Comments on: The Parrots And People Paradox

A Popular Pet, Parrots Can Live As Long As Humans And Require Time, Attention And Patience

[rockinseattle]

First I want to say GOOD JOB! Thank you CBS and Mira Tweti for doing this special.
I think there are a lot of people who love their parrots and who try to do the best they can for them, however there are a lot who don?t or can?t take the bites and hard work needed to keep their parrots and as a result many are given up.
I think most owners after much research and living with their birds for a while realize the true cost involved with keeping parrots. People realize they are and should never have been placed in or bred for captivity as these birds were not meant to live in our homes.
The fact is there are parrots in captivity now and it is our responsibility to do the best we can by the birds and to look out for their interest not our own. As caring individuals we need to help support local rescues and adopt homeless birds.
I imagine the folks one hundred years ago never imagined that there would be a time when there were so many dogs and cats that people had to euthanize them on a daily basis but we do now. The only way we can prevent this from happening to the parrots we love is to support second hand birds.
20 or 30 years ago I would have agreed that it was necessary to breed parrots. Do to the high demand; these birds were being captured by the truck loads for the wild bird trade which was causing major devastation to the wild parrot population. Now it?s hard to justify breeding birds when there are so many homeless/birds given up available.
With today?s economic hardships parrots are losing even more homes at an even greater rate while their owners themselves are losing their homes and jobs to support their feathered friends. Bird owners are turning their birds over to rescues who are facing an over whelming number of new birds along with the lowest level of donations do to the same economic climate.
If the goal of breeding was to sustain the species then it would only require a small number of well regulated, qualified breeders to insure the species survival and bloodlines but this can no way justify dumping millions of birds on an already saturated market where only thousands of potentially good homes exist.
With the age that these birds live, the rate that they are being re-homed/homeless, and the number of rescues filling beyond capacity and having to close their doors we as a nation will soon face the sad reality of euthanasia for these majestic creatures do to ?responsible breeding?.
It?s hard for me to imagine well intentioned people, continuing to breed under these conditions we are facing today for the ?love? of these birds.
It?s easy to be overly optimistic and turn a blind eye to the fate of these baby birds, pretending they will all find ?good? homes and ignoring that they will be re-homed an average of 7 times in their lifetime with many suffering abuse and ending up in rescues and sanctuaries.
Sure there may be very well intentioned, ?responsible? breeders but most baby parrots are coming from parrot mills supported by large corporations and organizations where the parent birds suffer great indignities and are confined a lifetime to a small box without the basic necessities and/or humane treatment.
Honestly with us euthanizing millions of cats and dogs each year simply out of convenience or lack of care/suitable homes do we really want to be responsible for adding parrots to that list?
Dogs and cats live an average of 12-18 years, and parrots live an average of 30-50 years, it?s much easier to find a suitable home for a dog or cat.
Can you honestly say euthanasia won?t happen if we continue down this path?
I am not telling anyone what they need to do everyone needs to make up their own mind on what they think is right.
I am simply sharing with you how I came about the decision to no longer support these types of practices ?for the love of parrots?.
I am not trying to argue or imply that breeders are bad people. I just think it?s time we all re evaluate this outdated practice, and the reasons these birds are bred. It?s time we measure the effects breeding is having on the parrots we all love.

[scyouth]

Walked into a pet store in Santa Monica 20 years ago, and there was a bird there for $2500. My buddy laughs and says "In Australia, we shoot those for sport".
Posted by kbbpll

Obviously this Aussie has not evolved very far from his ancestors who were deported from Britain.

[BirdsForever]

I think it is unfortunate that CBS News interviewed a person who apparently has little ability to manage their pet lory and imagines that the rest of the public would have a problem with a pet bird. There are thousands of pet bird owners who are very happy with their birds. There are many species of birds kept as pets, from doves and finches, to canaries and conures, to tiny budgies and large macaws. Different people enjoy different bird species. Not all birds behave the same and it is important to be consistent with a bird, provide the right diet and appropriate toys. Then you do not have a noisy or stir crazy bird. ALL creatures require appropriate care, whether they are human children or pet birds. In terms of unwanted or abused birds, some of us conducted a survey a year ago in Florida, home to many pet birds. We called animal control facilities and humane societies. We found ONE budgie at one humane society, and it was adopted out. All this chatter from rescues about being "full and over flowing" generally means they are not interested in adopting birds out, or that they are charging high fees to do so. A national survey of re-homed birds/rescued birds turned up an approximate number of birds in rescues or re-homing situations: 5,000. The majority were cockatiels, budgies, and conures, not large or medium sized parrots. For years and years, most bird clubs, vets and zoos managed to rehome birds just fine. Then someone came up with the idea of starting a "non-profit rescue business." From then on, the propaganda stated there were TOO many birds being bred and TOO many unwanted birds. Speaking of breeding, if you are raising cockatiels or budgies, then it may be rather easy. If you are trying to raise regular parrots, greys, amazons, macaws, then it isn't so easy. You just cannot put a male and female together and they will mate and produce youngsters. If the two birds do not LIKE each other, they simply will not mate. So much for the breeder over-production propaganda. Just ask any breeder who raises parrots. Some years they are lucky if they can pay the feed bill and the taxes from income from the young produced. It is simply amazing to me that people without any knowledge of breeding or avian husbandry will come up with statements about birds that indicate they know very little. I guess it is easy enough to simply "parrot" the HSUS anti-pet litany. After all, HSUS wants to eliminate pets.

[chinbunny1]

Well said donna!

I cannot believe the amount of people agreeing with this segment when they are saying its OK to go ahead and kill your bird if you don't want it any more.

[SissyCool]

I have a 1 year old bare eyed cockatoo, an 18 year old DYH amazon, 3 budgies, 2 dogs, and 1 cat. I don't feel my birds are any harder to take care of than my dogs or my cat.
Here is the problem that I see. People get a dog. They put it in the yard, maybe get it a house, feed it, water it, take it to the vet once or twice a year...and think they're a good dog owner. WRONG. No matter what pet you have, YOU MUST SPEND TIME WITH IT!
If you have a cat that you just feed and water and such...THAT'S NOT GOOD! SPEND TIME WITH IT! This is the problem. Dogs and cats will tolerate being ignored. Parrots will only tolerate it IF you teach them! But they can be taught to play with toys and such to occupy themselves...but they STILL NEED ATTENTION! If you don't want a pet to actually spend time with and play with and such...GET A FISH!
Also...they do NOT poop incessantly! I get so sick of hearing that. They poop...yes...duh.
But not THAT much...goodness. People act like it's toxic waste or something! My biggest bird still only drops a smallish blob when she goes....not a huge pile like a dog or something. AND they can be taught when and where they should go!
I live in mid-state louisiana and if anyone has a bird they just can't take care of anymore...post a message for me (sissycool) on theperch.net (great forum, free to join)
and I'll be happy to take your bird. OR to help you with it, if you want to try to learn some stuff and keep your bird. I'm NOT an expert...I'm a person who loves ALL animals, but with a special love for birds...and I just want to help.
PLEASE don't kill your birds...they just don't deserve that.

[mrs_entity]

I know this woman in her mid 40's who never had children and has 4 parrots and acts like her parrots are human. She tells anyone who she can trap about them and they even have favorite television shows ( how this was discovered I dont want to know).

[detrafi]

One sided report. Oh PLEASE! Breeders have been only telling their side for years, so don't be put out by the other side putting out their story. Amongst my group, there is debate as to whether the comment about euthanizing unwanted birds is accurate or not. I think that Bill Whitaker should follow up on that to be sure.

Donna. I disagree with your opinion on the article. I thought it was great. That being said, I do see merit in your comment about some 'rescues' charging huge fees for 'adoptions'. I have seen one such 'rescue' organization that does charge large fees that is totally in bed with breeders. The rescue that I volunteer at IS fussy about new homes, but we are very willing to help any potential adopter get ready. We ask them to volunteer so that they can get to know what parrot care is all about and show them the right way to care for the birds. If they are willing, then there is no problem. We also ask for small fees. A Macaw adoption fee is only $300. It doesn't begin to cover the actual cost, but it does help.

The main point is that the plight of abused and neglected birds is now in the mainstream and it is HIGH time.

[rumiem01]

Tiki_Bird and Chacoosmom, to name a couple, have a better understanding then Bill Whitaker and Tweti. Bill, shame on you. You should be sure to talk to more than just one person and base your report from more than one source. A one-sided report does not make for a good story. Parrots are wonderful and loving pets but people should do their research before hand (as with any pet) before adopting or purchasing one. There are more unwanted and abandoned dogs, puppies, cats and kittens in shelters, rescues and on the streets by neglectful and irresponsible people.

I run a rescue and have to disagree with this video and story.
I have had many talks on different bird forums on rescues being full.
Why are they full and why are there birds not in good homes.
There are many many good homes out there if you would lower your stands and your OMG prices and actually see people are willing to give a bird a home.
Everyone seems to blame the breeders for over breeding , have you ever thought us as humans dont live forever and the birds that were in these homes have no where to go when the owner dies or gets to old to care for there bird.
have you also ever thought of our economy and how alot of people USE to live in homes and now have had to give up there home and down size to an apartment, (could these people for see the future)
and when i hear the Humane society wants to put these birds to sleep because they have so many, well if they would lower the fee instead of charge 300.00 for an older conure, or 900. for a blue and gold that is about 10 years old.
They are only out for profit and not the actual need of a bird.
Give me a break on who to blame.
If your rescue is full then its your fault get those birds into a home....I seemed to find good homes and so can you...
when doing a story and pointing fingers maybe you need to hear both sides......donna with S&D exotic bird rescue........

[hypnotoad72]

Exercising parrots is a hard thing to do. Especially if one keeps their wings clipped.

I keep my timid bird's wings clipped. The other one is fully flighted and I train him to come to me from a distance. But while these critters can live for decades, without exercise (never mind factors one cannot control), their lifespan will be shorter.

Parrots needn't cost thousands of dollars either; though the allure of an African Gray is definitely there. But these are birds that can more easily develop neuroses and pluck their feathers if they don't get massive amounts of attention. All parrot species are social by design, but some are more inclined to play with toys than others.

[kbbpll]

Walked into a pet store in Santa Monica 20 years ago, and there was a bird there for $2500. My buddy laughs and says "In Australia, we shoot those for sport".

[detrafi]

I have to comment about Sally Blanchard's remarks. She earns money from selling advertising to BREEDERS. Little wonder she didn't like the piece. Breeders are a big part, if not the largest part of the whole problem! Quite a deal, really. The breeders pump out babies left and right and then sell them. They then quietly set themselves up as "rescues". After a few years, the unsuspecting people who buy these birds find they can't handle them and send them off to these 'rescues'. Well, the breeders then get a sexually mature bird that is ready to churn out babies that they didn't have to care for until it was ready. They make money from both ends. Not all Rescues are fronts for breeders, there are some very reputable ones, but there are a lot of so-called Rescues that are just that.....a back door back into the breeding cycle. If you really want a bird, then ADOPT ONE. I have two Blue and Gold Macaws that I adopted. Cost? $0. All I had to do was go and get them. Didn't pay a nickel for them. Breeders by their very nature don't want you to adopt, after all, each true adoption takes money out of their pockets!

[detrafi]

Being a caretaker of two conures and two Blue and Gold Macaws, and not to mention that I am a regular volunteer with one of only five accredited Parrot Rescues in the country, I find myself dismayed by all the negative comments here. I thought that this news story, however brief, did an excellent job of covering the big issues. I give it a hearty "WELL DONE!!". My birds are all rescues and having been around a lot of rescued birds, I find that I agree with Tweti. She hits the nail right on the head. There is a HUGE and growing problem with unwanted birds. You name the species and I can point you to someone who is looking to re-home it. I have seen first hand the results of abuse of these magnificent animals and it tears my heart out. I have fostered a rescued Scarlet Macaw that was horribly abused and have been forced by the courts to return that bird to the abusers. Just seach on the "31 Macaws" in Virginia.

The only reason I don't have more in my home is that I can't adequately provide care for more. That is why I volunteer. People do horrible things to these animals, either out of ignorance or greed. I applaud CBS News for bringing this issue into prime time. Bravo to Bill Whitaker.

[debinok1]

I do not care if you agree or disagree with me when I say: These animals are WILD, they belong IN THE WILD. This is no different than "owning" a Leopard or a Wolf. These animals were taken from the wild, their natural home, by force and sold to people who could breed them and make money. These animals are NOT domesticated in any sense of the word. They have been domesticated only to the point of being dependant on people for food. They could probably no longer survive in the wild because of this. Yes, they are beautiful animals, but enjoy them in their natural settings and leave them there. We as humans are not doing them any favors by trying to domesticate them.

[jabber48]

I can't help but wonder how much research was done before the purchase of her parrot. Reading this article it is obvious she did not research before buying. Was this an impulsive purchase? Very irresponsible, and CBS assumes she is an expert in this field. I DON'T THINK SO! Why did she buy the parrot? Did Mira think she could just put him in a cage to look at his beauty?Yes they do require work however the love and companionship cannot be put into words,
My parrot is part of our family and is leading a full life.
Shame on you CBS for even printing or listening to such dribble.

[Tiki_Bird]

It's really impossible to condense all the footage that would have contributed to this story into a 2.5 minute clip and have it make sense. It's poorly edited and I can see some comments possible being taken out of context. It's not true that the wild parrots were all thrown out by their owners, and this has been discussed on many specialist websites. The truth about the wild quakers is on www.brooklynparrots.com. There are sadly a lot of parrots in rescues but they are there for many reasons, sometimes the owner passes away and they have no where else to go. http://www.thegabrielfoundation.org/

Many people buy parrots with no clue on how to take care of them. They are beautiful, intelligent and appealing but they have their needs such as good nutrition, avian vet care and lots of love an patience. They are not easy pets to have but they are worth every dollar, every minute and every thing you put into their care as they will pay you back with love a hundred times over. If anyone wants to learn more about parrots, please visit our message board for pet parrots http://www.theperch.net/discussion/index.php and my website for parrot conservation and eco-tourism www.featheredandfree.com. We are more than happy to educate people on parrots and it is free to join our message board.

[Chacoosmom]

Mira Tweti is a self appointed expert and until about five years ago, no one had ever heard of her. She is AR through and through and this article is an example of that. No good bird owner would allow their bird to become so dependant on her. I have three birds, all of which love to be with me, but all of which are happy to play by themselves as well.

Birds can be messy, loud and hard to deal with, but they can be loving, fun and empathetic creatures who I can not imagine living without. Education is the key and many of us are educating the public in the right way. To just say that birds should not be in the home is just plain wrong.

As far as euthansia, I have not heard of any bird being put down because of lack of space in a rescue, unless the rescue does it. There are many good bird owners who will take in birds and rehome them for people, even if some of the so called top rescues will not and yes, many rescues turn away birds because the owners cannot afford to pay them to take the birds.

Perhaps CBS could find a real bird expert to speak with next time.

[sullika]

Dear Bill - What Humane Society? And who would just simply let their bird 'GO'. Although I agree that people who desire a parrot should know what they are getting themselves into from the start, and hopefully it is the responsible pet store selling the bird to ask and interview. I don't know of any rescue society where I live, but I would be happy to take in another older bird so I would not have to start out with a young one again. What's the problem?

[BE2Cassie]

Excellent report. Hopefully most will look beyond the people posting here with dollar bills as their motivator and see the plight of the parrots as shown. Education as well as support from others is so important when having these incredible creatures share your home. Having shared my home with numerous species of animals I can honestly say that parrots are not as easy as having a dog or cat, nor as cheap. People talk of laying down thousands when first acquiring these birds but no one talks of the thousands needed each year to keep them healthy and happy. We live in a sorry state of affairs when people allow themselves to be blinded to the numbers of birds ending up in rescues. So many that more and more rescues are being opened because the current rescues are overflowing. How many shelters and rescues out there can truly be no kill when they are being over whelmed. Breeding needs to stop!

[chinbunny1]

Not all shelters are overflowng with parrots and birds. There are two country shelters, and two rescue ones in my area. None of them ever see nor take in birds, unless they are pretty much forced to. The last time one shelter had to take in several birds was when their owner suddenly died. That was a few years ago. Other then that, no birds since then. To assume that shelters and rescues are loaded with them is inacurrate. Yes some may have quite a few birds. But responsible pet owners, shops, and breeders have hundreds of thousands more of them. birds in rescues are a huge minority compared to the amount that are kept as breeders, and pets. My quaker is caged. And he loves his cage. So to assume that they should never be kept as caged animals is also incorrect. You have to keep them somewhere for their own protection. You should to make sure the cage is the right size for the bird.

I also have a problem with them encouraging pet owners to take their birds in to have them killed by their vet should they decide they can no longer keep them any longer. I am sure this will make a lot of vets very unhappy with their clients should they chose to euthanize their pet instead just because the HSUS and CBS said it was OK to do so.

While I think it is OK to rescue birds, I do not think this segment was researched that well.