Raising a “perfect parrot” from weaning through adulthood is like trying to raise a “perfect” human. Baby parrots don’t come with dispositional guarantees. Wheather a bird developes behaivors in response to a bad wing-feather trim, damaging perches, an explosion, fire or simply inappropriate (usually unintentional) reinforcement; unwanted behaviors usually appear and (hopefully disappear off and on throughout its lifetime. If inappropriate behaviors are reinforced, they can be expected to continue.
While a parrot is a parrot is a parrot, extreme variations exist among the different species – even between birds of the same subspecies. In addition to choosing a type of bird whose needs and behaviors can be expected to fit well into a particular home, the bird’s age can also affect a successful placement.
**For the full article, pick up the 2007 issue of Birds USA**