1. Nutrition- In the wild, parrots eat a wide range of foods: seeds, nuts, grasses, fruits, vegetables...some even flock to natural "mineral licks."
I order seeds in bulk from the Drs. Foster Smith catalog and mix them myself. I've found that most premixed blends use alot of peanuts and sunflower seeds as fillers so the bag looks fuller. This trick really cuts down on the quality and variety of the seed mix.
Pellets are a good source of nutrition although I disagree with the idea of feeding pellets only.
There are many ways to serve fruits and veggies. You can chop up alot and freeze in small portions. You can serve frozen fruit and veggies. Bagged veggies like stir-fry mixes and bagged spinach work great. Dried fruit is yummy too although I prefer fresh.
Chester enjoys unshelled pistachios too.
Another great thing is the mixes you cook such as Beak Appetit. They have many grains and flavorings to choose from. Making sprouts has excellent health benefits as well.
There are lots of vitamin supplements to choose from-liquids and powders. I use the Missing Link avian formula. It's a powder that I sprinkle on the food.
Treats- Choose carefully! Do not let treats replace a balanced diet. Chester's favorite treat is Nutriberries.
People Foods that contain excessive fat and sugar can be toxic, even deadly to a bird. Never feed caffeine, chocolate or avocado! These are deadly.
Good People Food to share are whole grains and pasta.
Water- Provide fresh water daily. Check water often, it can get dirty fast.
2. Veterinarian Visits-Birds do not show many obvious symptoms of sickness. Checkups with the Vet are mandatory. Try to find a specialist: an Avian or Exotic vet.
3. Appropriate cage- Get a cage based on your parrot's size: the cage should at least accomodate your bird's wingspan but the bigger the better. The size of the bars and spaces between the bars are also an important consideration because a small bird could get its head trapped in too-large spaces between bars and a bird with a strong beak could easily twist small cage bars. Some parrots are "escape artists" too so carefully consider the type of cage door.
Make sure perches fit the bird's feet. Have different types of perches to avoid foot problems.
Parrots need time outside of their cages every day. Provide some sort of stand for your parrot.
4. Toys- Parrots are intelligent and they need entertainment and mental stimulation. It's good to have different types of toys-toys that can be shredded, indestructible toys, toys with different shapes and textures, puzzle toys...and make sure they are the appropriate size and durability for your breed of parrot. A favorite with Chester are toys in which he has to problem-solve to get at a treat within the toy. He likes the wicker shredder toys and anything with bells too.
A parrot is not designed to just sit in its cage and look pretty. It needs your companionship, attention, love and devotion. When it is distressed, it may need even more. It will need consistent training and socialization.
An ignored and neglected parrot can have adverse reactions such plucking out all of its feathers and constant screaming.
For more on the parrot's emotional needs, click here.