My flock and I have been together for a little over a month, so socialization is the most I’ve done with these birds. As rescues between the ages of 4 years and 4 months, their background is completely unknown. My flock loves millet sprays, so it is my treat of choice when socializing and clicker training. Hades, my albino budgie, is possibly my bravest boy. Too brave, in fact. During a session, he got so brave that he flew out the door of his cage and into the training room. However, Hades has probably never flown outside of a cage his entire life, so this experience for him was extremely scary.

You may have walked through big box pet stores and seen the cockatiels or budgies (parakeets) and thought about buying one. They are relatively cheap pets, and many people adopt them for their children as a distraction or something to care for to learn responsibility. However, the life of a parrot owner is not as simple as you may initially think. Here are some things to consider before adopting any type of parrot or pet bird…