The 5 Worst Things About Keeping Parrots!!!

We chatted to many bird owners to find out what their 5 worst things about keeping parrots were and obviously had to incorporate an epic fly day! This videos features free flying of macaws, amazons, and conures along with a parrot party back at ours to find out what people really don’t like about parrot ownership.
It’s not easy, there are many challenges, way more than listed in this video! These birds are given up all the time because of the reasons explained. Please do your research and re home one over buying a baby!
Free flight is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly, always speak to a professional trainer or experienced mentor before taking your bird outside unrestrained
DryMix www.mikeyandmia.co.uk/food
Follow Mikey and Mia for Daily Updates!
Instagram: / mikey_themacaw
Facebook: / mikeythemacawandfriends
TikTok: www.tiktok.com...

[@dogcrazy25]

I would NEVER own a parrot for many reasons and I did look for a nanosecond until I did research. Dogs are enough for me. The beauty of all the parrots free flying is a sight to behold. BTW. I think they cost more than kids because kids grow up and leave!

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Haha so right about kids, they don’t hang around for a lifetime

[@RadfahrerProductions]

In my family we owned parrots, dogs and, my mother, cats. A dog loves you because you are the pack leader. Af cat loves you because you give them what she need. For a parrot you are a swarm member. On eye level situation. That makes it a difficult, but unique experience.

[@Odiekins]

I wish I did more research before getting birds 😂😂😂❤

[@ms.cellaneous7458]

Your videos are always the best! I've loved birds my entire adult life but knew, from the beginning, they would take a lot of time, care, patience, and money. I knew my lifestyle wouldn't allow a bird to live it's best life. So I've admired them from afar so to speak. Your videos let me enjoy the birds and I really love it. Thank you so much for sharing Mikey, Mia, and their friends with us. ♥🦜🦜♥

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Thank you, it’s much easier watching them on KZbin over having them in your home.

[@ms.cellaneous7458]

@@MikeyTheMacaw 😊👍

[@tanjamarie6807]

thank you for this.

[@gingerbee98]

Wow, I've never seen so much colour flapping around in the sky! Amazing 😍

[@Plectrudefy]

Many of those problems, especially the behavioural ones, are created by humans because we don't follow their natural lifestyle: diet requirements, bird on bird socialisation, hand raising etc. Pretty sad. It's absolutely beautiful to see these birds fly together though! They're definitely getting the best care possible.

[@tuliko8678]

Thank you for sharing this guys. I agree with your original statement that, in hindsight, these birds should not be with us. But now that they are, we have the responsibility to ensure that their captive life means something. Tuli is really treating the boundaries right now. Her moods shift on a dime, and she’s begun tree sitting. At least the park is literally right next to my house, so she brings herself home when she’s ready, but it’s a far cry from the predictable, dependable baby I did have. I do not regret having Tuli in my life at all. I was prepared for all of this, having done extensive research before bringing her home. She brings so much love and happiness to my life. She is my first born baby. But I wish people would do the research before getting them… even a permit! Off topic a little, in Sydney there is a Fox Rescue, where potential adoptees have to volunteer at the rescue, do a three month course, and then have home checks etc on the environment and enclosure the Fox will be kept in, before even being CONSIDERED for a Fox. Maybe this needs to be done for prospective parrot parents too?

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

That would honestly be so amazing if there was some sort of licence, test, or requirements for having these birds, they are far too easy to just buy and the problem of rehoming here is getting so bad.

[@JagaimoNoTensai]

Great interesting read. I hope for some sort of prerequisite information (test, license) being needed for the ownership of all exotic and specialist brids species (particularly Lorikeets as they are native but so different to parrots) here in Australia too. I have bones to pick about keeping everything behind a large price wall, rather very much interested in there being a hefty test covering lots of knowledge bases indepth. I dont own a large bird and i could imagine there would be alot of differences, however i think that with the right broad knowledge, the initiative to continue learning (plus knowing realible sources) and some sort of moderately expendable income even people with less money can still provide better homes than others that have more than the money needed but not the intiative, time or knowledge to provide proper care. There will always be big expenses that need to be outlayed to provide adequate housing, food, enrichment, regular and emergency vet visits however id argue that this can be achievable with preparation and planning to the right people. Affordable license with hard questions! Resourcefulness is a potential to meet the animals needs, so long as one knows what is safe and unsafe and how to respectfully aquire it all i think its very achievable. However it would also be fair to assume that until you have a bird, one doesn't know about the existance of alot of things and therefore couldn't intially account for them. That is a balance of logistics however either way education is the answer. Big test please. And more great vids, sites and forums from passionate owners 🙏 Personal pls for lorikeets. Alot of non English speaking countries with owners, which is great more info for those speakers is very important, however so is more info for your country and working with what is avalible to meet all needs. Safe spaces to share and learn so we can get better at this, i dont want them to be more "popular" that would also increase mistreatment and rehoming rates, safe spaces to share and learn 👌 Like this wonderful channel.

[@jeanettevanflorestein9397]

it looks like an airport there with you. So nice to see the well trained parrots take off and land

[@Odiekins]

Birds were never meant to be in captivity. So glad there is a community to help rescue the ones that have been rehomed ❤

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Yup!

[@saibhomalley9981]

Love how all the different birds flock together in the sky when they are flying ❤

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Yea such a cool sight right.

[@Dulcara14]

I think the worst thing about parrot ownership in my opinion is the lack of avian vets, and the misinformation out there, and throwing my inverts on the floor. Though trying to find how loud parrots can get can be hard, and I don't think sound clips/videos do that justice. I honestly wish there was more volunteer places as well, so people can really get a feel for what parrot ownership is like. I hope videos like these encourage people to think more before getting one and encourage better welfare for parrots. Also I feel these bad points generally depend on the owner and bird, as different people have different tolerances. My birds are pretty quiet, I know other people with really loud amazons/senegals.

[@Meraxes6]

I watched someone's cockatiel for a few days and the constant screaming drove me nuts! I could never.

[@Dulcara14]

@@Meraxes6 Never thought cockatiel were that noisy, I've always found they sing/mimic more. But I haven't lived with one in 10 years.

[@lisacarrero3245]

YAY 👏👏👏... YOUR VIDEOS ARE EPIC 👍👍👍... IT'S GREAT KNOWING THAT YOU GUYS LET US KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT THESE BEAUTIFUL BIRDS.. THANKS FOR ANOTHER GREAT VIDEO.. HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY 🙋‍♀️💕

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Yay. Thanks for watching!

[@nataliecwine]

Before I watch; top 5: 5) Their sometimes sassy attitudes that hurt my feelings 4) Feeling guilty when I have to go somewhere or work 3) cleaning the cages (sometimes it is fun to reconstruct them but when you don’t have time to have fun with it because you’re busy) 2) The poop. Especially on the furniture. 1) Vet & healthcare costs I won’t say toy or food costs because I consider this a hobby and their diets and toys are my favorite parts. You can also find ways around that by finding deals and building toys yourself. Vet/healthcare is always gonna be the biggest stressor. Mom of a 💚Conure, 💛Cockatiel, and 🤍Cockatoo. (And they have a little buddy 🤎finch, too) Edit while watching: my birds aren’t really loud at all! When they are it’s because i get them riled up. But yes the dust is annoying! If you are a neat freak psycho then you will always be cleaning!

[@Odiekins]

I am a neat freak psycho, and I am always cleaning up after my macaw and amazon 😂😂😂

[@Nemrai]

I really like parrots. But I'm really happy that I didn't get talked into buying an african grey I got a bit of a connection to at a pet store many years ago. They're not for me, and I wouldn't be a good caretaker of one.

[@noladowntown]

The music and watching them fly is so claiming to me omg beautiful birds. I have a Crimson bellied conures, and I dream of having a bigger bird like in this video.

[@RadfahrerProductions]

Bigger birds - bigger problems ;-)

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Haha it’s more of a nightmare than a dream

[@judyzabolocky4791]

Love watching your videos of Mikey and Mia! Thanks for sharing the “Good, Bad, and the Ugly” truth of what it’s really like to own them.

[@RadfahrerProductions]

Well, in reality - they own you ;-)

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Thank you! And yup, got to share it all haha

[@JagaimoNoTensai]

Beautiful deeply beautiful, thankyou for creating. First time watching your long format, absolutely love this group style advice. Lots of experience to learn from and so dang gorgeous (and equally informative) to see all your babies hanging together socialising. Thanks.

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Aww thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@californiasun162]

Was beautiful to see the them fly all together 💕

[@PionusTales]

Yay more videos!! Loved the video! Hope some people take the information on board

[@lyndarobertson9648]

So ,love the truthful comments, totally agree. Great to see them all flying, no clipped wings, awesome. I can not freefly my parrot in New Zealand as we have hawks that see parrots as chicken on the wing.

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

What kinda bird do you have? We actually have a few friends who free fly macaws close to Auckland.

[@Swaggykori]

I needed this, im getting a macaw sometime this month from a rescue unfortunately due to a injury he cannot fly but your videos really help me knowing what to expect :)

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Awwww, amazing you are rescuing and glad we have helped set your expectations haha

[@Denkic100]

There are reasons not to have one..when you don't have one.. but once you have a macaw, I wouldn't trade it for a million, they are really something special. Otherwise, they are much more demanding to care for than other pets such as dogs, cats, etc The bond with the human whose parrot he chooses..is something from another world..the most important thing to them is that person, which is above all

[@mari.klopfer]

I’m from São Paulo, Brazil and it Is funny to see many Parrots flying over London.

[@bkm2797]

Excellent once again, nothing but reality and that is what people need to know. Really enjoyed the vlog, Thank you.

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Thank you!

[@Spacey7]

I guessed all five of those. Maybe get a budgie as they're just as much fun if kept correctly & only a fraction of the problems 😊

[@sandralogan7834]

Sounds like a lot of fun 😂😹 They are Beautiful Bird's and they are from wild they going be loud" yes they do need be outside or if u can let them fly. ♥️💜💙🥰

[@Zonxy-zr]

hi friend, I haven't seen your channel for a long time.. after a long time.. finally ☺️ from Malaysia 🇲🇾

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Aww welcome back. Now go and catch up on all the vids you missed.

[@startheangel9760]

Outside of the noise, mess and expense their beaks are bolt cutters

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Yes!!!

[@Odiekins]

And finger cleavers 😂

[@brendamerrell7721]

I loved this one!

[@MG-et7lx]

Great video, I will stick with my tiel & canary,and I thought my cockatiel was loud, haha 😊

[@natewygant8085]

I love them anyways ❤… for some reason I can’t comprehend lol. They are just amazing to work with and be around despite the many drawbacks.

[@maoridoll2008]

Yes they are a handful & a big commitment emotionally & costly etc but they are fascinating,amazing,beautiful,loving feather babies.I had 2 grand baby alexandrine parrots my son raised frm birth & I babysat them a lot (2wks at a time while they went on holidays a lot)& I absolutely loved them but I couldn’t have them full time it’s way too much for me &he ended up rehoming them(luckily to a family knowledgeable on alexandrine parrots)but we miss them so much it’s horrible so discouraging having parrots is a good idea

[@RadfahrerProductions]

Hello Parrotfriends. I agree with all these thesis. These are no pets. These are no independent animals like a cat. These are swarm animals. And you and your familie are the swarm. They have to be treated as family members with feathers. And they are still avian animals anyway. Quite difficult to manage. I done this 40 years and found enough is enough. After she died my loved bird is here with us in a little urn, she could not be replaced.

[@rowdyposs]

was that an Amazon @3:57 laughing? 😂

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Haha yes!!! They are so funny

[@tranquilitymanorbirdrescue8930]

I have a rescue macaw that has a deep cynical laugh. And a white faced Amazon that laughs like the count off sesame st.

[@rowdyposs]

@@tranquilitymanorbirdrescue8930 that must be funny if they laugh at the same time :)

[@lsfen7]

My top five is : 5) he really needs more time for me to spend with him, like sometimes I stay like with him the whole day but he need more when I’m busy 4) noisy! Oliver is so noisy, when he’s happy or when he’s angry, just noisy 3) He poops every where like my shirts are always dirty I literally have a whole shirt full of poop I kept it for him. he even bites my shirt a lot that I even have holes in it.. I even bought a shirt just for him if I carried him I’d wear this shirt just for him 2) he is scared of interactions.. like he only likes me and no one else.. he bites everyone 1) whenever I eat he has to eat with me, my parents don’t like him cuz yk he’s big (he’s a Quaker, my aunt has a parrotlet and she’s small and they like her bcuz she’s small) so whenever we eat at the table and he’s flying around he comes and lands on my head (he doesn’t know how to come to my shoulders) and I get scolded because of that I don’t went to put him inside his cage because before 3 months he had depression and he got out of it so I’m scared to put him in cage a lot…

[@Lizbasu2010]

So cute and lovey dovey

[@chattyboytedandfriends]

Great video

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Thank you.

[@karlmartin9525]

What do you do about noise complaints

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Haha we do our best to bring them inside if they start getting loud outside.

[@joebean3615]

I love how the people are saying terrible things about owning them while smiling because they love there bird any way I’m really curious why you are leaving there nest there

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Haha it’s strange right. So if we take it away they will either be very frustrated and scream a lot or, just make another one haha

[@rowdyposs]

I’ve not seen such a big group of blue and gold macaws take off together. ❤ Can Macaws take off from the ground? I know they are pretty big birds but have they been menaced by any birds of prey ?

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Yea they always take off from the ground, the birds of prey in our area don’t show too much interest in them, they would prefer much easier targets.

[@Guuzaka]

Noisy, messy, expensive, complicated, yet beautiful creatures they are! 🤪🌈🦜

[@DatBeautifulNightmare]

😢 i so wish my irn and gcc could free fly. I definitely feel like they're missing out. My ringnecks 90 decibel of scream. Im lucky, my landlord likes my birds. My neighbours... not so much 😅

[@sun_hobi085]

Hello I’m sara I hope u read this I have a macaw about 7years old he is named rainbow I can’t control him anymore so I want someone like you guys to adopt him I had him for 4years but he still is aggressive even tho the only thing he lets me do is giving him a massage I really want him to in the hands of some like u guys so please adopt him I want him to be happy

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Hey. Pop us a message on insta/Facebook

[@annienewman8312]

vets are terrible to find

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Yup haha

[@timothyli-dark_smilez6410]

Wait I know you from inst LOL oh hey man LOL

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Haha hey

[@melissacourchesne2121]

Ok. I will stay with budgies!!!

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Smart haha

[@andreasmith2257]

All this holds true for budgies too

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Yup

[@skittlesrainbowprincess]

Honestly I have had birds my entire life and when all my IRN, quakers and tiels were gone I decided to get one macaw. I researched endlessly and thought I knew what I was getting into. Well one macaw is definitely more work, mess, frustration etc than 20 smaller birds. I adore her and will do the best I can for her but with all my experience, research I still didn't really understand what I was getting myself into. Unless you really are a "bird person" like me and will dedicate yourself to the bird regardless of anything else that happens in your life I don't recommend birds. Rehoming is very prevalent and is also very difficult for birds. They are beautiful and demanding and destructive and messy and expensive and your life will no longer be yours.

[@arghyasarkar6147]

No one is having a cockatoo 🙂 ?

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

No, there aren’t many in the free flight world in the UK

[@arghyasarkar6147]

@@MikeyTheMacaw okay

[@opethmike]

...I have seven

[@MikeyTheMacaw]

Oh wow

[@opethmike]

@@MikeyTheMacaw All special needs rescues; Definitely life consuming, but I wouldn't have it any other way

[@Odiekins]

Bless you ❤ hope they are all rescues.

[@opethmike]

@@Odiekins ...I literally just said they were.

[@Odiekins]

@@opethmike I only saw your first comment, I didn’t read the whole thread. Try being kind to others 🤍

[@bartholdy74]

I have two squawking parrots, & to parrot-phrase Oscar Wilde, to have one parrot is unfortunate, but to have two parrots is carelessness. 🦜🦜

[@Ashley__Rose]

Same with my dog- can’t ever go on holiday unless she can come. We never eat out unless it’s outdoors in the summer where they allow dogs. She is a handful now that her sister has passed. But she can’t help it 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@AnimalChannel-np1uh]

Lol, I have cockatiels and budgies and they have ripped up the wallpaper, pooed on the paintings (and chewed the corners), not to mention the dust everywhere! Anything you don't want them to find and chew, you have to hide. You really have to love them and just give up on having anything nice in the room but for me it's worth it to see them flying free and enjoying life. 😂