Hey everybody!

[M_paq]

Hello! My name is Mya. I've always loved birds, I have wanted one since the age of 8 or 9. At first I wanted a budgie, even though I did a ton of research (especially for being the age I was) I wasn't allowed to get one.

That was the first time I really got into birds. Ever since, I have loved all kinds of birds. My dream bird would be a green wing or calico macaw. I have never owned a bird, but I feel like I have done so so much research and learned so much about these birds, how to train them, prevent screaming, biting, general care, And all of the great stuff that comes with being owned by a big mac. That it would be okay to maybe gain a little bit of experience with handling them through pet sitting or volunteering at a shelter with some of the larger birds. Then after that getting one, without actually owning a bird. Is that completely crazy? Has anyone else done this? Also I was looking into rescuing a bird, would rescues not adopt a bird to me because of this? I have been researching them for over three years if that is helpful. Thanks already! And this forum is so awesome and helpful by the way!!

 

[Ann333]

Hi welcome to the forum.If you have put in all that effort and research into a bird then I think it is a great idea to volunteer at a shelter and get some experience! Who knows you may find a bird who chooses you. Good luck on your journey.

 

[Mekaisto]

I would recommend finding someone who owns a macaw (even if it's not the species you're looking for) and spending some time with the real thing

Owning/training a parrot will bring a lot of challenges you won't be able to learn through books or videos, but seeing how you go with one that's already trained might be a good start

 

[Terry57]

Hello Mya and welcome! I also think that volunteering at a rescue would be an awesome experience for you. You can interact with so many birds, and it may be easier to make a decision. Are you asking if the rescue may not adopt to you because you haven't had a bird before? I feel that if you volunteered there, they could judge your readiness to be a parront
Good luck on your journey!

 

[M_paq]

Well this is good to hear! Glad my little plan isn't a bad idea. Now I just need to find a rescue that is close enough to volunteer at. I know of quite a few, but almost all of them are an hour or more away from me. If anybody knows of a parrot rescue in southern MN let me know! I think one of them uses fosters. Maybe fostering a bird would be a good idea. That way I can get to experience owning a bird without having negative consequences on the bird if I decide I don't want a bird in the long run.