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Parrot Health & Grooming
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Related Articles & Questions
- New Pet
Bird Grooming Basics: Feathers, Nails & Wings
Read more to learn some basics of bird grooming that include bathing, nail trimming, and wing clipping.
Updated on July 17th, 2026
- Care Sheets
Expert Care for Your Large Hookbill: Food, Habitat, Health & Happiness
Learn how to take care of large Hookbill, recommended diet and housing setup. Find the right food, supplies and equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
- Training & Behavior
Essential Pet Care Guide: Keep Your Furry Friend Happy & Healthy
Search Petco for the information needed about your bird’s body language. We will help you look for the signs in your bird & help you communicate with them.
Updated on October 23rd, 2025
- Care Sheets
Lovebird Care: Your Complete Guide to Food, Habitat & Health
Learn how to take care of your Lovebirds, recommended cage size, diet and housing setup. Find the right food, supplies and equipment at your local Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
- Care Sheets
Small Hookbill Parrot Care: Food, Habitat, Health & Behavior Tips
Learn how to care for small hookbill parrots, recommended diet & bird cage setup. Find the right food, supplies & equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
- Training & Behavior
New to parakeets? Essential care tips for first-time owners.
Parakeets, also called Budgerigars, are small members of the parrot family and they can become good mimics. The average adult size is 7 inches long, head to end of tail. The average life span is between 10 to 20 years with proper care. A well-balanced Parakeet diet consists of: Specialized pellets should make up 60-70% of diet, fresh vegetables and fruits and small amounts of fortified seeds Clean, fresh, filtered, chlorine-free water, changed daily. Do not feed birds: avocado, fruit seeds, chocolate, caffeine or alcohol; it can cause serious medical conditions. Avoid sugar and high fat treats. Things to remember when feeding your Parakeet: Fresh food and water should always be available. Vegetables and fruits not eaten within a few hours should be discarded. Remember, treats should not exceed 10% of total food intake. Housing Parakeets acclimate well to average household temperatures, not to exceed 80°F; be cautious of extreme temperature changes. The habitat should area that is well-lit and away from drafts. A habitat approximately 18"W x 18"D x 18"H, with metal bars spaced no greater than 1-2" apart, makes a good home for one Parakeet. A flight habitat is strongly recommended. It is best to provide the largest habitat possible. Perches should be at least 4" long and 3-8" in diameter; a variety of perch sizes to exercise feet and help prevent arthritis is recommended. Perches should be at least 4" long and 3-8" in diameter; a variety of perch sizes to exercise feet and help prevent arthritis is recommended. A metal grate over the droppings tray will keep the bird away from droppings; line the droppings tray with habitat paper or appropriate substrate for easier cleaning. To avoid contamination, do not place food or water containers under perches. Parakeets can be kept alone to bond with pet parent or in pairs to bond with each other. Different birds she not be housed together. Normal Behavior Parakeets are talkers, but their little voices are sometimes hard to hear. Active and need daily time out of their habitats to interact with family. Keep in pairs if unable to devote daily interaction time. Provide foraging toys, which provide important mental stimulation. Housing Maintenance Clean and disinfect the habitat and perches regularly; replace substrate or habitat liner weekly or more often as needed. Replace perches, dishes, and toys when worn or damaged; rotate new toys into the habitat regularly. Ensure that there are no habitat parts or toys with lead, zinc or lead-based paints or galvanized parts as these can cause serious medical issues if ingested by your bird. Do not use a lot of cleaning agents around your bird a natural cleaner. Grooming & Hygiene Provide filtered, chlorine-free, lukewarm water regularly for bathing; remove the water when done. As an alternative, mist the bird with water. Clipping flight feathers is not necessary, but when done correctly it can help prevent injury or escape; consult an avian veterinarian on what is best for your bird. Nails should be trimmed by a qualified person to prevent injury to the bird. Signs of a Healthy Animal: Active, alert, and sociable Eats and drinks throughout the day Dry nares and bright, dry eyes Beak, legs and feet normal in appearance Clean, dry vent Smooth, well-groomed feathers Common Health Issues Chlamydiosis: Appetite loss, fluffed feathers, nasal discharge, green stool. Seek immediate avian veterinary attention. Diarrhea: Fecal portion of stool is not formed. Multiple causes from diet change to internal parasites. Consult with an avian veterinarian and ensure proper diet. Feather plucking: Bird plucks own feathers; may be due to boredom, poor diet or other illness. Consult your veterinarian and relieve boredom with attention, new toys or new space. Mites (scaly face and leg disease): White deposits on eyes, beak, legs, and feet. Consult your veterinarian. Red Flags Beak swelling or accumulations Fluffed, plucked, or soiled feathers Sitting on floor
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Food & Nutrition
New to birds? How to care for a medium parrot like an Amazon.
Thanks for your questions about birds. You can shower with birds, but it is recommended that they sit on a perch or on the shower rod during the shower, not that they are directly hit by the spray. A safer way to give them a shower is by using a gentle mist directed over the top of them with a spray bottle. When provided with appropriate and balanced nutrition, a cuttle bone is not necessary for parrots. The food that you posted is a reliable pelleted diet, but you would need to ensure that you got an appropriate size for the species - for example, the mini pellets would be good for a conure but not for an Amazon. If you have never had a bird before, it may be a big commitment to get a medium to large sized parrot. When cared for appropriately, these large parrots can live many decades - ideally 50 years or more. You may potentially consider starting with a smaller parrot, such as a cockatiel (life span of up to 25 years) or a budgerigar (life span around 8 years). I hope that gives you some additional information!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Grooming
My bird has dry feet, wobbly nails, and a sharp beak. What's wrong?
Follow directions for application on the container. Some sprays can be used directly on the bird (avoiding the eyes, nose and mouth), others cannot. Clean and sanitize her cage, bowls, perches and toys. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Change the cage paper or substrate daily. Provide a mineral block, pumice stone or cuttlebone to maintain beak length. Your avian veterinarian can trim the beak if necessary. Concrete or textured perches can also be used as they promote healthy feet as well as provide natural beak trimming opportunity.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Food & Nutrition
What's the best diet, cage cleaning, and vet schedule for my bird?
Julie looks like she may be a Quaker parrot by looking at the side view of her in the picture. You can post additional views in this forum for confirmation. Small parrots should be fed a varied diet with a commercial pelleted diet being the base. A fortified seed diet can be offered in limited quantities to prevent obesity and finicky eating. Most fresh fruits and vegetables can be offered daily as well. Favorites are grapes, apple, cooked egg and pasta. Limit fruit to prevent loose droppings. The cage should be cleaned weekly, if not more frequently depending on how messy she is. Provide different sized perches to exercise her feet. Parrots are chewers so care must be taken that they don't chew wires or toxic plants. Provide plenty of bird safe chew toys and other toys to keep her engaged. Rotate them out to prevent boredom. Ideally, she should be examined by an experienced avian veterinarian yearly. Please peruse the Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach Library for articles regarding bird care.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Food & Nutrition
I just got lovebirds. What health care & cage essentials do they need?
Congratulations on your new pets! Lovebirds can live between 10-15 years if properly cared for. You should have several perches of different diameters and materials in their cage, a cuttlebone to keep their beaks trimmed, and some toys that are variable (some destructible toys such as crinkle paper are okay as well). You can also offer some leafy greens and fruits/veggies. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
