If you plan to buy a baby companion parrot, buy directly from a reputable breeder.  Why not buy one from a  big name pet store?  Because, these companies are out to make big money period.  They specialize in selling mass quantities of birds and many birds I have seen are NOT tame, and are very hard to handle.  A few years ago, before I seriously got into birding, I purchased a bird from a big name pet store chain.  It was not tame at all.  I thought all pet birds were supposed to be like this.  I didn't do any research either.  It was impulse buying at its worst.

I  couldn't even get near my new pet bird.  It screamed all day long.  I was pulling my hair out because I did not know what to do.   So guess what?  Yep, I left my bird in its cage with proper food and water of course.  But that was not what I wanted.  I bought my pet bird so I could play with it and teach it how to talk, you know, be part of the family.  When I look back now, I was seriously uneducated about parrots.

When you buy a bird directly from a reputable breeder, you are getting a baby that has been handfed.  This is the most important thing to ask a breeder.  Handfed babies are human bonded when they are weaned.  This means when you buy your baby, they are tame and are very used to being handled by humans.

Baby chicks are pulled from the nest by the breeder and placed into a brooder in a different part of the aviary away from its natural parents.  The babies are then put on a handfeeding schedule for the next 2-6 months, depending on the type of parrot baby they are raising.  If the babies are left in the nest box with their natural parents, they will stay wild and that doesn't serve a very good purpose.

If you see a classified listing a 'closed aviary', don't be put off.  This is a good thing.  Closed aviaries are not open to the public.  This protects the babies from unwanted diseases transferred by humans.  Our aviary is closed to the public for this exact reason.  We do not want our babies or our other parrots to contract any disease.  Our babies also cannot be handled by visitor after visitor.  We allow our babies to be handled when a deposit has been made.  Then by appointment only 1 time per week until weaned, we will allow the new owners (adults only) to come and visit their baby parrot.  This will help the baby get to know its new family when weaned.

Pet stores just cannot offer the kind of rearing a breeder can.  Their pets are on display for hundreds of visitors who carry many different viruses.  Often times there are too many birds in a small cage and their food and water is contaminated with droppings.

I suggest if you are serious about buying a parrot, do some research.  Find out what kinds of parrots are available.  Find out if you want a small, medium, or large bird like the macaw.  When you have it narrowed down to a parrot you like, find out everything you can about them.  Learn if they're good talkers, how playful, how much attention they need, how big of a cage to buy, etc.  This will give you a great insight on what to look for.  Remember, knowledge is power!  

Start browsing avian classified ads looking for that type of parrot you would like as a companion.  After looking at a bunch of ads, you will get a feel for what it will cost.  Do a comparison.  Ask the breeder lots of questions. 

• Are your babies vet checked?
• Are your babies handfed?
• Are your babies fully weaned?
  
• Are your babies banded?
• Do you keep hatch records?
• Do you offer any guarantees?
• Do you offer hatch certificates?
• What are the parents like?
• Can I see pictures?
  
• Are your babies sexed?

This is a guideline to help give a better understanding before buying a bird...from a breeder of course!  There are loads of informational websites to aide in buying your first baby parrot.  Make sure you do some research before you buy a parrot.  Remember, parrots live from 30-80 years depending on the type.  The more you know about your parrot the better the relationship will be.  Good luck!