That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Parrot conservation news has been somewhat dismal lately (please see here for some examples), so today I’d like to highlight a bright spot. Surveys have shown that Bolivia’s Barba Azul Reserve supports a breeding population of Blue-Throated Macaws (Ara glaucogularis), a species so rare that it was believed extinct until its “re-discovery” in 1992.  Maned Wolves, Orinoco Geese, Bush Dogs, Pampas Deer and other rare animals are also making themselves at home in the reserve’s 12,300 acres.

Wildlife Oasis amid Ranches

Managed by the World Land Trust, Barba Azul Reserve is comprised of tropical savannas, “forest islands” and marshes.  I had the good fortune to work in a similar area inVenezuela, and can attest to the incredible diversity of wildlife that such habitats support.  As was true for protected areas in Venezuela, Barba Azul is surrounded by huge cattle ranches.  Read More »

Recent advances in parrot husbandry and captive breeding may have had an unintended effect.  Lower prices and a larger selection of available species may be contributing to a problem of epic proportions – hundreds of thousands of abandoned parrots, macaws and cockatoos, many of which will never find a permanent home.  While parrot ownership has soared a staggering 147% over the past 20 years, from 11.6 million pets in 1990 to 60 million in 2010, our ability to provide for them has not kept pace.

Desirable but Demanding

The very qualities that draw people to parrots – intelligence, sociability and long lives – also render them as unsuitable pets for the average person.  Many live as long as their owners, who often find it difficult to provide for their pets, financially and otherwise, as time goes on.  According to a study by Best Friends Animal Society, it is not unusual for an elderly parrot to have 7-11 owners over the course of its life.

Parrots are likely the USA’s third most popular pet, yet many people do not realize that, unlike dogs and cats, they are not domesticated animals.  As wild animals, parrots have very different needs than domestic creatures.  Few people are able to provide the space, social situation and emotional environment needed by these active, “complicated” birds.  I have observed many species in the wild, and, despite years of study and zoo experience, was surprised by how much of their time was spent on the move and in direct contact with others.  The noise they produced was deafening…even on wide-open grasslands. Read More »

The huge, stunningly-colored Blue and Gold (or Blue and Yellow) Macaw, Ara ararauna, is one of the most recognizable of all birds…size, color, intelligence (and voice!) make it impossible to ignore.  While it has long been bred in captivity, the natural history of this spectacular parrot is less-well known.  Please read on to learn about its life in the wild and the threats to its continued existence.

Range

The Blue and Gold has the largest natural range of any macaw.  It is found from Eastern Panama east across most of Northern South America and south through Bolivia to Paraguay and Eastern Brazil.  Despite this, it is declining or extinct in some areas…Trinidad’s macaws disappeared in the 1960’s, but a new population has been re-introduced. Read More »

Finally, conservationists and bird enthusiasts have some promising news regarding the fate of wild parrots.  Mexico’s recently imposed ban on collecting and exporting wild parrots (please see article below) appears to be having its intended effect.  Confiscations are at an all-time low, the public is cooperating, and birds in neighboring Guatemala may be benefitting as well.

A Bad Year for Smugglers

Despite increased attention to parrot smuggling, last year (2010) saw only 568 parrots confiscated in Mexico…less than any time in the past decade, and down 1/3 from 2009.  As Mexico has long been an outlet for birds illegally trapped in neighboring Guatemala, it is believed that the ban is having a positive effect there as well. Read More »

I got the idea for this article after reading an interesting note in George Sommers’ wonderful Boston Bird and Fish Examiner column.  I’ve covered, in other blog articles, many of the birds he mentions, and thought I’d take the opportunity to expand a bit on “Christmassy” parrot themes here. Read More »