# Parrotlets



## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

Any info and experience would be appreciated. I worked with them in college but they were kept singly and fought badly when together. They were treated the same as any other small parakeet-type birds with regards to diet. I want info on keeping them together because I work I don't want to keep them singly. Would also like to see pics of cages and of different species and colours.


----------



## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

You might find this site interesting & useful

The Parrotlet Ranch Home Page


----------



## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Hello,I keep the very rare spectacled parrotlet, these are a third smaller than the celestial or pacific what ever you know it as, I have never had problems keeping them together at all, but I know you can get the odd dodgy celestial,the worst time for aggression is as usual, when there is chicks in the log, there are some great colour mutations available for the celestial, I keep mine indoors in a good size breeding cage, I also use bird lighting to give full spectrum access, these birds are true mid canopy dwellers in the wild and will eat a whole host of plants, seeds and fruit, although they do suffer with sunflower seed addiction, I use a good cockatiel mix, and mix it with a small amount of wild bird in the winter for extra fats, sprouted seeds and pulses are great and they will eat things like apple and pear.good clean grass seed in season is always taken. No noise from the spectacles just a sort of burbling, a real pleasure, and I have kept them in flight cages with all sorts of whydars and weavers in the past.

Good luck

John


----------



## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

Thanks for the info guys. I really want to allow them free flight but I'm slightly concerned that all the ones I see for sale seemed to be wing clipped. I know they can be excitable but I'm not really happy with a bird that walks around on the floor rather than pooing on the curtains.:bash: Bloody budgies.
I'm not particularly bothered about tameness but it would be nice to at least handle them as since the budgies bonded I have to wait until they want to go back to the cage.


----------



## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Clipping is not a problem, if you want free flight wait till the next moult and the primaries will be back, clipping can be as much for the birds safety, no matter how careful we are, we all could loose birds, I have, fumbled a lock and a nice conure was gone. You can safely clip one wing, this let's the bird escape danger easily but stops if flying very far if a window or door is open. Parrotlets are great, I have kept and traded most available birds over the years but I have settled with these little chaps.

John,


----------



## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

Arcadiajohn said:


> Clipping is not a problem, if you want free flight wait till the next moult and the primaries will be back, clipping can be as much for the birds safety, no matter how careful we are, we all could loose birds, I have, fumbled a lock and a nice conure was gone. You can safely clip one wing, this let's the bird escape danger easily but stops if flying very far if a window or door is open. Parrotlets are great, I have kept and traded most available birds over the years but I have settled with these little chaps.
> 
> John,


I'm still not happy with clipping. My budgies free fly every day and I've never been careless. But I'd rather take the risk then deny them flight.


----------



## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Arcadiajohn said:


> Clipping is not a problem, if you want free flight wait till the next moult and the primaries will be back, clipping can be as much for the birds safety, no matter how careful we are, we all could loose birds, I have, fumbled a lock and a nice conure was gone. You can safely clip one wing, this let's the bird escape danger easily but stops if flying very far if a window or door is open. Parrotlets are great, I have kept and traded most available birds over the years but I have settled with these little chaps.
> 
> John,


Very bad advice!

Wing-clipping is a selfish act that benefits only humans! It has very negative effects on a parrot's physical & mental wellbeing. It can bring on feather plucking, aggression, lack of confidence, fear & many other unatural negative problems. It can result in a bird breaking it's breast bone upon a hard crash-landing, it puts them at risk of attack from cats & dogs, as well as the risk of being trod on or trapped under an opened door. 

Parrots need to be able to fly in order for them to deter obesity, strengthen their heart muscles, escape danger & enhance their lives. 

Plus, if you ever do wing-clip a parrot, you should not clip only one wing, you should clip both evenly, to allow the parrot some control of it's decent to the ground.

I wouldn't buy a parrot that was wing-clipped from a pet shop or breeder personally. 

I think wing-clipping parrots should be made illegal, like the tail-docking of dogs is now!


----------



## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

LiamRatSnake said:


> I'm still not happy with clipping. My budgies free fly every day and I've never been careless. But I'd rather take the risk then deny them flight.


Well said! Human error results in losing birds, so why should the birds have to suffer for our stupidity!


----------



## catastrophyrat (Jul 8, 2009)

I have 2 Lovebirds who are flighted but appear never to have had much exercise in the last 10 years (they were rescues from a cruelty case ) they are in good condition -a lot better than the other animals removed from the premises -they are now gradually beginning to fly again .
My Macaw is flighted too -I agree for me and the birds it's much better than being clipped -I have cats and dogs and a flying bird can escape easier should an accidental meeting occur which is unlikely but better safer than sorry.
I did years ago lose an African Grey by my own stupidity in forgetting he was on my shoulder when i let my dogs back in from the garden -very very luckily after a week of trying we traced him and he had been found and well cared for by a chap who actually bred them (such a coincidence as he was the dad of a pupil at a school where he was captured from a tree sitting next to a Magpie (another odd fact at the time I also had a non releasable Magpie living at home )


----------



## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

catastrophyrat said:


> I have 2 Lovebirds who are flighted but appear never to have had much exercise in the last 10 years (they were rescues from a cruelty case ) they are in good condition -a lot better than the other animals removed from the premises -they are now gradually beginning to fly again .
> My Macaw is flighted too -I agree for me and the birds it's much better than being clipped -I have cats and dogs and a flying bird can escape easier should an accidental meeting occur which is unlikely but better safer than sorry.
> I did years ago lose an African Grey by my own stupidity in forgetting he was on my shoulder when i let my dogs back in from the garden -very very luckily after a week of trying we traced him and he had been found and well cared for by a chap who actually bred them (such a coincidence as he was the dad of a pupil at a school where he was captured from a tree sitting next to a Magpie (another odd fact at the time I also had a non releasable Magpie living at home )


Yep, I believe if you are going to keep an animal, keep it as naturally as possible! So for parrots, that means allowing them to use their natural locomotion that is not only very beneficial exercise, but good fun for them too!


----------



## Circe (Dec 31, 2008)

My Rosie came to me with her primaries clipped, but they are growing back in and she is learning to fly very nicely.


----------



## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Circe said:


> My Rosie came to me with her primaries clipped, but they are growing back in and she is learning to fly very nicely.


Im glad you are allowing Rosie to be what she is - a bird! Good on you! :notworthy:


----------



## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

I would also like some info on cages, size, material, bar spacing ect.
Also toys and enrichment.


----------



## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

LiamRatSnake said:


> I would also like some info on cages, size, material, bar spacing ect.
> Also toys and enrichment.


For a pair of Parrotlets, a good-sized Cockatiel cage would be great. Just make sure the bar spacing isn't big enough to allow the Parrotlets to stick their head through. 

In my experience, Parrotlets are not as toy-orientated as say Budgies, but they do appreciate things that they can investigate with their beak & nibble on. Willow twigs tied in a bundle & hung in the cage are enjoyed, as are small cardboard boxes & toilet roll tubes. Most Budgie toys are fine to use with Parrotlets, so the usual bells, mirrors, beads, etc are ok. I'd buy/make them a sleeping sleeve too.


----------



## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

Zoo-Man said:


> For a pair of Parrotlets, a good-sized Cockatiel cage would be great. Just make sure the bar spacing isn't big enough to allow the Parrotlets to stick their head through.
> 
> In my experience, Parrotlets are not as toy-orientated as say Budgies, but they do appreciate things that they can investigate with their beak & nibble on. Willow twigs tied in a bundle & hung in the cage are enjoyed, as are small cardboard boxes & toilet roll tubes. Most Budgie toys are fine to use with Parrotlets, so the usual bells, mirrors, beads, etc are ok.


Well none of my budgies have ever even touched their toys. They completely ignore them.
I was thinking of a parrot cage, but they're a bit bulky for the amount of space you actually get. I might build or buy a large cockatiel cage like you said then.
Speaking of which, is there any way I can get the budgies to play with their toys? I got most of them when they were settling in so maybe they just see them as furniture.


----------



## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

LiamRatSnake said:


> Well none of my budgies have ever even touched their toys. They completely ignore them.
> I was thinking of a parrot cage, but they're a bit bulky for the amount of space you actually get. I might build or buy a large cockatiel cage like you said then.
> Speaking of which, is there any way I can get the budgies to play with their toys? I got most of them when they were settling in so maybe they just see them as furniture.


You could try attaching bits of spray millet to the Budgie's toy's chains, or attaching bits of fruit to them?


----------



## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Don't want to get into a massive debate on wing clipping but I do like to share my experience with people on this issue, I personally bought a hand reared green cheek conure at 3 years old, she had been wing clipped from birth. I let the wings grow back, but she never really flew - - I later found out from the pet shop she had originally been bought from that he clipped his birds wings in the nest, so she had never known flight - at best she hopped, she always climbed and even though she could fly if startled, she wouldn't choose to do it. I was very close to this bird, she went everywhere with me, including in the car on long journeys, sounds a bit silly I know, but even though I had bought her at 3 years (she was hand reared), she bonded really closely to me.

Anyway the story does not end with a happy ending, she died quite suddenly, she just fell down, struggled to breathe, I was holding her whilst trying to get an emergency vet on the phone and she died.

She was only 6 years old then, and I'd obviously anticipated having her a lot longer. I had a post mortem done as I had other birds and had absolutely no idea what had killed her. The vet said she had suffered heart failure, and that her heart muscles were weak, I was told that this was not uncommon with birds that had been clipped from a young age, and they did not keep the same heart rate or musculature as flying birds. The vet said it could possibly have been congentical but was unlikely, and far more likely to have been down to exercise and lack of flying from a very young age.

It really broke my heart but I like to share the story when people are talking about wing clipping, it's very hard to know what long term effects the lack of exercise that flying can do - and they will be effects that you simply won't see until it's too late.

I "bird proofed" my windows and had mesh screens over them so that I could keep the windows open in the summer, and used the privacy curtains designed for windows to block off the kitchen and bathroom so the doors could be open but she'd be at no risk of accidentally getting somewhere she could injure herself, although after she died I got cats so now I only keep aviary birds.

But as for parrotlets, I'd think a large cockatiel cage will be fine if you're letting them out regular for exercise, never kept them myself, but a friend keeps celestials and they are very entertaining and seem very intelligent and are always playing with toys and trying to steal things. A great little bird to own I think 

None of my budgies would ever play with their toys either though so I can't help you on that one. They preferred some silver foil (which I couldn't let them keep because they'd end up eating it!) or even bits of cardboard to the fancy toys I bought them :lol2:


----------



## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

Athravan said:


> Don't want to get into a massive debate on wing clipping but I do like to share my experience with people on this issue, I personally bought a hand reared green cheek conure at 3 years old, she had been wing clipped from birth. I let the wings grow back, but she never really flew - - I later found out from the pet shop she had originally been bought from that he clipped his birds wings in the nest, so she had never known flight - at best she hopped, she always climbed and even though she could fly if startled, she wouldn't choose to do it. I was very close to this bird, she went everywhere with me, including in the car on long journeys, sounds a bit silly I know, but even though I had bought her at 3 years (she was hand reared), she bonded really closely to me.
> 
> Anyway the story does not end with a happy ending, she died quite suddenly, she just fell down, struggled to breathe, I was holding her whilst trying to get an emergency vet on the phone and she died.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info. As for toys they won't even play with things they find. They do however love them sticks you buy with millet stuck in a block.
As for parrotlet exercise, they will get a few hours daily out of the cage.


----------



## mat_worrell (Sep 20, 2009)

Last weeks cage and avary had an article on paroletts I think. They said although they are small a very large cage/aviary is necessary.


----------



## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

mat_worrell said:


> Last weeks cage and avary had an article on paroletts I think. They said although they are small a very large cage/aviary is necessary.


They do require space, but it doesn't have to be open space, as these tiny parrots are not long distance flyers like Budgies & Cockatiels, they tend to just fly from one tree to the next, & they do a lot of climbing.


----------

