Land of The Littles: Getting To Know Parrotlets

I am very food motivated! Most parrotlets are. You see, we are active little birds with high metabolisms, and are not prone to obesity like some of our other, larger Amazon cousins. You'd be amazed at how much we can eat in a day, given our size!

Because we are tiny (but BIG ATTITUDE...remember that!), our diet should be as varied as possible so that we receive adequate nutrients. Neither all seed, nor all pellet really fits for us. We also need a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruits, (with a little caveat to the fruit...we tend to like fruits with small seeds we can pick at such as berries, kiwi, fig, etc. rather than the usual apples to oranges). Cooked whole grains and legumes aren't a bad idea either. And "bird sprouts" are usually accepted as one of our first "new" foods, (they look familiar, but are packed with nutrition!).

Buying organic for small birds isn't a bad idea. The amounts of "safe" pesticide residues are always the ones given for humongous people, and there is no research available on how these effect us.

As for treats, anything that we love is a treat...but make it wholesome and nutritious...we have very little room for empty calories or excess bad stuff. Personally, I enjoy spray millet, hot dried chili pepper seeds, dried unsulphured figs, freeze dried berries, and I'll kiss a duck for a bit of almond!

So my best advice is to invest in a small mini-chopper for fresh veggies, (some of us like it small, some of us like it big...you might need to experiment with each of us), and Easy Sprouter for sprouting whole grains, unhulled seeds, and legumes, and a good sponge to wipe off your wallpaper with, (yes, we fling! Don't all parrots?).

I'll say it out loud and I'll say it proud....do Parrotlets bite?....you BET!
The thing is, all parrots will bite or nip at some point in their lives, and if you are not prepared for that, no parrot is going to make a good pet for you.
However, if you take to the time to understand what might trigger us to bite, learn to be observant of our body language, and read up on some POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT techniques, we'll get along just fine!

First of all, let's put a common myth to rest:

" Parrots Want To Be Dominant And You Need To Assert Yourself As 'Flock Leader'."

This is a common mistake made by many publications and many bird behavior experts. Luckily, the times are a changin'!
Research of many parrot species in the wild has shown that most parrots flock for reasons of safety while foraging, but spend much of their time socializing with their mate or trying to find a suitable mate. There is no evidence to suggest that one bird holds a dominant position over the flock, or that parrots live in a social hierarchy.
Rather, it pays to "get along".
That means that, in the wild, it's rare for birds to bite or nip one another. It uses up far too much in the way of necessary energy stores to start a physical fight when most birds easily recognize that they are too close for comfort through their body language.
What is unfortunate in "dominance" training techniques for Parrotlet owners, is that is sets up some bad behaviors...excessive biting, excessive fear, or a lack of trust in the relationship between owner and pet.

Remember that we are very small and very much a "Prey Species". This means YOU have to earn our trust...slowly and patiently and consistently. Many people feel it's okay to grab us right out of our cage, chase us around to pick us up, or confine us in a hold to be scratched or petted. Would you do this with a Macaw? Probably not. And if you did, you'd expect to get some chunks of skin removed and stitches to show off to your friends.
Parrotlets can't inflict that kind of damage, but please respect that we ARE parrots. We can have grouchy days when we are molting or hormonal and we may not feel like being touched. We may be afraid of something nearby and are warning you to flee. Just like you, we want to have some control over our own environment and be free to make choices.