19 Myths in Companion Parrot Care

There are lots of myths and easily perpetuated narratives about how we should care for and manage our parrots and their behavior. Many of these narratives are not rooted in science or academic information but something that is worse (eep! sorry scientists): that which looks close to science but is not actually science. This makes information confusing and yet, we still pass it along because it might work for someone sometimes.

Let’s tackle some of these myths in this podcast:

1. Height dominance is a thing with parrots (or even just dominance)
2. Your parrot needs to learn the word, “NO!”
3. Wearing gloves reduces biting
4. Fostering a pair bond builds your relationship
5. Your parrot must fly/take a shower to be healthy
6. An all seed diet is bad, so don’t feed seeds

This is much nuance to unpack here, and we get right into it. So let’s figure out what the real truth is behind these claims!

Articles:

How to step up an aggressive parrot

How to change your parrot’s diet for better health and behavior

How to live a bite free life with your parrot part 1

Podcast with Dr. Scott Echols on diet 

References

Dr. David Mech on Alpha Wolf and pack studies