u/Critical_Ad5616

I (20M) have a roommate (34M) who owns a parrot (the kind that doesn’t mimic human speech, it mostly just chirps/screams a lot, I’m not sure what species it is), and I’m starting to get genuinely concerned about the bird’s wellbeing, and I’m not sure if I’m overreacting.

First off, he’s not even supposed to have the bird in the apartment. When he first got it, it seemed like he was taking care of it, but over time, things have gotten worse. He constantly vapes in the same small room as the bird with almost no airflow or ventilation. His room is honestly disgusting — food, trash, bird food, feathers, and clutter everywhere to the point it’s hard to even walk through.

He leaves the bird alone in the room for extremely long periods while he works, sometimes around 12 hours. The bird also seems unable to fly, glide, or perch properly, even though its wings are not clipped. I don’t know much about parrots, but that doesn’t seem normal.

Another thing that worries me is that he’s told me he can barely afford rent and can’t even keep his phone service on consistently, which makes me question whether he’s financially able to care for an animal in the first place.

The bird constantly screams/chirps throughout the day. I know parrots can be noisy, but this sounds more distressed than normal. When he interacts with it, he’s constantly yelling “ow,” “ouch,” etc., like the bird is biting him repeatedly. I don’t know if that’s common behavior or if the bird is stressed/aggressive toward him specifically.

There are also feathers all over the kitchen and common areas constantly. Do parrots normally shed this much, or could it be stress/plucking?

Another thing I’ve noticed is that he literally never takes the bird outside. As far as I know, the bird has never left the confines of his bedroom or the kitchen/common area. It gets no outside time, no sunlight besides what comes through the windows, and barely any room to move around. I don’t know how important enrichment and stimulation are for parrots, but it feels wrong keeping such an intelligent animal confined like that 24/7.

I’m not trying to be dramatic or get anyone in trouble, but I genuinely want to know if these are signs of neglect or poor living conditions for a parrot. If anyone with bird experience can weigh in, I’d appreciate it so I can decide whether I should take action or if I’m misunderstanding normal bird behavior.

I (20M) have a roommate (34M) who owns a parrot (the kind that doesn’t mimic human speech, it mostly just chirps/screams a lot — I’m not sure what species it is), and I’m starting to get genuinely concerned about the bird’s wellbeing, and I’m not sure if I’m overreacting.

First off, he’s not even supposed to have the bird in the apartment. When he first got it, it seemed like he was taking care of it, but over time things have gotten worse. He constantly vapes in the same small room as the bird with almost no airflow or ventilation. His room is honestly disgusting — food, trash, bird food, feathers, and clutter everywhere to the point it’s hard to even walk through.

He leaves the bird alone in the room for extremely long periods while he works, sometimes around 12 hours. The bird also seems unable to fly, glide, or perch properly, even though its wings are not clipped. I don’t know much about parrots, but that doesn’t seem normal.

Another thing that worries me is that he’s told me he can barely afford rent and can’t even keep his phone service on consistently, which makes me question whether he’s financially able to care for an animal in the first place.

The bird constantly screams/chirps throughout the day. I know parrots can be noisy, but this sounds more distressed than normal. When he interacts with it, he’s constantly yelling “ow,” “ouch,” etc., like the bird is biting him repeatedly. I don’t know if that’s common behavior or if the bird is stressed/aggressive toward him specifically.

There are also feathers all over the kitchen and common areas constantly. Do parrots normally shed this much, or could it be stress/plucking?

Another thing I’ve noticed is that he literally never takes the bird outside. As far as I know, the bird has never left the confines of his bedroom or the kitchen/common area. It gets no outside time, no sunlight besides what comes through the windows, and barely any room to move around. I don’t know how important enrichment and stimulation are for parrots, but it feels wrong keeping such an intelligent animal confined like that 24/7.

I’m not trying to be dramatic or get anyone in trouble, but I genuinely want to know if these are signs of neglect or poor living conditions for a parrot. If anyone with bird experience can weigh in, I’d appreciate it so I can decide whether I should take action or if I’m misunderstanding normal bird behavior.