Should I adopt an adult bird?

Should I adopt an adult bird?


4 minute read

Just as there are many people who adopt young, hand-fed birds there are also many people who choose to adopt adult birds. Adopting an adult bird has its own set of challenges. When these challenges are understood it much better helps the bird owner pick the perfect pet for their respective lifestyle.

Woman in hat with macaws

To begin, adult birds can make loving, intelligent, caring, life-long pets. There are many adult birds available to adopt - especially at bird rescues and from owners looking to have their pet adopted. When adopting an adult bird its recommended to take as much time as needed to research different birds and owners to find the ideal pet.

Young hand-fed birds can be easier to own as they haven’t had the time to build up bad habits like some adult birds have. Any bad habits that an adult bird has will come with the pet to their new home, and the onus of working through these negative behavioral habits will fall on the new owner. When adopting an adult bird, plan to ask the old owner ample questions about the pet. Some excellent questions to ask are

  • Are you the birds first owner or has the bird moved around from home to home?
  • What is the reason that the bird is being put up for adoption?
  • When was the last time the bird had a vet visit and which vet did they see?
  • What does the bird like to eat and what are their favorite foods?
  • Does the bird play outside of the cage regularly?
  • What are the birds favorite types of toys?

ai parrot on suitcase

Owners put up pet birds for sale for assorted different reasons. The bird could be picking up on stress in the home and is developing bad habits like feather plucking which the owners can’t, won’t or don’t have the ability to resolve. Maybe the owners have had a new child and have no time to spend with the bird. Other times the owners are moving to a place where they cannot own a bird. Owners can even simply lose interest in the pet and choose to give it up for adoption. As sad and unfortunate as these situations are they are all very real and happen to many, many pet birds.

Macaw on perch inside of cage

While visiting its important to pick up on the bird and its surroundings. Is the bird fully feathered and does it look relatively healthy? Is the bird content or is it constantly screaming and making noise? Does the bird come right up to the door of the cage, does it seem afraid or does it seem completely uninterested? All of these things will help you better gauge what sort of state an adult bird is and help you make a better choice in adoption.

After all this you’ll want to listen to what your heart (and head) tells you about the bird. Adopting a bird because you feel sorry for it is never a good idea and can lead to great challenges once the pet is in the home. Keep in mind you bring the bird and all their personality, troubles, attitude, particularities and love into your life. If you and the bird seem to have a bond during the visit they could be a perfect candidate to adopt. Taking the time to do the needed research and meet with the owners of potential adoptees is a great way to better assure that you find the perfect pet for your lifestyle.

Parrotlet on woman's shoulder

Works Cited:

« Back to Blog