Thoughts on Parrot Ownership in the UK

Last Updated on October 6, 2023 by Mitch Rezman

From a Facebook thread

WindyCityParrot.com Hi as I don’t have a Facebook page I would like to comment on your article about keeping parrots in the uk.It is true that some people are horrified that I have five parrots. I have an orange winged amazon an African grey,a greenwing macaw, a Ducorps cockatoo, and a galah.

My first bird was a rescue that I persuaded a friend to give me as he had bought it in a pet store. He was given no information about caring for this bird and the store sold him a cage that wasn’t even big enough for a budgie let alone an amazon.

I then contacted a wonderful woman who breeds and takes in unwanted birds, she helped me by giving me info and suggested websites and books for me to do the necessary research so that we could care for our birds. That was 8 years ago.

Since then I have never stopped learning about my babies. They live in London and I have found some great suppliers of cages toys and food for them but it is true that most pet stores in the uk no longer sell bird supplies.I have even resorted to buying products from the USA as you have a much greater range of parrot products.

We have just had the very first parrot show in the south of England and there were seminars retailers and rescue centers present, I was amazed at the number of people at the show as I have only ever met a couple of people who keep parrots, there are only 2 avian vets in London which I think tells it’s own story.

I sometimes take a couple of my birds to the park on sunny days “rare in the uk I might add” and many people are fascinated by my birds, some people say they would love a parrot and we have invited a couple of the more serious ones to our home so that they can see what it takes to really own one of these incredible creatures.

Most are put off by the mess noise and expense but the true animal lovers usually want to know more,these are the ones we encourage to do more research before they make an informed decision.

There will always be those that look at us like we have 2 heads, there was a “parrot behaviourist ” at the show who we spoke to, when I said I had a cockatoo he asked if the problems had started yet,I asked what he was talking about and he shook his head and said “you wait and see “

My cockatoo is five years old, fully flighted, and as happy as any bird I’ve ever seen I told him, I had to bite my tongue when he said that the problems would definitely come sooner or later .

So no more rambling, education is the key, parrots make incredible companions for those who are willing to give the time and love to them, I am really lucky in as much as I have met a wonderful young couple who run their own business training parrots, they have their own flock and their gentle loving approach to their birds is something I have never witnessed before,they have agreed that should anything happen to us they will take my babies so I rest easy that even though my flock will outlive me they will be loved and cared for for the rest of their lives.

I think windy city parrots should open a UK store so that people like me can spend lots of money on our birds.

Keep up the good work.

Regards

Karen

Jo Young I also live in the UK and so far no one has ever been horrified that I have 3 African Greys and many often say they would love one, but I do explain that with a parrot comes a lot of responsibility, that as intelligent free-spirited creatures they are

WindyCityParrot.com I hope your fellow country people read this Jo

Vee Maino Miller My friend has an AG, Samantha (Sam), and I can vouch for the amount of care it takes if you do it properly. She will cook certain foods for Sam, has fresh veggies all the time; Sam gets special Pizza, chicken, fruits, etc.

Daily cleaning out the bottom of the cage, etc. frequent showers in the kit sink. Sam engages in conversations, as you say, a 4-6-year-old – she protests her showers sometimes – squawking and pressing herself against the bars of her cage. She has a daytime cage (huge) and a nighttime sleeping cage. My friend spends as much time with that bird as she would a child – and in my friend’s will, Sam will go back to the bird specialist and his family from whom she bought her – because that bird will outlive her.