When you finally get this bundle of joy on your arm or hand or lap, feel his breastbone. If any of these conditions exist, pass on the bird. You will have enough on your hands with your first parrot without dealing with health problems also. If this is a baby bird, inquire if he is weaned or still handfeeding. Medium sized parrots usually wean at the earliest at three months of age.
Larger species can be much longer.
It is best not to rush this process. Just as in human babies, a good start in life is paramount to health and rushing the weaning process will compromise the bird's condition. As a novice, I recommend not purchasing a baby that is still handfeeding. In future articles, I will go through all aspects of handfeeding with you. It is an involved and time consuming process when done correctly.