Should I consider a Parrotlet?

[The Outlaw]

Dear Sandee:

I've got a bunch of parrots, mostly larger ones, and have been considering a parrotlet. Do you think it would do well in a noisy, macaw-filled household?

THE OUTLAW

[The Outlaw]

This was submitted on behalf of Sandee Molenda:
It depends on whether you wish to keep the parrotlets as pets or breeders. As pets, they should be fine even with loud raucous birds so long as the cages are not too close together. Parrotlets can be aggressive and territorial and it is best to keep other birds several feet away from them when they are kept as pets. When breeding, visual barriers should be put up between the cages to keep aggression to a minimum. In the wild, parrotlets nest hundreds of yard away from other birds and they defend their nesting site against all intruders including those much bigger and those that prey upon them. This helps explain their behavior in captivity. However, if the parrotlets are going to be set up as breeding pair, it would be better to put them in a room separated from the other birds. Parrotlets do well breeding in aviaries with other birds that are quiet – finches, grass keets, even lovebirds and cockatiels but once you start adding conures and macaws, there can be breeding problems. But, if the birds are kept as pets, they should not be bothered by the other birds provided there is sufficient space so that parrotlets do not go into ‘battle mode’.

Sincerely,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.



www.parrotletranch.com
www.internationalparrotletsociety.org

A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.

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