :aiwebs_00 But these little guys are so sweet, playful, talkative, loveable, and tough....you just have to love them and you DO before you know what happened!!! I only disagree with one thing: these birds do not have short life spans. Barring accidents, they live from 25-30 yrs easily with good health care. However, I have to say, bedacause they ARE so little and fragile, you really do have to be on the ball all the time. You always have to be aware of what is going on around you, where everyone is, and where the bird is at all times!!! Many pet parrotlets have been crushed by owners because they had the bird on their shoulder(where they LOVE to be)and they sat down, not realizing the bird was in the middle of their back(where they ALSO love to be)and crushed them against the chair. One thing, you must NEVER, EVER let them on a floor. Poof! They are stepped on or lost out a door, under a stove, fridge, etc.
Gosh, didn't mean to ramble, but truly Nancy....Parrotlets are the BEST little companions ever! I can't tell you how much my husband and I love Skye. When Bob comes home at lunch or at dinnertime, first thing he does before a 'hello' to me is go speak to Skye. Then he goes to wash up and takes Skye out of his cage till after our dinner. It's impossible not to love these little munchkins.
Linda & HRC~

[MaryG1959]

I overheard a breeder quoting prices ranging from $150 to $350 for a parrotlet.....I saw some babies and boy were they ever the cutest little things!!!!!!!!!

[nursenurse44]

hey lets not forget the parakeets. i love my jojo and although dont have any now the parakeet with the exception of grays are my favorite
Parakeets are chacters. their personalities outshines thier bigger cousins. they are just as devoted to theor owners as the bigger guys
they require less space which means smaller cages. they are highly intelligant equal to other parrots

[Skyebirdsmom]

Originally Posted by nursenurse44

hey lets not forget the parakeets. i love my jojo and although dont have any now the parakeet with the exception of grays are my favorite
Parakeets are chacters. their personalities outshines thier bigger cousins. they are just as devoted to theor owners as the bigger guys
they require less space which means smaller cages. they are highly intelligant equal to other parrots

That's true, but Nancy had asked about Parrotlets specifically.
Thanks,
Linda & HRC~

[Skyebirdsmom]

Originally Posted by ParrotletLover

Lily was $200, although I have seen some breeders selling regulars for $75 and blue mutations for $125. Prices vary greatly - some albino Parrotlets go for over $600!

Wish I had been where you are when I bought Skye, I paid $400 for him. A blue mutation Pacific. Oh well, I'd have paid twice that for the love and joy he's given me!!
Linda & HRC~