A friend of mine has been thinking about getting a new pet recently.
Their cat passed away recently, and the void has been needing to be filled in their life.
As we were talking about what they were thinking of getting, he started asking me what it was like to own parrots.
I took him through my experience of owning a parrot, what it was like, and whether they make good pets for him.
He knows I’ve had a lot of Alexandrine parrots, so he asked me about them—do they make good pets?
So, do Alexandrine parrots make good pets?
Yes, Alexandrine parrots make great pets. They are gentle, friendly, like interacting with people, don’t tend to get nippy and are even good talkers. They aren’t as cuddly as other species, but if that’s not what you’re looking for, they make great pets—though perhaps not for beginners.
So, the short answer is yes, they do.
However, parrots are very different to owning any other pets.
They are a big commitment, and if you’ve never owned one before, then the Alexandrine parrot may not be the best choice.
On the other hand, for experienced owners, can make hugely rewarding pets.
Let’s look further into this.
Are Alexandrine parrots good for beginners?
The short answer is not really.
As I’ve said, owning any parrot is really a handful compared with other, more common pets.
Generally speaking, they are thought to have the intelligence level of around a 3–5-year-old.
This means they have a lot of specific needs which you may find it difficult to meet if you’ve no experience with parrots.
For the novice owner, though, you generally should not have a problem keeping an Alexandrine parrot.
But their gentle nature and affectionate disposition has to be nurtured, and it’s difficult to do that if you haven’t cared for a bird before.
I would not advise you to get an Alexandrine parrot as your first parrot.
For one thing, though they are not known to be nippy, they do have a large and powerful beak.
If they do not get everything they need, then they can become nippy, and this can be a huge problem given their beaks.
Stay away from Alexandrines as your first parrot.
Are Alexandrine parrots cuddly?
The answer to this one, also, is no.
Comparatively speaking, Alexandrine parrots are far less cuddly than other species.
Though they show their affection in many other ways, they don’t really like to be cuddled, and often don’t even really like their feathers touched or messed up at all.
They still have an extremely amicable nature, and love playing and interacting with you.
It’s just more likely to take the form of vocalizing, playing with toys, and maybe some light preening against you.
If you want a cuddly parrot, though, you should probably look into a different species.
African greys and cockatiels are generally considered very cuddly, and cockatiels are great for beginners, too.
It’s also important to recognize how individual all parrots are.
Alexandrine parrots are no exception to this, so some may cuddlier than others. In general, though, they are not very cuddly.
Are Alexandrine parrots noisy?
The first thing to say on this question is that all parrots are noisy, to some degree.
Vocalizing is part of how they live, whether it’s chirping, singing, speaking, whistling—anything.
It lets other members of the flock know they are there, and they expect noise back from you, as well.
They will want to hear you speaking to them, even softly.
That said, Alexandrine parrots are not considered the noisiest of all parrot species.
They tend to be most noisy in the morning and afternoon, and have a rather loud flock call.
They are reasonably good talkers, too.
If you can’t handle a lot of noise, then you should seriously consider whether any parrot is right for you.
They all make noise, without exception, though some are a lot louder than others.
Alexandrine parrots fall somewhere in the middle.
What, then, is considered the easiest parrot to own?
What is the easiest parrot to own?
The general consensus is that either the parakeet or the cockatiel is the easiest bird to own.
They are small, so they are easier to maintain.
They are usually reared by their parents, which makes taming a lot easier and they will bond to you much more quickly.
They are also a lot quieter than many other species of parrot, making them a lot more tolerable for most people.
Alexandrine parrots are certainly far, far more difficult to keep than either of these species.
They’re also just generally a bit rarer, which means you will have a harder time getting hold of a well trained one.
This is the other important point: how easy a parrot is to own depends on the breeder it came from.
If it has been properly trained, then it will be nice and easy to keep.
If not, then you could have a much harder time.
Conclusion
Alexandrine parrots are friendly, affectionate, playful and joyful.
They will bring huge joy into your life, and for the right person, make excellent pets.
Again, though, it’s important to stress that there is very little that’s easy about keeping an Alexandrine parrot.
They are highly intelligent and need a great deal of stimulation, and their needs just aren’t as simple as other species.
There are better options for the beginner, though they make great pets for experienced owners.