Reply #67: There already are some service parrots, but as yet no professional school for them

[AlienGirl]

I've heard of at least one African Grey with unspecified service functions, and also a conure who acted as a guide bird by ringing bells on his blind owner's shoulders to let him know which way to go and when.

There are a lot of birds in rescues (mostly cockatoos, but also some African Greys and Macaws) who are so imprinted on humans that they want to be on their human "mate" 24/7. They are called "Velcro birds." I suspect many of them would gladly be service birds in exchange for constant human contact. Everyone would come out ahead: the human would have a life-long companion to alert them to emergencies, and the bird would have the contact and intellectual stimulation of having a job to do.

Tucker