The Parrots And People Paradox

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

(CBS)  Mira Tweti and Zazu, her pet parrot, are inseparable.

Not because Tweti (pronounced Tweety, and yes, that's her real name) wants it that way, but because Zazu demands it, CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker reports.

Tweti explains, "With a parrot there's only one place for everything in your home ... and that's on the floor. He's a huge amount of work."

Parrots are beautiful. They can talk, and do tricks.

The average parrot has the intelligence of a 3- to 5-year-old child," Tweti says.

With an estimated 40 million parrots in U.S. households, they're not far behind cats and dogs in popularity.

But owners soon learn Polly wants a cracker: hand-prepared food, plus all your time, attention and patience.

Mira Tweti should know. She wrote a book on the difficult relations between parrots and people.

"They can live to [age] 80," she explains. "They're loud, they poop incessantly, they love to chew. What you've got is a 3-year-old running around with a can opener on its face."

And like a toddler, if they don't get the care and attention they need, they bite and scream.

Or even worse, isolated in a cage these flock animals go stir crazy, mutilating themselves and plucking out feathers. It's all too much for many people.

Says Tweti: "These are long-lived animals that are designed to live in flocks. The average person would like to have some alone time, the average parrot doesn't want it."

Declining in natural habitats, flocks of parrots are multiplying in some places, with 30,000 flying around cities from California to Brooklyn -- set loose by frustrated owners. Growing even faster are parrot rescue centers, now found in every state.

At the Garuda Aviary, part of a Buddhist monastery in Maryland, they're full to overflowing.

"So many people realize they've taken on too much. So we get a lot of requests, but sadly, we are not able to fulfill them," says Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, the center's spiritual director.

It's such a big problem that the Humane Society now recommends unwanted birds be euthanized. Tweti promised to take care of Zazu when friends couldn't bear it any longer.

Every day at some point I think to myself, 'I can't take it another minute'," Tweti says.

And every few minutes, someone else is buying another parrot.

[SissyCool]

For those who say the birds would be better off free in their native homes or whatever. My sweet SugarBear (Bare Eyed Cockatoo) would be most likely KILLED in his "natural" habitat. In Australia, they kill THOUSANDS if not MILLIONS of Bare Eyeds each year because they are considered pests by farmers. And as for many other species...their "natural" habitat is being destroyed! Where would they go? How would they survive?
SugarBear has never known that type of freedom...and maybe that's sad. But I truly believe he is happy here and loves me and his home, as do my DYH amazon and my 4 budgies. And he isn't hunted or considered a pest. He's loved and cared for to the very best of our ability.

[paso111]

I found this a little one sided and with a hint of HSUS and PETA in action.

What I think is important to understand is that there are parrot rescues but maybe one or two per state. In Comparison to dog and cats, you will find one or two in most towns.

Is there a potential for a problem? Yes but it is a dilemma at this point....no.

Many of the rescues have created their own issues in that they won't adopt parrots out, so no wonder they are busting at the seams!

[merlynn1]

This story was very one sided. It showed how one person let themselves be dictated to by their pet bird. This probably would have happened no matter what pet she had. While I agree that people get birds without taking into condsideration the amount of time and money that is needed to keep these great pets happy and healthy, they are the same people who would probably buy a rabbit for Easter, a puppy or kitten for Christmas and then end up regretting it later.Everyone should get all the facts before deciding on and getting any kind of a pet.

[BarbGoodBirdInc]

please note the questions marks were either quotation marks or periods. looks my cut and paste approach did not work so well.
Barbara

[BarbGoodBirdInc]

I appreciate the various comments in response to my post and these are important questions raised.

While I agree positive reinforcement training is relatively new to the parrot world, the good news is, it is happening : ) And the movement is growing faster than many may think. As someone who teaches seminars on this around the world, I am happy to share more and more people are helping positive reinforcement gain momentum with the parrot community.

Rather than disempowering people by suggesting it is too much work, or owners will not do it, I think we do better by parrots and people by modeling the ease at which it can be incorporated into animal care ?and fully support this movement. When we give a rationale that ?no one will do it? we are not empowering people, nor helping parrots.

In regard to the question of flight; having just lectured in Finland where parrots are not clipped, I can report it is possible to safely give a parrot the freedom to fly in our homes. Giving an animal control is still something a bit foreign here. It is something our culture is not accustomed to. Certainly we have popular TV shows that pretty much advocate controlling and dominating animas. This is opposite to the true positive reinforcement approach to training, and a mindset I and others are working hard to change.

I keep my own birds flighted. I manage them the same as my dog, using positive reinforcement. The dog and the birds eagerly come when called, stay in desired locations, drop items on cue, etc. While I realize it is still new here in the US, I just wanted to make it clear we do not need to take away flight to manage a bird in the home. And for some cultures it is the norm for birds to be flighted. Again openly embracing and supporting education on positive reinforcement training makes this possible.

The comparison to birds in the wilds vs. birds in the home is another argument that is often presented as a welfare issue. It is important to remember that ?wild? or ?natural? does not necessarily equal ?ideal? It would be an interesting study to try to measure how quality of life in the wild vs. life in a home compares. Needless to say a study that could be easily biased and would be difficult to test, but interesting none the less. My guess is it would be easy to find arguments for both situations offering benefits and disadvantages.

In response to innate behavior (i.e pooping frequently) something most do not know is that we modify innate behaviors all the time. (In fact animals modify innate behaviors in the wild?look at nest building activities that improve via learning) If pooping is viewed as a problem, one can easily teach parrots acceptable locations to poop, as I and many others have trained our birds to do. In my home I am cleaning up more dog hair than bird poop ; )

I share this information not to make an argument that parrots are the best pets for everyone, but as a suggestion that it does not have to be the difficult situation that has been presented. We can do well by birds and also experience the benefit of that relationship.

I too also support parrot conservation, am thrilled to pieces when I see parrots in the wild, and regularly donate money to causes that help parrots in the wild. I believe the situation is not as black and white as eradicating parrots as pets or condemning the pet industry. I have been fortunate to meet many people in the pet industry who genuinely care about responsible pet ownership. One way to make a difference is to support those folks and not lump them in with those whose only concern is the dollar sign.

I do believe we have a common goal of trying to do well by parrots and I hope my comments give some inspiration as to what is possible as opposed to viewing the situation as hopeless or only for select few. Perhaps I am idealistic : ) but I do believe to help parrots in all situations we need to empower people with the tools to teach them how to do it well. Add to that a cultural acceptance that we indeed CAN help via education on positive reinforcement??think of all the good we can do for those birds and their caregivers.

Thanks for the opportunity to respond.
Barbara Heidenreich
Good Bird Inc

PS I am writing this while I sit in a room full of parrot owners getting educated at a conference on parrot behavior, training and enrichment. One just said "I absolutely adore my amazon parrot" That connection is what it is all about to me.

[hypnotoad72]

Excellent comments from all.

I own three green Cheek Conures -- they ARE a commitment. Even when you can get them to play with toys, they still are bonded to humans due to their hand-fed nature. Playing games and spending good time with them, even an hour a day, is essential. Even at feeding time.

Also, buy foods made in the USA or other countries with actual regulations. These days, with horror stories of contaminated pet food coming from other countries, which coincidentally seem to lack regulations.

[oliscot]

Yes parrots can provide great enrichment to peoples lives when potential owners do their research and have the patientce and means to provide for the animals basic needs, but whats in it for the parrot?? They have to sacrifice their freedom, the abilty to fly unrestricted, often the joy of companionship of their own species (many parrots are kept singly), etc. To me its just not fair! Imagine if the shoe was on the other foot and humans were treated like this just to provide another species with entertainment/companionship - there would be an outcry then! Yes centain exotic pets can adqapt to have a reasonable life in captivity when theior basic needs are met - snakes, fish, and maybe certain small mammals come to mind, but parrots are not one of them. Unfortunately we cannot close pandoras box so to speak. All we can do now is hope that eventually people will see sense and the captive parrot trade will gradually phase out - a long shot but one can only hope.

[oliscot]

An excellent piece. True, it didnt fully cover all the joys of parrot ownership (there was a small bit at the beginning), but the pet industry/bird keeping press does enough of that - much to the cost of the health/wellbeing of many captive parrots and their current/potential owners!

What I got from this piece was the fact that parrots are demanding, highly inteligent/social creatures that suffer greatly if their complex physical and emotional needs are not met - a truth that anyone who truely knows parrots and makes a proper attempt to meet their avian friends needs cannot deny. It also points out the fact that far to many people rush out, buy a parrot without properly researching its requirements, only to find that they cannot cope with trying to provide for such a complex/wild being, and consequently resort to relinquishing it to one of the many but overflowing rescues in the country. At no stage did it say noone should own a parrrot, just that people really need to think very carefully before taking on such a demaning pet - very sensible advice.

Ulitmately, humans should never have tried to make a pet of such a wild/sentient/inteligent creature as a parrot, but unfortuately whats done is done and there is no turning back. What we can do now is avoid perpetuating the problem of unwanted parrots by not breeding any more, seriously considering whether we are capable of and willing to ajust our lifestyle and make the necessary sacrifices to meet the needs of such a complicated demanding creature as best as possible (nothing comes near to life in the wild) before taking one on, and adopt from one of the many rescues rather than buy from a breeder/petstiore (no matter how good/caring they seem).

[ParrotWriter]

PS: Correction to my post below: I have been a bird person since 1990 and It was actually longer ago than 5 years as stated below, that I was transformed by the facts about the plight of companion parrots in the US.

It was in 1995, still during the pet bird boom in this country, while I was working on my first documentary about parrots, Birds of a Feather. I began to uncover the dark side to the pet bird business and the problems of parrots in captivity.

That enlightenment was enhanced when I researched and wrote my (award-winning) expose' "Plenty to Squawk About" for the Los Angeles Times Magazine in 2003.

If anyone wants to know the foundation of both my book (Of Parrots and People: the Sometimes Funny, Always Fascinating, and Often Catastrophic Collision of Two Intelligent Species) and my passionate concern regarding parrots, read that article. I'm sure it's free for the Googling as it was reprinted on more than 35 sites at the time, and goodness knows how many now.

[ParrotWriter]

Hi Califconure, good posts. I couldn't have said it better. Plus, the issue not addressed in the post previous to yours just now, is even if you can have a fab relationship with a parrot, as I have with mine, no one is taking account of the cost to the bird to not live in the wild and fly free.

We like to believe that we and our homes are all they need because we co-opt them for our entertainment and we love them (what more could any being want?!) but it is far from the truth. After five years and more than 500 interviews (legal_eagle has been following my work apparently as she/he had all her facts right - thanks!) I was transformed from a parrot lover who thought everyone in the world who wanted one should have one, to someone who was aware of the crisis - the burgeoning crisis - in the US today regarding pet birds (70% of which are parrots) and around the world.

It'll be decades, if ever, that I see a penny more than my book advance from Viking (to write the book and it cost me much more than that to do it) so I am not trying to sell books to make money. I wrote it as a passion project because of my love for these remarkable feathered creatures and to raise awareness, much needed awareness apparently, for their plight.

I would encourage anyone confused about my stand to read my book and see how the information changed my mind. Now I don't think anyone who wants a parrot should have one, far from it. And while it would be fantastic if all those who have them would take good advice from bird behaviorists, few owners would pay for the information or invest the time and patience to reap the rewards. Most owners (according to AAV stats) never even take their birds to a vet for a check up in the bird's life, and a majority never take them out of their cage with any frequency. So it's a sad lot for most birds as it is and as it likely will be in future.

From all that I've heard from the hundreds of interviews w/parrot rescuers, most people when they found out what was involved in caring for a parrot, were sorry they bought it in the first place. And that's the most tragic aspect of all now that these birds are in short supply in the wild because of the pet trade and only more recently impacted by deforestation - there's just no winning if you're a parrot!

Mira Tweti
Los Angeles
[e-mail]

PS Califconure - pls email me your contact info. I'd like to add you to my email list.

[mgoodman1804]

Dear Mr. Whitaker,
As an avid pet bird enthusiast this story concerned me, I have been working with pet birds ranging from finches to macaws for many, many years. I manage a Learning Center, which is based around pet birds and promoting responsible ownership. The company I work for, Kaytee Products Inc. owned by Central Garden and Pet has been in the pet bird business for over 100 years.
I would LOVE for you to visit our facility in Chilton, WI spend time with our staff and get to know our resident pet birds.... I think you will find there is more joy to pet bird ownership than Mira Tweti let on to in the story!

Consider this an open invitation to visit us and hear the positive side of companion birds as pets!

I look forward to hearing back from you,
Kindly,
Michelle Goodman
Kaytee Learning Center Manager
920-849-1848
[e-mail]

Thank you!

[califconure]

Barbara Heidenreich makes valid and important points. The CBS piece does not explain that many people have deeply rewarding relationships with their birds, and it does, perhaps, leave the impression that all avian problem behaviors are not only inherent to the bird (or at least to the bird in a human home environment) but also irremediable. As her own excellent work has shown, that is not true. (I doubt Tweti would disagree. If and when Heidenreich has the opportunity to read 'Of Parrots and People', she will find the first chapter filled with positive accounts of parrot-human relations.) But in her effort to correct what she sees as a one-sided report - which, to be fair, was done in order to counter even more one-sided information about birds and bird care promoted by the pet industry - she appears to overstate her case a bit.

Not all avian behaviors that we find problematic can be changed through positive reinforcement. Birds still poop 3 or 4 times per hour, and although some of the larger ones can be paper trained, which is not without its own hazards, many smaller species cannot. Thus the bird owner faces a lot more cleaning than she would for a dog or cat. Many bird owners confronted with the prospect of covering and/or constantly cleaning multiple surfaces throughout a house will choose to keep birds in their cages all day - hardly a humane solution.

Another, related issue of the utmost importance is flying. To confine a bird in a cage or even to leave it out of its cage with clipped wings is to deny the animal one of its most basic and meaningful natural behaviors as well as vital aerobic exercise. On the other hand, allowing free flight (whether indoors or outside) exposes the bird to a variety of hazards. We have chosen to let our birds fly indoors and have done what we can to make their territory bird-safe, but the work and supervision involved are considerable, and I fear most bird owners would not sacrifice their convenience to make the effort. By contrast, our long-domesticated companion animals (dogs and cats) fit far more comfortably in our urban lifestyle, even when kept as indoor pets, and I know of nothing we do that so severely distorts or suppresses their natural behavior, except perhaps the inhumane and thankfully rare practice of de-clawing cats.

Heidenreich's work merits the highest respect. It could benefit millions of companion birds around the world, and I hope her approach becomes the norm within my lifetime. Today, however, it still represents an ideal practiced by a tiny fraction of bird owners, and it is questionable how widely or quickly it can or will be adopted. While we should spare no effort to educate human caregivers and try to change THEIR behavior, it is not helpful to ignore or obscure what is most typical today or most likely in the near term for the majority of companion birds. I don't advocate outlawing avian pets, but I wish far fewer people would buy them casually, without understanding the huge commitment involved. If Whitaker's report scares off a significant number of such people and puts a dent in Petco's bottom line, I will not be upset; nor should Heidenreich.

And in that regard, finally, I would ask her to consider the various kinds of misinformation that have led to the problems Whitaker's story describes and who is responsible for it. The heavy-handed approach to animal husbandry she condemns is deeply ingrained in our culture, no doubt, but there is a far more specific and pernicious myth about birds being inexpensive, easy, low-maintenance pets, which has encouraged countless people to purchase them irresponsibly and has resulted in short, miserable lives for millions, especially for smaller birds such as budgies, lovebirds, and cockatiels. The fault lies squarely with a multi-billion-dollar industry that abets factory farming of intelligent, emotionally sensitive creatures and promotes these animals as cheap "starter" pets (read: "disposable").

[BarbaraGoodBirdInc]

I have not had the opportunity to read the book by Tweti nor am familiar with her credentials, but am compelled to respond to the recent story that prominently features her commentary on parrot ownership.

My life?s work is devoted to helping parrot owners achieve the best relationship possible with their pets. In my experience the problems described are not ones that are inherent to the animal as suggested by this piece, nor the inevitable result of having a parrot in the home.

As we have seen with other companion animal species, caregivers for years have been supplied information that suggests heavy handed approaches to behavior problems are the solution. This unfortunately has lead to the problems described in this news segment.

Taking a strictly positive reinforcement approach to shaping parrot behavior does not result in a problem parrot. However this information is still relatively new to the public and the companion parrot community. I am confident you will find those who have embraced positive reinforcement as a teaching tool do not face or have overcome the difficulties Tweti describes. As a parrot owner myself for over 22 years I can attest I have a peaceful household with birds that are able to entertain themselves, do not bite nor scream for attention. I am also fortunate to work with thousands of parrot caregivers who share their success stories with me daily. And I am sure they would be happy to share those stories with your viewers.

My relationship with my own parrots is one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. In my opinion it is important to recognize the value of this connection with an animal. In the case of parrots, not only does it let people experience an intensely emotional bond with an animal, it also can be the springboard for people to take action to support conservation of species in the wild. You will find that many parrot conservation projects depend heavily on the support of the companion parrot owners. This is not something that can be said for other animal species commonly found in our homes.

I do also support the work of parrot sanctuaries and rescues. However it is important to recognize they are overflowing not because parrots are inherently problematic, but because of the outdated information that has put people on an unfortunate path with their birds. I work with several rescues to help educate the pet parrot community as well as veterinary professionals.

Please also note that parrots that do exhibit problem behavior can absolutely become amazing companions once a positive reinforcement approach is brought into their lives. I do feel it is inhumane to euthanize a parrot for problem behavior that is the result of lack of information.

In my opinion the solution to the problems presented is giving people the tools that teaches them how to have a great relationship with their companion parrots. I can say from a personal experience, living with a parrot has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life and has impacted me in ways far beyond words. In return I try to help others experience this same invaluable connection with their own birds. This leads to parrots that we well loved, given the best care, and are considered valued lifelong members of the family.

Truly helping parrots means not giving people an excuse to give them up by blaming the bird for problem behavior. We do our best for parrots by teaching their caregivers how to have success.

Barbara Heidenreich
Good Bird Inc

[legal_eagle]

There's probably no one that knows more about the pet bird industry in the US than Mira Tweti and that's why the bird breeders (all the ones that wrote that they hated the piece - that's them) are always trying to take her down. They're like the NRA for birds: They oppose every law to regulate them and abhor transparency in their practices because if the public could see what they're doing to these poor birds they'd never buy another one!

You don't need to be a rocket scientist to see the gross abuse of parrots made acceptable over human history! Well, Tweti is working to raise public awareness that it needs to stop and she has done a MAGNIFICIENT job of it.

If you want to know the truth about companion parrots do what others posted here have suggested: get Mira Tweti's books - Of Parrots and People: the Sometimes Funny, Always Fascinating, and Often Catastrophic Collision of Two Intelligent Species.

And Here, There and Everywhere, the first parrot welfare children's book lauded "a masterpiece that should be in every library, school and home," by Dr. Jane Goodall.

You can buy signed copies (and she'll inscribe them if you ask her) via www.ParrotPress.net (Mira's site,) or on Amazon or in any bookstore chain.

Of Parrots and People is an expose' on the parrot trade that reads like a detective story - you won't be able to put it down. I couldn't!

Tweti is a multi-award winning investigative journalist that has written for the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Village Voice, LA Weekly, Tacoma News Tribune and man, many other newspapers and magazines! That's why CBS interviewed her - because she has done first hand reporting on these issues for more than a decade. And she had a major book published, the first of it's kind, last fall.

Her book is based on a Los Angeles Times Magazine award-winning expose' on the US parrot industry and Tweti spent five years writing the book. She did more than 500 interviews with avian biologists, accredited researchers at Harvard and other universities (not any dopey parrot owner with an opinion as you'll find here), US FIsh and Wildlife, conservationists, avian rescuers across the US, and many more.

It would be good if people had their facts straight about Mira Tweti before claiming things that have no truth in them: She did not buy her Lorikeet, Zazu. Like the CBS segment accurately reported she adopted him after her first parrot, Mango, died tragically from an infection (she got condolences from across the US and overseas).

It was Mango who raised her consciousness about the conditions of birds in many breeding facilities and that they were "parrot mills" and inhumane. She's written about this extensively since 1995 - in Bird Talk, parrotcrhonicles.com, and even the lory society journal early on, and more. It's public knowledge. She is the last person who would buy another parrot - why would anyone when there are thousands waiting to be adopted?

And why would anyone who really cared about these wonderful birds breed more when the average pet parrot has 7 homes in the first 10 years of its life!

They are passed around like old clothes to family and friends when their owners realize what a challenge it is to keep a screaming, biting, destructive wild animal in their home and worse yet - to keep a beautiful flying creature in perpetually imprisoned?

And, last but not least: if you read Mira's book you'd know that the Humane Society of the US is saying that birds relinquished by their owners to rescues, even great rescues, are not living a high quality life. They are still in cages, usually alone. Even though they're fed and kept clean, it's still no life for a flocking animal that needs trees and a life in the sky. So they're saying rather than warehouse them for decades, it's more humane to euthanize them.

It won't be an issue soon, as the numbers are increasing of unwanted parrots and there's already no places for them in rescues. They'll end up like their cat & dog counterparts: after living unhappy lives in captivity, they'll be euthanized at local SPCA's or animal control shelters as unwanted pets. And all this while their wild cousins are going extinct in the wild from the pet trade!

[mumto2eclectus]

I think the story is great. It does not discredit good bird owners. I love my birds deeply, however, after having a cousin with a parrot I decided to research getting one for myself. I did months and months of research, six months later I adopted a male Eclectus, Tango. After purchasing Tango I realized a parrot did not fit my lifestyle. I lived in an apartment, I stayed the night at my boyfriends frequently, and Tango wanted to be with me all the time. For 2 months I had buyers remorse. Finally I decided I had to change my mental state of regret in order to love this animal that could out live me.

I changed my attitude and Tango has been with me for 9 years. Along the way I volunteer with many animal rescue organizations, a parrot rescue too. There were so many parrots that had been abandoned. I adopted another eclectus and a Sun Conure too. The female eclectus was down right mean when I got her, she made me almost everyday after I got her. 3 yrs later she now likes me.

The cost, their care are extreme. The noise, the mess are extremes as well. Tango is an separation anxiety plucker, he can not tolerate being away from me for more that a few hours. I have spent thousand trying to 'solve or cure' his plucking issues. It breaks my heart. (I use to think pluckers plucked due to abuse, but I have never abuse my little guy). I suppose his abuse is my absence. Seriously I do not leave my house for more than 3 days or he will pluck himself bald.

I am just saying, if you want a bird rescue. I don't want to take business away from breeders, but I should never have purchased a bird. All my research did not prepare me for reality. This is a life long commitment....but, they are all the love of my life.

[califconure]

To those of you who say companion birds are no more trouble than dogs or cats and that they are generally well treated by their happy, satisfied owners, please consider: Domestic dogs and cats if properly cared for live a lot longer than their wild cousins. "Pet" birds generally have much shorter lives. Cockatoos in the wild, for instance, can live 80-100 years. Their average life span in captivity is, I have read, about 15 years. Now why is that, if they're so well cared for?? Another statistic: The average parrot is re-homed 7 times during its life (our latest rescue/adoption already has had 3 prior homes in his less-than-happy 7-year existence before we took him). How do you explain that statistic, if there are all those happy, responsible bird owners out there? Oh yes, and by comparison how many homes does the average dog or cat have during its life?

I've cared for a couple dozen different species of wild and domestic animal at various times in my life. None of those experiences prepared me for the intensity of the birds we now have - their astonishing intelligence, emotional expressiveness, and huge personalities. I totally understand where Tweti is coming from in her combination of love and exasperation. She does not strike me as a person who "has little ability to manage ... a pet bird." She impresses me as deeply caring and responsible. Our birds are the light of our life, but they demand a huge amount of work, attention and love. No one ever should get into bird ownership swallowing the naive, idealized portrayal of birds as low-maintenance, or "starter" pets (an obscene concept promoted by the pet industry - especially the big chain stores). I think that's the Big Lie that Tweti was trying to rebut.

Anyone thinking about getting a parrot should read 'Of Parrots and ' cover to cover. My deepest thanks to Mira Tweti for writing it and for all the research she did amassing fuel for the firestorm that now will follow. And sincere thanks also to Bill Whitaker and CBS for igniting it with this interview!

[japugz]

I felt, for a 2.5 minute piece, that it was fairly well done. It at least touched on the problem of unwanted, abandoned, and/or abused parrots. These birds make poor pets, but can be marvelous companions when given the proper care, nutrition and attention they must have. Potential owners must realize that all that involves a life changing experience. From what I can tell, most rescues are overburdened, and many avain clubs that offer adoption services share the same problem. It is my opinion that people who feel they are really up to the proper care of these birds should adopt, rather than purchase more young birds who may very well end up in the same rescues (or worse if euthanasia becomes an accepted solution to a problem not caused by the birds themselves)if acquired by those unable to properly care for them. I would hope that CBS would do more pieces that would explore these issues in greater depth, with the eventual outcome of better understanding and treatment of these marvelous creatures.

[ilovemytoo]

I felt this is was a very true picture of what parrot reality is.. I have worked with animals my entire life, but do NOT consider myself an AR person. However, I do believe we have a responsibility for the animals that have been bred and sold as pets.

Young parrots can be cute and cuddly and loving and a joy to own and play with. Adult parrots can be too, if their needs are being met. But too often, when a parrot reaches sexual maturity, and becomes more challenging, the owners give up on them and start looking to rehome them.

I am sharing my life with 2 African Greys, 2 cockatoos, and a Blue & Gold macaw. All rescues. All with behavior problems. Most with multiple homes to their "credit". One of my toos was left at the local Humane Society in a brown paper bag. She had chewed off her tail and wing feathers, and is terrified of almost everyone.

Not one single week goes by that I don't get a phone call from someone desperate to find a new home for their bird. Some have legitimate reasons. My macaw came to us because his owner has terminal cancer. Some not so good..."he screams" "he bites" "I don't have enough time".

I love my parrots. I take great joy in their antics. But if we are honest we will admit that they are expensive to care for-pellets, fruits, vegetables, nuts, toys, and annual vet visits that average $300. They are loud, and will pick the worst times to make noise: when you are on the phone, when you have visitors, when you are trying to watch a movie. They take a lot of time: you can't just park them in a cage and expect them to do well. And they can be incredibly destructive. They can't tell the difference between your formal dining table and the blocks of wood they are suppose to tear up. They are hardwired to chew wood, and they will. Since I've been typing this I had a cockatoo fly to my shoulder, remove two buttons from my blouse and then fly to a window sill and slice off a piece of the molding before I could get to him. This is not something that can be trained out of a bird.

What I got from the story is that there are too many people buying birds before they do the research. Too many people giving them up. Too many birds looking for forever homes. And not enough people who are willing and able to meet their needs. I could be wrong.....but my phone keeps ringing and people keep asking me to take in their birds.

for the rescues posting comments.Not one of you have answered my post!! Why are you so full and birds are not placed in home.I see a couple are agreeing with me over people and the loss of job and the economy, But again you are so great to put down the breeder, but not one of you are blaming the owner for his misfortune............If you are full then I see you are in an OMG need to revamp your rescue and get these birds into homes or you are becoming a 501c3 bird hoarder.
I will stand behind what i have stated before its your own fault these birds are in your rescue and not into home.
I want to hear from one of you tell me a bird is better off in a rescue hold 250 plus birds..
When i know for a fact there are so many people wanting to adopt.yes these people are NOT Bill Gates and have the OMG perfect home that you protray you want for these birds.
But they have a want and a love and a home....
i will stand again, lower your requirements and OMG fees and place these birds into a home..

And lets hear how many birds are in your rescue!!! I bet not one person is willing to respond.Dont talk to me about putting birds to sleep.You would be no better then the Humane society or PETA..
NO excuse for ever putting a bird down when there ARE HOMES OUT THERE!!!!!!!!!donna

[tielgirl]

I'm a volunteer for Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue in the SF Bay Area and this article is NO JOKE. We've been flooded with unwanted birds, often because people have lost their homes or jobs and can't keep them. The threat of euthanasia for an unwanted bird is very real.

My own nanday conure came to Mickaboo because her owner wanted a vet to euthanize her (she was plucked and he no longer wanted her, didn't think anyone would adopt a plucked bird). We fostered her on an emergency basis because we were afraid she'd be killed soon if we didn't. We were her first foster home and loved her so much we adopted her. She still doesn't have any feathers, but is very happy and active with us.

A bird is a delightful pet, but you must spend time with them, socialize them, feed them appropriately and get them vet care (which is expensive) if they are ill. They aren't pets for sissies.

Educate yourself before you get that bird, and ADOPT! DON'T BUY!!!!! There are plenty of birds already out there desperately needing homes.