No bird was born to be in a cage. In the wild, these beautiful beings are never alone, and if separated even for just a moment, they call wildly to their flockmates. Flock-oriented, they preen each other, fly together, play, and share egg incubation duties. Many species of birds mate for life and share parenting tasks. Most birds will not take a second mate in the wild if their first is lost.
Stress is an everyday experience for captive birds.
Hand-raised birds crave affection and companionship and sometimes do not like to let their human companion out of their sight. Birds imported from the wild are often frightened and high-strung. A person nipped by a bird may never want to handle him or her again and condemn the bird to live imprisoned in a cage forever. Ideally, place birds with other members of their own species. Check climate, mating, opportunities for privacy, and other key factors.