How to Buy an African Gray Parrot

Video Transcript

"If you're considering buying an African Grey Parrot, or, really almost any parrot, the first thing you should do is read. Get some books, read about the bird. Find out if the bird matches your personality, matches your living conditions, and so forth. Then, do some research. I suggest that you buy parrots from breeders. Breeders know the history of the bird. They know the...what the bird is able to do, the age of the bird. A lot of times, at pet stores, they just have the bird. They have no information, and so you're kind of left out in the lurch. I like to go to the person I get my birds from, talk to them about what my bird likes. What it likes to eat, what it likes to do. What kind of toys does it like to play with, so that I can make the bird more comfortable. And this is true with any bird, especially if you're looking at a Macaw or something, don't live in an apartment. Some birds scream. African Greys growl. They're are different ways that these birds want to show that they want some attention. And, if you live in an apartment, you might make some neighbors very angry if you're getting the wrong bird. African Greys are normally very quiet, so they are good pets for living in a tight area. But know your bird. Know where the bird come from. Know something about the bird's personalities, about what to expect from that type of bird. There are plenty of books out there that you can read on African Greys, really on any kind of parrot or bird, and this should be done first. And then, also make sure that you've got proper housing for that bird. The housing can never be too large, but it can be too small. If you've got the bird in a cage that is too small, you're going to have an unhappy bird. Greys like to move around, they like to play with toys. They like to do antics, where they can turn upside down, and flip. And they need the space to be able to do that. So check out what your bird needs. Check out what the requirements of the bird is, and a little bit about the bird before you decide to go and buy one."