Evolution Exotics

Pacific Parrotlet Basic Information Sheet

Information & Care

Pacific Parrotlets

Also known as Pocket Parrots or Celestial Parrotlets.
Average life span is 15 to 20 years, but have been known to live up to 30 years.
They have the attitude of a big Macaw packed into a tiny little body.
They do have a slight smell and a little dander, but nothing like a cockatiel.
Native habitat is Mexico and Central and South America.
Some can be taught to talk, but mostly males.
Sexing can be done by the color of the underside of the wings and wingtips. Males have blue wingtips and blue under their wings.

Care Sheet

What to Know Before Bringing Your Parrotlet Home:

Expenses: Parrotlets can be quite expensive. You will want to buy from a quality breeder and that can cost you $75 and up, not including shipping if needed. Some mutations can be several hundred dollars. The old adage rings true, you get what you pay for. A side-note on shipping… if any breeder offers to ship you their bird but does so via ground/postal service, DO NOT buy from them. For one, it is inhumane to ship ground. Good breeders know that it needs to go by air and has to be dropped off at the airport and you have to pick them up at the airport. This can be expensive. I do not ship my birds because I do not have access to an airport close by.

Cages: You can get a decent basic flight cage from Petco. I recommend the You & Me Finch Flight Cage for about $50. It is a great starter cage and perfect for them, but if your budget allows, you can always go bigger and better quality.

Time: If you are working and not home a lot, then a bird might not be for you. They love attention and love to spend time with their human parents. If you are at work or at school for most of the day and aren’t able to spend several hours a day with them, then I suggest finding another animal that is not as needy. You will also need the time to clean their cages, which also includes vacuuming several times a week, because they can and do make a mess. Birds can also live upwards of ten to twenty years depending on the breed, so you will need to make sure that you are committed to this bird. These are not like dogs or cats that you can pawn off to someone else when you get bored. They form strong bonds and literally can go through depression with a constant change of households. This can cause plucking and barbering. So you need to make sure this isn’t just an impulse buy. I will not sell my animals to people that don’t do the proper research and don’t take the initiative to learn everything they can about the animals. This might just be a bird to some, but to those of us that love our birds we know how amazing they can be, and also how sensitive they can be. Their knowledge base and emotional range is the equivalent of a toddler, so you can’t just buy them and ignore them.

Cleaning: The trays should be emptied every day or two and washed out weekly. I use newspaper as my substrate, but you can use a few different things, but do not use cat litter. I prefer the newspaper or plain paper as it is quick and easy to replace, and free, as I use the newspaper that comes in the junk mail. The toys and perches should be washed weekly. The whole cage should be cleaned and scrubbed down monthly. Food and water bowls should be cleaned daily. You can use vinegar or Dawn soap to wash the items, just make sure to rinse thoroughly.

Temperature: Normal household temperatures should suffice. Parrotlets prefer to be in the temperature range of 65-80F. The temperature should definitely not exceed 85-90F or go below 45-50F.

Cage Placement: The cage should be placed where they can get proper ventilation but also should be free of drafts. The cage should be placed at eye level and where you spend the most time in your household so that they can get adjusted to your schedule and daily activities. They are sticklers for consistency. They like to be fed at the same time each day and you want to get into the habit of waking them up or putting them to bed at the same time each day. They like a schedule, and altering that schedule can upset them.

Free Flight Time: You will also need to allow them free flight time outside the cage, unless your cage is super huge or an aviary, but even then, if kept inside, it would allow them to get some much-needed exercise. But never, EVER, allow them outside of the cage without supervision. They love to explore and get into places they shouldn’t be. This is especially the case with other animals in the room. Even with supervision accidents can happen. I had an incident where my budgie, Marley, was out free flying and landed on one of my parrotlets cage. My parrotlet, Arya, hates the other birds and it didn’t take a second for her to fly up to where he landed on the top of her cage and bite his toe. So needless to say, when one of the birds is out for free flight, the other cages are now covered so they can’t get into trouble. And that was with me not even a foot away from the cage. Accidents can happen quick. Thankfully Marley is ok. The last thing you need is an emergency trip to the veterinarian for something that could have easily been prevented. I learned a very valuable lesson that thankfully wasn’t serious. Also, they love to chew! So if you have anything like remote controls or other things that you don’t want little birdies to chew on, hide them! Just like you would baby proof your home for a toddler, you need to bird-proof your home for these inquisitive little creatures. Also never allow them in the kitchen when cooking, because a pot of boiling water looks like a bath to them, and they will head straight for it. Also, them in the kitchen, even when you're not cooking, can be disastrous. They can get caught behind your oven or refrigerator and get stuck, or land in the sink and get dirty. Plus, they carry bacteria that you don't want in or around your kitchen.

Noise: I have some parrotlets that hardly make a peep, and then others who never stop chirping unless it’s bedtime. And they are loud! You will need to be prepared to handle the loudness. So apartment living is probably not a good fit, as they can possibly annoy your neighbors and get noise complaints on you. You want to make a phone call? Go to another room, because as soon as you start talking, so will they. Want to take a nap? Good luck with that if they are anywhere near your bedroom in the middle of the day. And NEVER cover their cages in the middle of the day just to quiet them. It throws off their day/night cycle. These are essentially wild animals, they are doing what is natural to them. They will be up at the crack of dawn chirping away. If you can’t handle that, get a hamster.

Other Pets/Children: As mentioned on my Safety page, other pets and young children can pose a risk to the birds. It is up to you to decide if you think you can safely keep a bird in your home without it being in danger from predatory animals or young children. I know a lot of people have cats and love their cats, but the cat is a natural predator to birds, so that is not a good matchup. I have heard too many horror stories of cats somehow getting into the cage and killing the bird, or the bird escaping the cage and the cat killing it. This goes for ANY animal, not just cats or dogs. I know there are videos online of animals coexisting, but this is not the norm, and I vehemently disagree with allowing different species of animals to touch or be around each other. You never know when that animal can react in a way that could kill a bird instantly.

Veterinarian: Before bringing your bird home, do some research and find an avian veterinarian near you. You will want to take your bird to a veterinarian to do a checkup and blood tests when you bring them home and make sure that they are healthy, as birds are very good at hiding diseases until it’s too late. You should also have one so that should any issues arise that you can quickly take them to be seen.

Other Members of the Household: If you have roommates or other members of the family living with you, you need to make sure that they are on board with you bringing a potentially loud animal into the household. You will also need to be sensitive to other people’s allergies. Everyone needs to agree that things will need to change in the household, like not cooking with teflon, or not using the self cleaning option on the oven, or burning candles and using other air fresheners. Read up on the dangers on my Safety page for a full list of things that can harm them. It’s not just you getting the bird, it’s everyone.

Behaviors: As I’ve mentioned before, parrotlets have the attitude of a big macaw packed into a tiny little body. Sometimes this means they may act out in a way that doesn’t fit your ideals of how they should be. They might decide they don’t like you and prefer another member of the family. They might decide they love you and if your significant other comes too close, they might attack them. They are ornery little floof balls. I’m not trying to talk you out of having one, but just know that you need to be prepared. Just like how every human has their own personality, so does every parrotlet. Some like to fly around and explore, some choose to only sit on your shoulder when they’re out. And if you have multiple bird species, some might decide they don’t like those other birds and try to attack them. I have a female parrotlet that hates every other bird I have, because she wants to be with me all of the time. She gets very jealous of the other birds I spend time with. She will actually go out of her way to try and bite them, or even when I’m playing bird videos on my phone, she’ll bite me. She loves her scritches though, but I have others that don’t even want to be touched. They turn their beak up at me. I’ve got another female that is one of my breeders that comes out of her nest box when I come near just to try and attack me. They each have their own temperament and that temperament may not be perfect. But I love each and every one of them. You have to understand that they might not end up being the bird you expected they would be, and you will have to be willing to adapt to that.

What to Buy Before Bringing Your Parrotlet Home:

Before you get your bird you want to make sure you have all of the supplies that you will need.

Cage(s): A flight cage is recommended. A 30x18x18 cage or larger is perfect for your parrotlet, but you need to make sure the bar width is no wider than half an inch, because they can squeeze their heads through and get stuck and suffocate. Unless breeding, they should be housed alone as they are very aggressive with other parrotlets, and especially to other birds. There’s always exceptions to every rule, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. You will also need a travel cage for vet visits or trips. Make sure the travel cage has a food and water dish as well, but no toys that can injure them in transit. Also, do NOT remove the bird from the travel cage until you are home and ready to put the bird into it's regular cage.

Food/Water Dishes: Most cages come with food and water dishes, but it wouldn’t hurt to have extras as backup when you want to switch them out for cleaning, or you don’t like the ones that the cages come with.

Perches/Swings: You will need perches of different sizes and textures. I use all wooden ones as the cement ones will hurt their feet. They will use these perches to naturally trim their beaks and toe nails, so you want several different kinds. You also want to place them far enough apart so that they have to use their wings to fly from perch to perch. This gives them extra exercise in their cage should they be stuck in them for an extended period of time while you’re at work or school. Avoid placing perches over the food and water bowls, as they will defecate into them. A swing acts like a perch and many love to sleep on them.

Toys: You will need lots of toys of different types for chewing, foraging, playing, and interactive. They are very inquisitive birds and get bored easily, so the more toys the better. You can even make your own toys, and I have included a website on my Links page that shows you what materials are safe or unsafe. There are a wide variety of toys, and there are some unsafe ones being sold in stores. Stay away from mirrors because that induces mating/hormonal behavior, and can also encourage them to bond to their reflection instead of you. They love vibrant colors and noisy toys like bells. They are also fast learners that can be taught tricks. They actually have the brain capacity that is equivalent of a human toddler. And we all know what happens when a toddler is bored, it gets cranky and does things it shouldn’t. So this is why it is very important to give your bird an assortment of toys and things to do in and outside of their cage. You will also want to change up the cage every so often and move their toys around and add and remove toys to keep them stimulated. Avoid placing toys over the food and water bowls, as they will defecate into them. I make my own toys and even use those cat scratching cardboard boxes because they love to shred them. Plastic bottle caps are also a fun toy as well as round rawhide balls and plastic balls with bells in them. Toys to avoid are ones that they can get their beaks, feet, or other extremities caught in. For example, the bells that are on most Christmas ornaments or chains that have open links, because they are extremely dangerous to their little feet. They will chew off their own foot to escape, and it doesn’t take much blood loss for them to bleed to death. They can also easily die from shock.

Bathing: Some birds love to take baths. So provide a fresh bowl of lukewarm water every day or two so that they can wash off all that dander and smell good. Some might not like it. Some might take baths in their water bowls, which is why cleaning water bowls daily is necessary. You can also buy bathing stations that you attach to their cages for them to bathe in and not make a mess.

Playstand: A playstand is a great way to get them some out of the cage time and fun for them to explore.

Food: See the Diet page for feed recommendations.

Vitamins/Minerals: Get a cuttlebone and a mineral block for the cage, as well as any supplements recommended on the Vitamins & Minerals page. You can also get edible perches that have vitamins and minerals in them. Just make sure you get the ones that don’t have added dyes in them.

Digital Scale: If you are breeding especially then you will want to get a digital scale so you can keep up with their weights.

Lighting and Day/Night Cycle: Full Spectrum Lighting is recommended by some. It's a highly debatable subject. If you choose to do lighting, make sure it's not too close to the cages, or else it can cause the birds to go blind or have cataracts. If you are keeping them indoors, but don’t have access to a window that you can open up and allow some UVA/UVB lighting in, then you might want to get a full spectrum lighting setup. If you have a shaded screened-in patio you can always take them outside in their cages to get some natural scattered sunlight, just make sure not to put in direct sunlight and not in extreme heat or cold temperatures. I turn my lights on at 11am and turn them off at 6pm, and all of my birds are in rooms with windows that give them their day/night cycle. Northern facing windows are preferable as the sunlight won’t be direct. At night I have a night light for them in my large animal room. Birds can get night frights sometimes, so having a little night light in there will help to calm them should they have a nightmare and wake up and freak out. They should be getting ten to twelve hours of sleep every night. I have another bird in another room who I partially cover her cage and there’s a nightlight in the room for her as well. I keep my window blinds open throughout the day but partially close them at night so that when the sun rises in the morning then they are aware that it’s coming up. They go to sleep when the sun goes down, so make sure they are fed before that because they are a stickler for schedules.

Bringing Your Parrotlet Home:

Safety Precautions: At this point you should have already done a walkthrough and made sure that the room you are keeping them in is safe and free of hazards. Read up on the Safety page for potential hazards. Just know that they are like toddlers, they will chew or try to get into places they shouldn't be. So make sure any furniture you have in the room is easy to access behind because chances are, they will fly and get behind it at some point.

The First Few Days: The first few days are going to be very stressful for your bird, so you want to limit your interactions with them, especially the first day. They likely won't eat or drink, at least not in front of you. You will need to watch for their droppings to see if they are eating and drinking, and also to make sure that it's a healthy color. Check the Health page for what their droppings should look like. They also might not chirp or talk as much the first few days until they get accustomed to your schedule. You also want to keep handling to a minimum during this adjustment period. You can still talk to them, play them music, tv, etc., but they are going to be highly stressed and any added stress can be dangerous for them. After a few days, or once you notice them eating and drinking normally and having normal droppings, then you can slowly start to work on handling, taming, and training them. Refer to the Taming & Training page for more information. Some breeders suggest to start handling the birds the second day. This is a judgment call. I prefer to give them a few days to acclimate before I start handling.

When Bringing Multiple Birds Into Your Home:

"Should I Get Another Bird?": This is a personal choice to you. Do you want more birds? If so, go for it. Does your parrotlet need another bird? If you are spending an appropriate amount of time with your bird, and they have enough toys and stimulation, then no, they do not need the company of another bird. Also, if you do have multiples, they might not bond to you as they would if it were just the one bird. They might enjoy hearing and seeing another bird in the room. If you do decide to bring home another bird then you will need separate cages at first while the new bird goes through quarantine. To reiterate, if you have a second bird in the home, the chances of them bonding to you will be lessened as they will want to bond to the other bird. If you decide to bring another bird into the home, make sure you have bonded to the previous bird first.

Quarantine Period: When bringing new birds into a home that already has other birds, you need to properly quarantine the new birds in case of a possible infection whether from the birds you already have, or quite possibly a new one you just got. Sixty to ninety days is the optimal time, but no less than thirty days. They need to be in separate rooms, as far away from each other as possible, and not allowed to touch at all during this time period. This will also give you the chance to bond separately to the new bird so that both birds will be bonded to you before they bond with each other. But make sure not to touch your other bird(s) without changing your clothes or washing your hands and arms, because if the new bird is infected with anything, it can pass the infection on your skin, clothes, hair, and even through the air, which is why it's important to keep them as far away from each other as possible. You could possibly spread an infection to every bird you have and lose your entire flock.

Introductions: Once your bird has passed quarantine you can slowly start introducing them to each other. Chances are they've already heard each other and have been chatting with each other during the quarantine process, so now you can set their cages nearby each other, yet far enough apart that they can't bite or scratch each other through the bars. Keep them like this for a week or two and then you can work on letting them near each other IF you feel that they are ok with each other. But if one shows aggressiveness towards the other, the other will respond in kind, and they should not be let out at the same time because they can do a lot of damage to each other in a very short period of time. So if they show signs of aggression, it's best to just keep them separated. Also, if one is acting aggressive, make sure to cover their cage when you let the other one out, because they might try to land on each other's cages while out and they can still get hurt even through the bars. Or you could place them in separate rooms so they won't interact with each other. This is why most breeders will tell you that a multiple parrotlet home might not work out, because they can be very aggressive towards each other and other birds. And even if they accept each other, you still want to make sure any time together is supervised, because at any moment things can change and they go off on each other. Like I've stated before, there are exceptions to every rule. I have a pair of boys that are incredibly bonded to each other and are caged together, but I don't recommend it. That is how they came to me, and I haven't split them up because their bond is so strong and has been for a couple of years, but I know at any moment that can change and I might have to split them up. That's why I always keep an extra cage or two handy, just in case, because even bonded male and female pairs can go off one day and kill each other.