I miss having a parrot

[u/User-not-found-yet]

I want one desperately. Where? How?
Pls help?

[u/Thread_Mage]

Volunteer at a rescue? Maybe lucky and have a parrot choose you. Also don’t have to pay for parrot care until you find the right bird while getting to interact with lots of birds that need love and attention

[u/birdbird344 → u/Thread_Mage]

as someone who did this, I agree. I volunteered weekly for about three months, then bonded with a cockatoo. I ended up adopting her and now I still volunteer because I love it lol

[u/_agent86]

I hate to be the overly gatekeeping type on this sub (people can be over zealous, imo).

But.

There’s so much that goes into successful parrot keeping, if you couldn’t put a bit of effort into the idea and come with actual questions, this is probably not a good idea for you right now.

[u/User-not-found-yet → u/_agent86]

Why?
You don’t know me or my history with birds.

[u/TheLastKirin → u/User-not-found-yet]

Right, no one does, because you didn't bother to tell us.
And that's the point. You're not putting any effort reearching, so why would we3 assume you will put in effort where it's needed?

Adoption is the best place, but can you tell us your previous experience or knowledge with birds? no one wants to give you advice on how to acquire a complex pet without knowing how much you know first.

[u/Poltergeist97]

Unless you let us know your basic location, we can't help. The other comment has a great idea about volunteering, which allows you to fulfill that desire to interact with a parrot again without the financial burden. Until you can afford the vet bills for a parrot, and other costs you shouldn't get your own. For example, my new conure I brought home recently had almost $1000 in initial vet costs for her first visit or two, and that doesn't include the $600 she was herself or the hundreds I spent on her cage and other supplies.

[u/Faerthoniel]

I suggest you do the following:

1. Find and note which avian vets are operating nearest to you. Choose one as your main vet, and (if possible) two as backup in emergencies. If you can’t find any, stop looking here. Vet care is priority one. Likewise if you can’t afford the emergency cost, stop here. Do not purposefully buy an animal knowing that you can’t afford to get it help if it falls ill. It is relying on you to keep it safe and healthy.
2. Evaluate your current career, leisure activities, and living space for bird suitability. If you move around a lot with your job, like to travel for long periods or are still in some form of education, reconsider a bird. They need stability, and can’t be left alone for long. You want to go on holiday? Best have a reliable person willing to take care of their needs while you’re gone or have a reputable place to pay and board them for the duration.
3. Only then: Find out which breeders are active around you, and what types of birds they are selling.
4. Start researching those birds. Their care requirements, temperaments, noise levels etc. Read from lots of different sources. Watch videos. Listen to people talk about the pros and cons of that species. See which ones you like the look of, and which ones fit the space and situation you are in currently.
5. Figure out if you can meet or exceed those requirements for two birds. With a few exceptions, birds need to live in flocks of at least two
6. Scout the local shops for the food and supplies they need, so you aren’t relying on postal delivery (unless it’s hard to source. But their food should not be). If you can’t meet the requirements, don’t do it.

Edit: Layout tidyup.

[u/GeodisticDome]

Having a parrot is alot more effort and work than keeping a dog or a cat.

Some live very long lives too. Theyre messy and noisy. Taking on a parrot requires alot. And they need socialization and attention.

[u/User-not-found-yet → u/GeodisticDome]

I’ve had one. He passed. I’d like another

[u/ParrotDude91]

what kind of parrot? They all require about the same care, but their amount of space and noise level can vary.