exactly what daily attention do parrots need?

well i'm still confused as to what parrot i may go for in the future. i've heard that parrots need a lot more daily attention than cats and dogs do, so i have a question relating to this.

could someone please give me some examples of exactly what this entails on a daily basis?
i realize it would be a lot different looking after a small cockatiel compared to a larger parrot, so i guess i'm talking more about the bigger birds such as african greys and others like those.

anyone with a large bird, what is your daily routine with them?

do you have to make sure you are up as soon as your parrot wakes, for instance?
does he/she need to be in sight of you [while you are doing stuff around the house] throughout the day for him/her to be happy?

that type of thing.

i'd really like a bird that likes to be handled a lot, if that is possible?
however i'd like a bird that is not going to freak out when i'm down the shops for a couple of hours and he/she is left on their own.

it just seems like they tend to be prone to getting really bored very quickly by the sound of it. maybe i'm reading too much into that side of things?

thank you.

you're never reading too much into it with this topic.

My routine with my birds is pretty basic.

I'm usually up early for work or uni. Firstly, I wake up the birds and let them out for a wing stretch while I fumble around making their breakfast. This takes anywhere from 10 mins to an hour depending on how lazy I am and how much fun we are having . The birds go back in their cages for breakfast and they have their toys there to amuse them while I'm out. These days I get home about mid avo, so I let them out for a couple of hours (this varies of course). Then they go back to their cages until after I have had dinner. They then come out and hang around for a while (perhaps on the couch for some TV or a training session) then they get put to bed. About 9pm I cover their cages.

This Varies heaps, especially having two different size birds with different needs, I have to juggle their interaction a bit. On the weekends they usually get heaps more attention and usually a trip outside into the backyard for some sunshine. IMO the larger birds take more time commitment.

Btw, definitely don't recommend an Ekkie for a cuddly bird. Eddie enjoys a head scritch and a cuddle every now and then, but he doesn't crave it.

I agree with Ben... Don't get an Ecky if you want lots of cuddles. My routine varies a bit as well. I'm up pretty early most days, routine is COFFEE (for me), a quick check on the forum then the day begins. I uncover the girls and open the cage doors while I make breakfast - they usually climb on top of the cages while this is going on then back in to eat. While they eat I change the paper on the bottom and pick up any mess - wipe bars that are dirty etc. The whole breakfast routine for me takes about an hour. After breakfast Shadow goes on her stand, Chicka likes to be near her cage so she either climbs onto her gym or wonders around the room. Mornings are often chaotic so not much interaction - just talking while I go about my business.
In the warmer weather Shadow comes to work with me - Chicka is very nervous so she stays at home with the TV or radio on, they also have heaps of toys whcih I rotate to keep them amused. My days vary greatly as to how much interaction. Somethime they get heaps other days very little - maybe just hanging out watching TV for half an hour - although this is very rare. Although I am the only one at home who interacts with them (Chicka wont go to anyone else) If someone is home the cage doors are open so they can come and go as they please & don't get bored.
I give them dinner every night which is not as extensive as breakfast and on the weekends pull the cages apart for a thorough clean - this includes all the perches, toys and surrounding walls in the room.
Each bird is different as to how much interaction is needed. The more you put in the more you get out but they all do take up a fair amount of time to prep food, clean, cages etc. In fact my husband and I just had a week off and he couldn't believe how much time they take up. I would say about 1 1/2hrs a day on average in general care, 3-4hrs on the weekend (I often make toys, birdy bread etc on w/ends) then add play time on top. Saying this I have 2 larger parrots.

It's hard to give a specific amount of time, but parrots need interaction with you (at least mine do) while our dogs are good just being in the room with us.

We don't let our birds out in the morning, since we get up pretty early to get to work early to get home early. But they get scritches and conversation along with their pellets, sprouts and veggies for breakfast.

If our sons are home during the day while we're at work, they let the birds out. Max, the Alexandrine, has recently "divorced" me in favor of our youngest son, so they spend quite a bit of time during the day, especially during school vacations. The first thing we do after getting home is let the birds out of their cages. They have free access to the house and follow us from room to room. Then they go to bed between 8-10, depending on how tired we are. So, even if they're in their cages all day, they get 3-5 hours of interaction with us during the week. On the weekends, they're out of their cages when they get breakfast and not put back until bedtime.

Depending on your bird, you can still spend time with them and get your day-to-day household chores done. Our girls, Jade and Ruby, "help" with dinner, dishes and laundry. They really don't like sweeping the floor so much. Max helps our son with his computer games.

Looking after a cockatiel, parakeet, conure, etc is no different than owning a large parrot. Especially for my keet. She may be small but to me, she's like a macaw on the inside. Again, depends on your bird's personality. I have small birds, but I do have a strenuous routine with them. My routine varies between summer and the school year, I'm still in high school (I'm only 16). And it mostly is my keet S'mores. My tiel isn't hand tame yet, so not much I do with him yet.
School year: I wake up in the morning, I feed them their breakfast and spend about 5-10 minutes interacting, go to school. I come home somewhere around 2:30-4:00. I sit down and do my homework. I'll give S'mores her out of cage time. She'll either sit on my shoulder and play in my hair or play on her play gym. When I finish homework, I spend about 1 to 2 solid hours interacting, training, and playing with my keet. I also take this time to train my tiel a little bit. My keet is very demanding and she loves to play games with me. Then I go watch TV or go on the computer with her on my shoulder. Then at 10, it's lights out. On weekends, if I'm not busy, I spend about 3-7 hours interacting.
Summer: In the morning, I have summer school for health. But when I come home, I start with training Bartleby, my tiel. I do three training sessions with him each day, varies if I'm busy or not. Then I spend most of my day doing things with my keet. I spend about 5-8 hours interacting with them each day.
Again, this always changes on your life style and birds personality. My keet is very demanding as I said and she always wants to play or learn tricks. She loves to relax when I'm relaxing too! Good luck with whatever bird you chose!

Birds are like any other pet...they require love and attention. It's not as demanding as it may sound. They do need to be with you, but that may be on a cage top, or playstand. They need to be talked to, and interacted with. That doesn't mean you have to have a bird on you all day. I have a schedule with my guys. Abbey, Sadie, Levi and Charlie are out on the morning for a couple of hours. Most of this time is spent on a window perch, with intermittent flying laps. They always return to the window, so no need to be concerned that they're getting into trouble. I do not leave any bird outside the cage, unsupervised. Little guys back to the cage, Freddie's door is opened. He chooses whether he wants in or out, but the door remains open. He spends a lot of time on top of the cage. I talk a LOT to my birds, and I also think they are company for each other when I'm not here.
The main thing to remember is to choose a bird who likes interaction but is also capable of entertaining itself, when you're not around. Also, don't give the bird more at the beginning than you are prepared to give for the rest of it's life..

Cleaning cages does require time and IMO needs to be done daily. I paper change and wipe down every morning. I think all things need a clean place to be...Time spent on that depends on how many birds you have. One bird...one cage won't take but a few minutes..

i had planned on just one bird as i had the impression its a more favourable thing? however, personally i'd prefer to have a couple of birds as i think its good for them to have the company of their own kind too.

btw, thank you for all the replies too.

Yes they need lots of your attention. Some of this attention is spent in the kitchen preparing good food for them and shopping for this food unless you grow your own. More time is needed for cleaning the cage area and cage. These are a few of the things that you may not have thought of. I really do not know how people do good bird guardianship if you work 8 hrs. a day 5 days a week but people manage.

According to most sources, they need 3 to 4 hours a day but, in reality, that's because we, humans, can rarely afford to give them more because if one goes by how they live in the wild, they have company and interaction all day long. That's why it's easier on the human and on the birds to have a birdroom with a number of birds in it (which is what I have). That way, you don't have to spend a whole lot of time with them and they don't suffer at all. This is especially true for people who work outside the home.

What Birdamor said is true. They require many hours of your attention, but getting him or her a buddy helps. I have my cockatiels out-of-cage constantly, and they love it. I play with them hands-on intermittently for hours, and the rest of the time is spent just having them run around on the carpet, sitting on top of their cage, and sitting on their perch. When I'm away, they either sit quietly, enjoying each other's company; or they play together.

i hope to have any bird i get, to be able to free-range as much as possible.
also, i shouldn't have any problem giving a bird a lot of my time throughout the day, as i'm used to doing that kind of thing with my rats.

spaced said:

i hope to have any bird i get, to be able to free-range as much as possible.
also, i shouldn't have any problem giving a bird a lot of my time throughout the day, as i'm used to doing that kind of thing with my rats.

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Then you'll be fine. if you leave them plenty to do when you're out you shouldn't have issues with boredom.

Now all you have to do is decide which one