The easiest for most families is one of the smaller birds, such as a budgerigar, cockatiel or lovebird. The larger species such as the cockatoos can be very demanding, very vocal and very destructive.
Many councils prohibit the keeping of the larger parrots due to noise.
Parrots call to each other to maintain the flock and to mark their territory and it is normal behaviour for this to occur at daybreak and dusk. Many of the larger parrots are quite raucous and neighbours often complain. Permits may also be required from the state government to keep the native parrots and cockatoos. In the wild parrots live in pairs or flocks, and large parrots bond very closely to their owners and require lots of interaction. A solitary parrot deprived of human or bird company is usually miserable and may develop behavioural problems such as feather picking or uncontrollable screeching.