The World of Parrotlets

If you are looking to add an avian companion to your family, you might be asking yourself, others and Google, whether parrotlets make good pets. The short answer is yes, absolutely; lately, parrotlets have taken over the Internet by storm with their adorable and funny antics, and they have become increasingly popular and sought-after as pets. However, even though they are small, they are still quite challenging as companion animals, just like any other parrot, and therefore you should be asking yourself whether your lifestyle is compatible with a parrotlet and not the other way around. Owning a parrot is a lifestyle, to which you would be committing for about 15 to 20 years. To learn more about the things you should take into account before adopting a parrotlet or any other kind of parrot, please check the page New Owner's Checklist in the menu above.

Below is a compilation of FAQs that we get or "facts" that people come to us with as they are looking to adopt a parrotlet.

What does it mean when people say that parrotlets are big parrots trapped in a small body/they are feisty?

Parrotlets have a reputation as being lively and sassy birds. Don't get us wrong – this simply means that they will let you know exactly what they think! Parrotlets have opinions on everything, and they will tell you what exactly they are. 

Parrotlets can be very loving and cuddly with their owners. As members of the family Psittacidae or true parrots, they are related to the much larger Amazon parrots, and they look like them, too. They also have the personality of a big parrot without the larger form-factor so to speak. This does not make parrotlets angry or nasty in any way, although rough handling and an inadequate amount of attention and activities will turn any bird into a badly behaved creature from your nightmares. 

So, to summarize the above: yes, parrotlets can be possessive and, thus, feisty at times. However, they have a good sense of humour and they are very intelligent and social.

Are parrotlets good with children?

Parrotlets can be a wonderful choice if you have children! These birds are very small and easy to handle if approached appropriately. Our babies grow up in a loud, hectic environment, and are therefore pretty bomb proof. Still, if you have children, it is important to teach them how to handle a bird. Parrotlets have small beaks and cannot cause a lot of damage, but when provoked can draw blood, as their beaks are still rather sharp.

Parrotlets love attention and playtime, and often children can offer them just that. They are easy to train with some popular treats such as sunflower seeds, millet, or sugar snap peas, and your parrotlet and children are likely to keep each other entertained for a while.

Male parrotlets are friendlier than females. 

False. A parrotlet's sex does not determine whether it is friendly or not, as all of this comes down to how well it has been handled and socialized, and how well and often it continues to socialize with people after it moves to its new home. All parrotlets are also individuals with their own characteristics, and some might be a bit more shy than others for instance.

Blue parrotlets are friendlier than other mutations.

This is false. A parrotlet's mutation does not dictate its characteristics (see above). 

Male parrotlets are more likely to learn how to talk.

This is mostly true. Male parrotlets have been documented to learn how to mimic human speech more often than female parrotlets. This is not to say that female parrotlets could not learn words or phrases, and this does also not guarantee that your male parrotlet will every say a single word in English or any other human language.

Can I adopt an unweaned baby? / Wouldn't the baby bond to you because you have been hand feeding it?

These questions often go together, and the answer to both is no. Adopting an unweaned baby is irresponsible, and it is something any reputable breeder would not agree to. Weaning is a process that takes multiple weeks, anywhere from four to six, and during this time, it is important to monitor the baby bird's weight and introduce it to different foods while still offering hand feedings when necessary. A baby that is weaning is not ready to go home. 

Hand feeding does not mean that the babies bond to us. We are simply their first experience with humans, and our role is to show them that humans can be trusted. Sometimes, in certain isolated cases, some babies have taken a special liking to one of us, and in these cases we have sometimes kept the bird. We also keep any baby parrotlets that we have detected to have developmental issues (e.g., severe stunting in Willow's case). 

Can parrotlets be trained/recall trained/harness trained?

Yes to all of the above. Parrotlets are versatile birds, as they are curious and aim to please their owners (they yearn positive feedback!). They can learn several tricks fast, often only after a few repetitions, and they can be recall and harness trained as well. There are parrotlet-sized harnesses for sale in select pet stores and online stores, but if you do harness train your bird, remember that there is always a risk that they can flee from their harnesses. It is generally inadvisable to have a parrotlet in a harness outside.