(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Karen Kalunian, and today, we're gonna be talking about adopting a bird.

(upbeat music) So we're here with Corrie Butler at the Rhode Island Parrot Rescue, and we're meeting Merlin, who is a smaller bird.

And Merlin is what type of bird?

- Merlin is a Senegal, native to Africa, part of the Poicephalusgenus family.

And she was born in 2000, so she's about 22 years.

- She looks like a baby.

(laughing) - She is a baby.

- And how old would she live until?

- They can love to be 30, 40, typically around 30.

- So if someone's not interested in a bigger bird, maybe Merlin is more the type of a bird for someone who wants something a little smaller.

They'd have a smaller condo in their home for Merlin.

And what, for Merlin, what is her preferred food and feed?

Is it different from the bigger birds?

- Much the same.

They all like right around the same things.

They all have their preference, their preferred favorite items.

I know she personally likes walnuts.

That's probably one of her favorites.

- So what age would you recommend folks who are interested in a bird?

What type of families would you be looking for?

- So our age requirements are 25 or older to adopt.

And I would recommend if you do have children in your home, your children have to be a very big part of your bird's life, as well.

Oftentimes, children go off to college, and you will see it have a direct effect on the bird, because the bird that was a flock member that-- - They get emotionally attached, just like any other pet in the home.

- Right.

- They get used to, and then when that person goes away, they start to get emotional over it, and you'll see probably changes in their health and the way that they act and their demeanor.

Well, aren't you so pretty, Merlin?

Thank you for turning around.

I get to see your pretty yellow.

Hello.

You're so pretty.

- She's like, "Oh, I think I just saw nuts".

- Do you find that most people want a smaller bird or the larger birds?

- That's a tough question to answer.

I think people's wants and what they're able to handle are two totally different things.

- That's a good point.

That's a really good point, because I know me, I'd wanna come in and get a macaw, and I know that I couldn't do it.

But maybe someone like Merlin, I would be able to handle.

Right, Merlin?

- Yeah, the small guys are just as much work as the larger guys.

We do require that you are a homeowner, if you are looking to adopt a larger species such as a Macaw or a cockatoo, home ownership is essential, due to many different things.

We wanna know that you're financially responsible to take care of this bird.

We want to know that you've been living where you're living for a certain amount of time, because that shows that you're reliable and that you're dependable.

And we also, they're loud.

They can be extremely loud.

And it might not be often, but those occasional-- - Squaks?

- screams could get you evicted pretty quickly if you're sharing walls with a neighbor.

- And it's interesting that you say the sound, because when you come into the Rhode Island Parrot rescue, you realize how quickly, how noisy they can be.

Well, Merlin is beautiful, and Merlin is here right now at the Rhode Island Parrot Rescue.

But again, you can always check out their website and see who else might be available.

Thank you, Merlin.

- I just wanted to make a quick comment.

Merlin is small.

She can make some very screechy loud noises.

And I think they're adorable, but not everyone can handle that.

- [Karen] It's a lot.

- Even the small guys can be noisy.

Just depends.

- Bye, Merlin.

Bye bye.

To watch more videos like this, visit ripbs.org/animaltalk.

(bird squawking)