African Grey Parrots

Lesson 2: Buying an African Grey Parrot

Pre-owned Birds

People buy a bird for the wrong reasons, or a species that doesn’t suit their lifestyle. Family circumstances change, people move and can’t take their pets, all this ads up to many birds, including the African greys, that need a home. Some of the birds in this market have behavior problems that the owners don’t know how to fix. Some are perfectly fine but need someone else to care for them. I don’t want to discourage you from taking a chance on a previously owned bird. Just approach this aspect of acquiring your pet with a little more caution. If you answer a newspaper or internet advertisement ask if you can visit the home where the parrot is housed. It will give you some insight into how it behaves with strangers and its owners. They should be willing to share the positive as well as the downside with you. Don’t be led by impulse buying, or because you feel very sorry for the bird especially if it has behavioral problems. That is unless you are willing to give the long hours necessary for rehabilitation. If you have the time, the genuine concern, and go into the purchase armed with all available knowledge of what may or may not happen then I admire your determination and say ‘thank you’ on behalf of all the misunderstood birds out there.

A good link to check out if you have decided to purchase an adult bird is http://www.parrotpages.com. They have classified listing and lots of useful information about purchasing your bird. The site links to over 2700 sources.

You might also want to consider adoption. Check out the link http://www.thegabrielfoundation.org/Home... They offer an adoptive program and always advise if the parrot is suitable to first time owners or should go to those with experience. If you do decide to purchase or adopt a bird which later demonstrates social problems don’t be alarmed. There are some remarkable bird psychologists available. Sally Blanchard, a renowned expert in this field, has written copious articles about bird behavior. You can find her and her work at http://www.companionparrot.com. You can also access valuable advice in MY PARROT, MY FRIEND. This book is an excellent owner’s guide to parrot behavior. You will learn behavior modification techniques and how to apply them to your situation.

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