How to Rehome a Parrot in the UK Safely

If you need to rehome a parrot in the UK, the safest route is the one that puts the bird’s welfare first. That usually means a careful handover, not a quick fix.

Parrots bond strongly with people and routine. A rushed move can leave them stressed, unsettled and harder to place well. A calm, honest process gives them a far better chance of a stable future.

This guide sets out the practical steps, the checks that matter, and the kind of home that should be waiting at the other end.

Key Takeaways

• Rehoming should follow the bird’s welfare needs, not just the owner’s timetable.
• A safe process checks health, behaviour, housing and long-term commitment before the handover.
• Rescue or experienced adopters are safer than unvetted private sales or open marketplace listings.
• Good records, honest notes and a calm transfer help the bird settle faster.
• The right home is the one that can care for your parrot for the long term.

Why safe rehoming matters more than speed

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, every captive bird must have suitable living conditions, a proper diet, the chance to behave naturally, suitable companionship and protection from pain or suffering. That sounds formal, but the idea is simple. A parrot needs more than a cage and food. It needs a life that works for the species, not just the human.

Many rehoming requests start with the same problems, lack of knowledge, social isolation, poor housing and no clear long-term plan. That does not make anyone a bad person. It does mean the bird may need a different home to stay well.

A bird should not be moved because it is convenient. It should be moved because the next home can meet its needs.

That is why a careful rehoming process matters. It gives the bird time, screening and the right match, rather than the first available pair of hands.

Decide whether rehoming is the right step

Before you hand your parrot over, take a steady look at the situation. Some problems can be eased with better diet, a vet check, more structure or help with behaviour. Others cannot. The key question is whether your home can still meet the bird’s needs safely.

A good way to approach this is to work through three steps:

1. Write down the exact reasons you can no longer keep the bird.
2. Check whether a vet visit, training help or housing change could fix the problem.
3. Talk it through with everyone in the household so the decision is clear and agreed.

If the bird is noisy, biting, hormonal or anxious, that deserves proper review. It does not deserve a rushed advert. Parrots often act out when something in their environment is not right. Sometimes that can be improved. Sometimes it cannot.

If you reach the point where rehoming is the kinder choice, keep the focus on the bird’s future. A good rescue will understand that life changes. The process should be non-judgemental, careful and honest.

Prepare your parrot’s information and records

The people taking your parrot need a full picture. Not a polished one, and not a scary one either. Honest detail helps the rescue or adopter make the right match.

Include these basics:

• Your bird’s name, species and approximate age.
• A clear note of diet, routine and favourite foods.
• Behaviour around people, children, other birds and strangers.
• Any biting, screaming, feather damage or fear responses.
• Vet history, medication, microchip or ring details and vaccination records if you have them.

If your bird has been clipped, flighted or partially flighted, say so. If there are triggers, like food bowls, high perches or busy rooms, say that too. If you hide the difficult parts, the next home may struggle from day one.

It also helps to write down what calm looks like for your bird. Some parrots settle with background noise. Others need a quieter space. Some like hands, some do not. That kind of detail makes a real difference.

Choose a rescue or adopter with care

A careful assessment is part of good welfare, not a nuisance. Many rescues use phone screening and home checks, much like Birdline’s rehoming process. That level of care protects the bird from ending up in the wrong place.

This is the kind of approach that matters most. It slows things down just enough to get them right.

Route	What good looks like	Main risk
Rescue or charity	Assessment, vet care, matching and follow-up	Less immediate, but usually safer
Experienced private adopter	Bird knowledge, home visit, references and a rehoming fee	Can still fail if screening is weak
Open marketplace listing	Fast replies and little vetting	Highest risk of impulse buyers and poor matches

If a conversation feels rushed, walk away. A safe home will not mind careful questions. It should want them.

If you are looking for support while birds wait for the right placement, Help a Parrot in Need – Support Rescue, Healing & Safe Rehoming helps fund the care needed before rehoming. That kind of rescue work matters when birds arrive frightened, neglected or unsure of people.

What a suitable new home should offer

A good adopter needs more than enthusiasm. Parrots need time, structure and a set-up that matches their species and size. If a new home cannot meet these basics, it is not ready.

A responsible home should have:

• At least two to three hours of out-of-cage interaction each day.
• A secure room or enclosed area for safe flight or supervised movement.
• A large cage with horizontal bars, strong materials and enough room to stretch the wings.
• A varied diet of pellets and fresh foods, plus regular enrichment and foraging.
• Vet access, a cleaning routine and safe toys that can be changed often.

Housing matters too. Stainless steel is the safest cage material, and natural perches are kinder to feet than uniform dowels. Larger parrots should not share one cage. Even when birds live in the same room, they need their own space.

The same goes for introductions. Good homes do not rush two birds together and hope for the best. They move slowly, watch body language and accept that some pairings may never work.

Make the handover calm and steady

The handover should feel quiet, predictable and unhurried. Keep your bird’s usual food, toys and cage layout where possible. That small bit of familiarity can make a stressful change much easier.

The first few days should feel boring. Calm, quiet and predictable is what a parrot needs after a move.

Send the new home with written notes, not memory alone. Include feeding times, sleeping habits, any medication, and anything that makes the bird nervous or content. If the adopter wants updates, agree that in advance. It helps everyone settle.

If you are rehoming through a rescue, ask what happens after the bird arrives. A good rescue should keep welfare at the centre of the process, with proper enrichment, veterinary care and careful matching before rehoming begins.

Conclusion

Rehoming a parrot is never a small decision. Done well, it is a welfare choice that gives the bird a safer, steadier life.

The main thing to remember is this, the right home is not the one that says yes first. It is the one that can meet your parrot’s needs for the long term, with patience, knowledge and care.

If you want to support that wider rescue work, Urgent: Parrots in Need of Rescue – Donate & Make a Difference helps keep food, shelter, vet care and rehabilitation moving for birds in need.