Hope you are still reading replies. I've registered with MumsNet because I wanted to answer your post! First of all, please don't buy a parrot from a pet shop. What most people don't know is that there is a parrot rescue/rehoming group called Birdline UK Parrot Rescue (check their website and join them to access all forums). They work nationwide.They have many, many parrots and parrot family birds (budgies, lorikeets, lovebirds, etc) that have become ownerless and need homes. There are also people on there who will give you advice about keeping a parrot/choosing a parrot. They are all volunteers - they often have so many birds that they can't take any more needy birds until they've rehomed some of their current birds. You have to be a bit patient if you want one of the birds on their rehoming list. If you are registered with Birdline and you want to home one of their birds, you have to send in an application and the rehoming person will go through all who have applied and select the best suitable home for that bird. Sometimes you don't get the bird you apply for as a more suitable applicant will get it - this happened to me a couple of times. It is quite frustrating when you are longing for your bird but worth the wait. Birdline remain the owners of your bird and if you can't look after it any more (or die!), it must go back to them so it is looked after all its life (they will try to rehome it again). I've had parrots before but this is the first time I've had a rescue bird. I got mine in 2010 - he wasn't the sort of parrot I thought I wanted but they talked me into it (and he was being "safe-housed" in a suburb near my flat, which made things easier) - it turns out he is perfect for my home and lifestyle. I live in a flat and Lupin parrot is a smaller parrot with quite a quiet voice so doesn't annoy the neighbours excessively (they've never complained). He is lovely and sits on my shoulder, doesn't chew the wallpaper, etc and gets on well with the dog.
What you need to know about parrots is:
They live a LONG time (35 years or much, much more)
Most make quite a bit of loud noise. Not all day but they have particularly shrieky times, especially first thing in the morning or when the household are making a lot of noise.
They can be quite destructive (not all- my current one isn't) and if not supervised can chew carpets, wallpaper, letters, curtains, chairs, floorboards, etc etc
They have a terrific sense of humour and every bird has a different personality
They are very affectionate
They can bite (and it will hurt and bleed).
They need company - they can be left for a few hours but you should leave the radio (and the light, if gloomy day) on.
They need about 12 hours undisturbed sleep at night - i.e. in a quiet room and in the dark (covered up if they like that)
FOOD - depending on the parrot, give them the right diet. None of them can live on any old parrot seed and some water. They can, but they will not be very well and won't live as long as they could. Study what to feed them. Talk to an avian vet and make sure, if you get a parrot, that you have an avian vet not far away (ordinary vets haven't a clue with birds - most bird owners know more about how to look after their sickly birds than "normal" vets do). My parrots (on avian vet advice) have been fed a "breakfast" of cooked peas,sweetcorn and pulses and then, later in the day this is taken away (it will breed lovely bacteria after a few hours) and they got a high quality parrot seed (AS45 - can get online, but depends on sort of parrot as to what is suitable), topped up with a small scoop of special supernutritious parrot seed containing supplements. They also need a hanging kebab thingy with fresh fruit and vegetables on. Fresh water is important in their dish - some parrots like to bath in it!
Make sure they have a big enough cage. Not a pretty one that fits the corner of your living room - one that is big enough for them to clamber around freely in and flap their wings.
Ideally, they should be allowed to sit out of the cage for some hours each day (mine is out all day and only goes in at bedtime but he is safe to leave alone in the room as he isn't a chewer).
I've had an Eclectus (very briefly - it was abroad and someone else gave it away while I was in UK, to my eternal sadness). He was a lovely gentle boy with a surprisingly loud squawk. They need special food, I think, but if you do get any sort of parrot, do lots of online searches to see what people feed that sort of parrot and read all the forums on them (there is an Ekkie forum in the States, I think).
I had an African Grey (who died of heart failure after 25 years - we weren't her first owners). She was lovely but a big chewer (door frames and lots of other fixtures and fittings). They usually get adopted before all others because people think they will talk - they don't all want to talk. Some don't like to do human speech but do a range of noises (mine did the pips off the radio and lots of wild bird calls - in her last weeks I was in a rented flat and the smoke alarm went off - she could reproduce the sound perfectly within one minute) - she also said "Hallo-oh" if she wanted to get your attention.
Current parrot does car alarms, house alarms, bird calls, dog's name and tells me he is a pretty boy (I didn't teach him that).
Our first parrot was an orange-winged Amazon who was quite loud and sang opera. Unfortunately, a family member went outside with her on their shoulder (in the morning, when all parrots are bonkers) and she took off and we never found her again.
You have to get used to making sure your bird can't escape outside and watch how much you open windows that they have access to. It is a disaster if you lose a bird (and many people do) and you never forget it.
You should not have a parrot if you allow anyone to smoke indoors. You should not really use non-stick cookware as the surface can give off toxic fumes when over hot and bird can die within minutes if they are exposed to this. Also, you can't do your ironing in the same room as a bird (Teflon fumes again). The other bad things are aerosol sprays, plug in air fresheners, nail varnish remover fumes, scented candles etc etc. Birds don't have lungs, they have air sacs and are quickly killed by inhaling chemicals and smoke. Obviously, you can use things like this if they are several rooms away from your bird.
They should not be left in strong sunlight through glass - they will need a bit of cage covered on top with a cloth to create shade, on a sunny day and even a fan on if it is very hot as they can easily overheat and die.
You will have to make sure that your children (and dogs) get on ok with the parrot and will observe the safety rules re. aerosols/windows/doors, etc and treating the bird gently, especially if it is easily frightened in the early days, when it doesn't know any of you.
Having a parrot is a long and serious commitment so you have to be sure you are up for that and that you can give them the quality time they need. Also, think about who is going to look after them when you go on holiday. However, to my mind, they are a terrific addition to the household and are great company and boon companions.
I hope that helps.