What Are The Best Small Parrots As Pets?

Small parrots make excellent pets, and especially for small children, as a larger parrot is more aggressive and scarey for small children to handle. Here I discuss what are the best small parrots as pets.

For as long as I can remember I have always had some or other type of small parrot as a pet. My first small parrot was a cockatiel, and of all the parrots I have owned in my life, the cockatiel remains my favourite.

How To Go About Choosing The Best Small Parrots As Pets

When you are deciding what the best small parrots as pets are, you need to ask yourself just what you are looking for.

  • Must the bird talk well?
  • Must it be easy to care for?
  • What price am I willing to pay?
  • Do I want a bird that does tricks?
  • Do I want an attractive bird?
  • How much space do I have for the bird?
  • How much time can I afford to spend with my small parrot each day?
  • How much money do I want to spend on food each month?

Let us look at some of the parrot types from smallest to biggest:

Parrotlets:

best small parrots as petsThe parrotlet is the smallest parrot species, and not quite as popular as the budgie.

Parrotlets come in several varieties, each with its own unique traits. However, one thing that they all have in common is that they can make wonderful pets with proper care. Parrotlets need a lot of socialization and exercise, so it’s important that those who adopt them have lots of spare time to spend with them. Some can learn to talk, but even those that don’t tend to have large personalities that shine through in their antics.

Their closest cousins are Amazon parrots, so it is no surprise that they have such comical disposititons.

Budgies:

Budgies are pretty, small and easy to take care of. They can be finger trained and can also be taught to speak, but will take longer to learn than their bigger counterparts.budgies as pets

They are great for children, because they don’t have massive beaks, but your child needs to be taught how to handle the bird gently. Budgies are very social and like to have a partner. They are a bit aggressive towards other bird types and it is not a good idea to put them in an avairy with other types of birds. They can however be put with cockatiels, although they do tend to bully the cockatiels.

They chatter softly and are not too loud like some of their bigger counterparts.

They are easy to take care of and eat very little.

Lovebirds:

best small parrots as petsLovebirds are very popular and they are stunning to look at. They come in a variety of types, but they can all make great pets with proper training and socialization.

Lovebirds don’t normally talk, but can be taught to do tricks.  Single lovebirds make better pets than pairs do, as a single bird will attach to his owner rather than his partner.

Beware though, I have found them to be great escape artists, which is why we see so many of them flying around in the wild.

Small Conures:

best small parrots as petsThe majority of small conures are medium sized or larger parrots, but there are some smaller Conure species that can be great choices for those looking for the best small parrots as pets. The Black-Capped Conures are 10 inches long and the Half-Moon Conures are even smaller.

They look like their larger counterparts, but they are a lot smaller and compact, which is what makes them so popular.

Conures are lovely for people who would like a larger parrot like a cockatoo or a mackaw, but don’t have the room or the money to buy them.

They tend to be very loud for their size, but they are extremely intelligent, bond strongly with their owners, and love to learn tricks and play games.

Cockatiels:

Training your cockatielCockatiels, although a bit smaller than Conures also make wonderful pets. They are easy to train if you get them young, and are also very easy to take care of. They don’t eat a lot, but can give you a lot of joy.

Cockatiels in my opinion are the best small parrots as pets, as they have unique characters, and soon make themselves part of the family. If you are looking to have a talking bird, only the males talk. They are also more attractive than the females and easier to train.

Indian Ringnecks:

best small parrots as pets

Indian Ringnecks are highly intelligent parrots and also make great pets. They come in many different colours and are very attractive. The males have a ring around their necks, hence the name.

Caution has to be taken though if they are not trained, as they can give a nasty bite. They are intelligent birds and make great pets. Ringnecks love to show off.

They are great talkers and speak with phenomenal clarity.

They make loving pets if trained from young, and as medium sized parrots are easy to take care of.

Rainbow Lorikeets:

best small parrots as petsRainbow Lorikeets are another medium sized parrot that are also easy to take care of and make great pets.

They are beautiful, sweet, affectionate birds who are known for their comical antics and congenial personalities.

In most parrot species it is imperative that young birds be hand-fed to be properly trained to step up and acclimated to human touch, however many have noted that even wild Lorikeets seem to be quite friendly toward people and easy to socialize.

Rainbow Lorikeets can live up to 30 years, so they will be around for the long haul.

Whichever your choose as your favourite best small parrots as pets, I am sure they will bring you joy for many years to come.

 

 

13 Comments

  1. Hey Michel,

    Really liked what you had to say about the different birds to choose from as pets. I had budgie a couple years ago and i taught it to sit on my hand. When i would call it, it would fly to me. Surprisingly, they are quite smart birds.

    When I first bought my budgie I got just the one as the pet store advised me it would be much easier to teach when it’s alone. Do you agree with this?

    1. Yes if you get one they are much easier to train, but I felt sorry for mine as she looked lonely and bought her a mate. She is far more animated now and still pretty tame, but am still battling to train the newer one.

  2. Hi there,

    I found your article very interesting, these birds are so beautiful!

    I fell in love with the Indian Ringnecks, wow, they are just wonderful:) I would definitely buy a pair of these parrots but I just would like to know if they can live in high temperatures? These birds have everything I need, perfect! Another question, please. Is it possible to raise two males in the same cage or do I need a couple?

    Thank you very in advance

    1. Yes these birds are made for hot weather and don’t enjoy the cold. As for two males in a cage together, I am not too sure about Indian Ringnecks as I haven’t owned these yet personally, but it works out fine with most other parrot types as long as you don’t add one female to the mix that they would fight over.

  3. I once had a friend with a parrot. It was very loud and it talked alot, it was quite interesting and beautiful to talk to a bird. Well not really having a conversation but exchange some words. I was also considering to buy a parrot. After reading your review I think I would go for the love birds, because they are small and they dont talk.

    Much easier. thank you for your review. You seem to be an expert when it comes to parrots.

  4. Hi,
    What a very informative article as you provided a thorough review of all the different types of parrots that one could have as pets.
    You also took the time to guide parents who have young children on what specific type of parrots would be suitable as pets – obviously ones that are aggressive – mentioning especially the ringnecks particularly as not training them properly they could present a problem with inquisitive young children.
    I found the lovebirds to be the most attractive pets with their beauty that you mentioned in the article.
    I also was completely unaware that last parrot you mentioned, the rainbow lorikeets can live up to 30 years.
    Do any of the other breed of parrots discussed in your article have that same expected type of longevity?
    Jeff

    1. Cockatiels also live for about twenty years, but if you want a companion for life go foot one of the bigger parrots like a cockatoo.

  5. I have been considering a parrot or parakeet. What is your opinion on the Pionus? I still have not decided on which parrot I will finally get. Right now I am considering one of the following: Love bird, Conure or a Pionus. But, it has been suggested an Eclectus or Ring Neck parrot would be suitable for me. I have raised birds in the past so I understand the amount of time it takes to care for them. Will welcome your opinion in this matter

    1. I have never had a Pionus, so don’t know what they are like as pets. If you want a tame pet, I would go for any of the above, but not a lovebird. I have never managed to train one of these properly, and have never actually seen a very tame one either. If you do buy, and want a tame bird, make sure to purchase one that has been hand reared, or be prepared for some nasty bites. If you are looking for an ultra friendly little bird, I would take a look at a small cockatoo species, like the bare-eyed or goffin. These are cute, funny and playful, but not the best talkers. If you want a good talker then the African Grey is a good bet, but they also tend to be very noisy.

      Ask to handle the bird you are interested in before you buy and you can get a good idea of what you are getting.

  6. I love budgies and cookatoos if I had 1 budgie and 2cookatoos, I would name them Mr. Dus, Hur, and Dupper.

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