Parrotlets & Children

i would like a blue,yellow or green and is there a difference in male or female for temper. i do have a 3 and a 9 year old who love birds as well what are the rough prices for the birds i would love to have a parrotlet my brother had one when i was about 12 and i was the only one who could hold it without getting bit. can it break skin ? our last bird was a green cheek conure we loved him
and he was a great addition to our family. what is your input i have been looking into these birds for a couple years and i feel like the info i find is all the same.so i am open to anything and looking for any info you can give me.

thank you for your time
chris young

Dear Chris:

Sorry for the delay in responding, I have been incredibly busy these days.

Birds, like people, are all individuals. While one can make general assumptions, no one can predict the personality of a particular bird just based on species, color or sex. It really depends on the birds’ own personality, how it was raised and socialized and how it was trained. So what you really need is a breeder who has experience with birds, spends a lot of time with them and honestly evaluates each bird to place it in the right home. That being said, I find that males tend to be more gregarious than females and therefore you have much less chance of them becoming ‘one-person’ birds.

If your brother had a parrotlet, then you know how tiny and fragile they can be. Indeed, a parrotlet is smaller than the tail on the conure so they are not birds that can withstand a person being very physical with them. Therefore, I always am much more concerned about the welfare of the bird when it comes to interaction with young children. While a parrotlet can break the skin, a child can squeeze, throw, step on or otherwise injure or even kill a parrotlet in an instant. This would be more devastating for a child than getting bitten so it is something to strongly consider before a parrotlet comes into a home. It is for this reason I often recommend a larger bird such as a conure or even a cockatiel for small children. They are larger, easier to handle, are domesticated birds so they have a more even temperament and not as fragile as a 4” parrotlet. However, you know your children and their needs as well as your ability to supervise the kids when they are with the bird but it something that should be seriously considered.

I have written 3 books on parrotlets and also have a blog, website (www.parrotletranch.com) and a Facebook page for the Parrotlet Ranch so I have a ton of information out there. I am also available to answer questions, as time permits. If you would like to have your name placed on my waiting list, just let me know. I don’t take deposits and work on a first-come, first-served basis. Right now, my list is at least 4 months long.

Hope this helps and thank you again for your patience.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Owner, The Parrotlet Ranch