What is the benefit of having a parakeet?

[Tracey]

Parakeets are lovely little parrots and make wonderful companions. They are fun to watch and listen to and hand tame birds can be affectionate and fun to play with. Like most parrots, parakeets are extremely intelligent and very social creatures. They can learn to talk and to do tricks.

Parakeets are also a lot of work. They are quite messy and their chirping and talking can be quite noisy. They can be expensive - they need a comprehensive, varied diet that requires fresh fruit and vegetables, lots of bird toys, and if they become ill they need to be seen by a vet that is Avian certified. However, they are not as expensive as large parrots and do not live as long. They are also a bit more independent than some of the larger species.

If your family member like birds, a parakeet is a great choice for a novice owner and there are far more "pros" than "cons" in my opinion. The internet is full of fantastic resources for bird owners, from informational websites to forum communities to Facebook groups. Here are some great websites to get you started:

http://www.parrotparrot.com
http://www.birdtricks.com
http://www.parrots.org
http://www.behaviorworks.com

Also, I would like to recommend that your family member consider adopting a bird from a rescue or shelter - there are many homeless birds in need and adopting rather than buying helps save lives!

Best wishes! I hope this helps!!