this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2025
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I fell in love with an eclectus parrot at a bird sanctuary recently and I had no idea these guys existed. They are so chill and I just want one now lol. I was talking to him and all he said to me after I asked him something was "huh?" and it was such a vibe.

I'm a 30 year old man with not much going on in life, recently divorced with major trust issues now and I have never even thought of the possibility of owning a parrot one day but maybe it is actually a good idea? It lives for like 30 years which is probably about how much longer I will live. All I eat is fruit and veggies so I think taking care of it would actually be pretty easy.

From my research it seems like they generally don't like to be handled much and are just content to chill in the corner of the room while you do your thing. My condo has a room with 18ft ceilings and eclectus are usually super quiet and aren't very destructive supposedly.

I was thinking about getting a cat but honestly a parrot is just way more affectionate, intelligent, and interesting.

Anyone weigh in on this topic?

Also is it possible to teach a parrot to speak like RFK Jr?

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[–] rolling@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Parrots are incredibly smart, social and LOUD animals. They will require constant attention, care and enrichment. If not provided, they are very prone to depression, which comes with bunch of related health issues. They are fragile and require veterinarians that know how to deal with birds / exotic animals. They love destroying stuff and will destroy your house. For a bird that isnt just screaming all the time, you will have to feed them a balanced diet with fresh veggies, and ideally 12 hours sleep in a dark area.

I love parrots, and I took care of one for a time before, but I wouldn't do that again until I am retired and settled down and know that I can dedicate myself to having one. You need to think about all the downsides and how to overcome them.

Have you thought about an easier animal with a shorter lifetime such as a mice or an hamster? They are also extremely sociable and smart animals and also can like to be handled. This would give you a "trial" run of sorts where you can think about how it would like to be have a harder to care animal.

Also, check out Clint's Reptiles on youtube. He has a series of videos about various different animals and how easy / hard it is to care for them along with explaining their general personalities.

[–] rabber@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think waiting till retirement is probably the most sensible advice in this thread

Yeah I'm 30 and single with zero ambitions now but obviously things change and I've always been naive af in this regard

[–] RBWells@lemmy.world 3 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

They live so long, though. If you get one in retirement it might outlive you.

[–] rolling@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago

Parrots are the most surrendered animals in US and probably other countries. There are always more senior birds available at shelters.