A bird that was fed by hand from a young age — typically removed from the nest 2–4 weeks after hatching — to imprint on humans and become a confident companion.
Hand-raising means a human takes over feeding from the parent birds before the chick is fully feathered. The chick is fed a warm formula every 2–4 hours via syringe or spoon, then progressed onto solid foods over several weeks (a process called weaning).
Done well, hand-raising produces a bird that is comfortable being handled, accepts food from human hands, and bonds quickly with a new owner. Done badly — by inexperienced breeders, or via aspiration of formula — it can produce nutritional deficiencies and behavioural issues that show up months later.
Every parrot at Dubai Birds is hand-raised by approved breeders or in our Warsan aviary, weaned, vet-checked, and only released to a new home once it can confidently eat solid food and step up onto a finger.
Related terms