People should keep parrots in clean, warm cages large enough so that the birds can exercise. Parrots need water, fresh air, and a variety of foods, including seeds, fruits, and vegetables, to stay healthy. When well cared for, parrots can live extremely long lives. Several kinds of large parrots are known to have lived for more than 50 years in captivity. Smaller species, such as parakeets, can live up to 20 or 30 years.
Parrots are among the most intelligent birds and can learn to solve fairly complex problems.
Many species of parrots are prized for their ability to repeat words or to learn complicated tricks. The gray parrot can learn new phrases within hours of teaching. It even has been shown to use human words or other symbols to communicate feelings such as hunger, fear, or boredom. Parrots may carry the disease psittacosis, also called ornithosis, which can be transmitted to people who handle infected birds or breathe dust contaminated with their droppings. Because of this disease, all parrots must be examined by a health officer before being shipped into the United States and some other countries.