That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

TheUSA has long prohibited the importation of wild-caught parrots, and many countries regulate the collection of native species.  However, enforcement difficulties and huge profits ensure that the taking of wild parrots continues on a scale that surprises many conservation-minded bird-keepers. Over the last 18 months, the illegal trapping of African Gray Parrots has been very much in the news (please see article below).  Unfortunately, a recent confiscation of Blue-Fronted Amazons, Yellow-Faced Parrots, Blue-Headed Pionus and Scaly-Headed Pionus shows that the problem is not limited to Central Africa.

Trapping and Habitat Loss go Hand-in-Hand

The illegally-collected parrots were hidden beneath cargo in a truck that was stopped in Pernambuco State, Brazil, on September 25, 2011.

Most of the birds appeared to be youngsters, which may indicate that nesting trees were destroyed in the process of collecting them (trappers frequently chop down nesting trees in order to reach young parrots).  Trees containing suitable nesting holes are a rare resource in most habitats, and are important to the survival of a wide variety of birds, invertebrates, amphibians, mammals and reptiles.  Their loss has severe, long term implications.

Helping the Confiscated Parrots

The displaced parrots are being cared for byBrazil’s Environmental Conservation Organization (ECO).  Caretakers have the expertise to rear them, but as you can imagine the cost and time involved, especially where nestlings are concerned, is enormous.  The stress, poor care and cramped conditions endured by the parrots while in collectors’ hands will ensure that many need medical attention.  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 »

A pair of highly endangered Forest Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos, Calyptorhynchus banksii naso, has hatched a chick in an artificial nest box located in Perth, Australia.  The box was erected as part of a conservation effort launched by the Western Australian Museum and Murdoch University.  The nesting is significant because it represents both the first time this species has accepted an artificial nest and the first known breeding in an urban setting.

Unique Threats and Considerations

The Forest Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo faces “typical” problems such as habitat loss, but is also plagued by several unique threats and an unusual breeding biology…all of which complicated the formation of a recovery plan.

Black Cockatoos have very specific nest-site requirements, and once a suitable nesting hollow is located a pair generally uses it for many years.  Over the past several decades, Black Cockatoos in natural habitats have come under pressure from burgeoning populations of feral honeybees and of other cockatoo species, including Galahs and Corellas.  These aggressive insects and birds take over Black Cockatoo nests and severely impact the species’ ability to reproduce. 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 »

The animated movie Rio tells the story of the last 2 “Blue Macaws” on earth, and their adventurous efforts to save their species from extinction.  The touching yet realistic conservation story has captivated adults and children alike, and the movie posted ticket sales of $40,000,000 on its first weekend…a record for this year.  Many fans may not realize that a real endangered species – the Spix’s Macaw, Cyanopsitta spixii, and a real individual bird – Presely, inspired director Carlos Saldanba to create the movie. Read More »