TorontoParrotDad

Hey everyone, I'm planning a trip in a few months and need to find a trustworthy bird sitter for my Yellow-naped Amazon, Pedro. He's quite attached to me and can be a bit wary of new people. Does anyone have recommendations for experienced sitters in the Greater Toronto Area who are familiar with larger parrots?

The classic escape is a bird on a shoulder walking past an open door. Rules in my house: bird goes back in the cage before ANY exterior door opens, and we have a 'two-door' habit — never two exterior doors/screens open at once. Window screens get checked every spring.

Harrison's High Potency is what I use for my Amazon — worth every penny for a bird Einstein's size. You can order from Canadian Bird Stuff or Pisces Pet Emporium.

Annual is the standard, and it's worth it precisely BECAUSE birds hide illness. By the time a parrot 'looks sick' it's often quite far along. A baseline well-bird exam catches things early and gives you bloodwork to compare against later.

Daily things I watch: droppings (consistency, colour, amount), appetite, energy/posture, and breathing. A bird that's fluffed at the bottom of the cage, tail-bobbing when breathing, or eating less is telling you something. Weigh them weekly — weight loss is often the first measurable sign.

Tricks that worked for me: crush pellets over a favourite wet veg so he tastes them, eat 'pellets' yourself dramatically (birds copy flockmates), and warm them slightly. It took my Amazon about 6 weeks.

Avoid 'free to good home' on open marketplaces — it attracts the wrong people. Use a reputable rehoming process that screens adopters, ask questions, and do a meet-and-greet. A good rehome is about fit, not speed.

I always pick based on bird experience over price. A slightly pricier sitter who actually knows avian body language and emergency signs is worth far more than a bargain pet-sitter who's never handled a parrot.

For normal greys: adult males usually get brighter yellow faces and bright orange cheeks, females stay duller with barring under the tail. But it only shows after the first moult (~6–9 months), and many mutations (lutino, pied, etc.) can't be visually sexed at all.

If it's been less than 24 hours and he's still eating and drinking, watch closely but don't panic yet. Birds hide illness well. Any changes in droppings? Watery or discoloured?

Tiels are amazing birds. Make sure she gets at least 4 hours of out-of-cage time once she's settled. They love shoulder time. Also watch for night frights — keep a dim nightlight near the cage.

Totally normal. Dawn and dusk flock calling is hardwired — in the wild that's when the flock checks in before/after foraging. You can't train it out, but you can reduce the volume by responding (a soft whistle back) so he knows the flock is 'present'.

I do a 'chop' — a big batch of chopped veg I freeze in portions. Bell peppers, broccoli, carrot, sweet potato, leafy greens, peas. Limit spinach/chard a bit (oxalates) and skip iceberg lettuce (no nutrition).

Get the biggest you can fit/afford. Horizontal space for movement, horizontal bars on at least part of the cage for climbing, and a couple of differently-sized natural perches (not just the dowel it comes with). Placement matters too — against a wall, not in a high-traffic doorway.

Minimum a couple of hours of supervised out-of-cage time daily for most parrots, more for bigger/smarter species. It's about quality too — interaction, foraging, flight/climbing, not just sitting on top of the cage.

For an anxious bird, staying in her own familiar environment with a competent sitter is usually less stressful than a new place. The downside is a home sitter isn't there 24/7. Good boarding is great too — depends on the bird and the setup.

Don't forget to warn them about his vocalizations so they don't panic. And African Greys can be unpredictable with strangers — have the sitter visit at least once before the trip so Einstein sees them as a known person.