Last Updated on February 20, 2024 by Carrie Stephens
Some parrots only bond with one person, shunning house guests, neighbors, friends, and family.
One-person parrots are most common when you have a lone bird rather than a bonded pair. Certain species, like African grays, macaws, and eclectus parrots, often favor one individual.
A parrot’s favorite person usually meets its care needs (food, play, engagement, etc.). Sometimes, this person better understands the parrot’s body language and vocalizations.
One-person birds can grow jealous and hostile when others go near their favorite person. This can cause problems with family dynamics, potentially leading to rehoming.
Parrots Bonding with Humans
Parrots’ intelligence and emotional depth mean they can form lasting bonds. It’s common for a parrot to develop a deep and complex relationship with a human.
As parrots behave similarly to people in some ways, such as showing affection, mimicking human speech, and solving problems, this is often anthropomorphized.
Parrots have unique requirements. If their needs are understood, respected, and met, a parrot will place complete trust in that human, resulting in a harmonious shared life.
Imprinting on Humans
According to Frontiers in Psychology, young parrots imprint on humans.
Imprinting is a form of social dependence in which the parrot considers the bird, human, or inanimate object it imprints on essential to survival.
If a parrot is separated from its mother too soon or associates a human with life-essential support like bottle-feeding while a chick, it may imprint upon the person who meets its care needs.
Some species are likelier to be one-person parrots that strongly prefer one person over all others. The attachment will be magnified if the parrot imprints on that individual.
Parrot’s Favorite Person
Parrots may take an all-or-nothing approach to human interaction. Preferred people are approached for food, play, affection, and comfort, while others are ignored.
Parrots can grow hostile toward and afraid of certain humans. They may scream upon sight of a stranger and hiss or bite when that person approaches.
Parrots Bonding with More Than One Person
One-person Parrot Breeds | Bond with Several People |
African grays | Budgies |
Amazon parrots | Caique parrots |
Blue and yellow macaws | Cockatiels |
Cockatoos | Eclectus parrots |
Indian ringneck parrots | Hyacinth macaws |
Pyrrhura conures | Lovebirds |
Ringneck parakeets | Pacific parrotlets |
Scarlet macaws | Sun conures |
The larger the parrot, the likelier it is to be a one-person bird. Large parrots struggle more with life in captivity and are likelier to imprint on one person as their emotional anchor.
How Parrots Choose Their Favorite Person
If you live alone with a parrot, it’ll bond with you at the expense of others.
Wild parrots are social creatures. According to Biology Letters, they choose a single mate and remain socially monogamous. In the absence of a second parrot, you’ll fill this void.
If you live with several people, the parrot may learn to tolerate others but will have a favorite person.
Feeding
It would be an oversimplification to say that a parrot will bond with any human that feeds it. However, being a food provider will improve the parrot-owner relationship.
This is even more likely when a human is present while a young parrot is weaning.
Applied Animal Behavior Science explains how hand-reared African gray parrots are likelier to display aggression toward unfamiliar humans than those raised by their biological parents.
Playtime
If a captive parrot is to become a good pet, it must be treated like a family member.
The quality of time spent with a parrot is more critical than the quantity. Imagine this hypothetical scenario with 2 adults sharing a home with a parrot:
- Person A is home with the parrot all day. This individual leaves the parrot in its cage while typing on a computer for 8 hours, occasionally offering petting and conversation for a few moments but mostly leaving the bird alone and concentrating on their work.
- Person B pets the parrot in the morning and leaves for work. Upon returning, they pet the bird, provide food, let it out of the cage, and play an interactive game for 1-2 hours.
You won’t be surprised to learn that person B would be preferred in this instance. While parrots dislike being left alone for long periods, they hate being ignored even more.
Temperament And Behavior
How humans behave will influence whom the parrot bonds with the most. The following behaviors make it unlikely that a parrot will choose somebody as their favorite person:
- Loud, unnecessary noise.
- Approaching the parrot’s territory without invitation.
- Discipline in a heavy-handed way.
- Failure to acknowledge or understand body language cues.
A parrot’s choice of person will show an understanding of its wants and needs.
Memories of Earlier Life
Parrots have impressive memories and recall their earlier interactions with humans. This can be a factor when a parrot chooses its favorite person, preferring somebody with positive associations.
If the parrot came to you when young, but its breeder was a female with long hair, it may gravitate toward female caregivers.
If the parrot was purchased from a pet store and a male employee with a beard fed it most often, it may look for a human with a similar physical appearance.
Be mindful if you get a rehomed parrot. If a previous owner died, the parrot would draw comfort from a human with similar characteristics.
Conversely, if the bird was mistreated, it may reject well-intentioned people who bear a resemblance.
Dominant Social Status
According to The Auk, wild parrots arrange themselves according to a social hierarchy. The same applies in the home, so a pet parrot will want to know its place in the structure.
If one human appears to be the patriarch or matriarch of the house, the parrot will likely pick up on this and follow suit. Many parrots are responsive to strong personalities.
Parrots Can Fall Out with Humans
If you have earned the love and admiration of a parrot, don’t assume you’ll remain its favorite person for life. Parrots can switch their affections if you no longer meet their care needs.
Parrots have a sense of time and will notice if you don’t adhere to an established schedule.
Parrots relish a reliable routine, so maintaining this is the easiest way to retain your bond. Feed a parrot twice daily (sunrise and sunset), and engage in interactive play at set times.
Wild parrot flocks convene in the morning and again in the evening. If a parrot doesn’t return at sunset, the others will believe it has fallen victim to a predator.
If you fail to turn up when expected, the parrot may assume you’re not returning. This will unsettle them, so your parrot may withhold affection if you eventually show up.
Teaching A Parrot To Accept Others
While the parrot will always retain a strong preference for one person over another, others must learn how to bond with a one-person bird if you spend time with it.
Ways to convince a parrot to like or tolerate other humans include:
- Spend time with the parrot outside the cage, taking turns handling and interacting.
- Let others do things the parrot enjoys, like playing a game, to form a positive association.
- Refusal to tolerate aggression toward other humans through discipline.
Some parrots can take an irrational dislike to certain humans and reject their company. If so, don’t force the parrot to share space with this person. Instead, focus on the people the parrot prefers.