Pets and Pollys

Whenever I read up on a species of parrot, doing some research either for work or for this blog, there's usually a decent amount of mention of how suitable it is as a pet.  There is no other group of birds - raptors, waterfowl, pheasants - where the consensus seems to be that, if you're bothering to look it up online, you either have one as a pet or are looking to get one.  And, to be fair, almost (not all, but almost) every species of parrot I can think of is represented in the pet trade.  Those that aren't are often the most endangered, most stringently protected species - species which are, in many cases, primarily endangered because of the pet trade.

The defining factor for whether or not a parrot makes a good pet (besides its legality) seems to be how well it tolerates people.  Some parrots, such as rosellas, are very flighty, best suited to being kept in an aviary rather than in close proximity to people.  Others, like the hawk-headed parrot, can be somewhat surly and aggressive.  That said, there are a lot of parrots that I see (often as surrenders) pets that I really question the wisdom of keeping.  The large cockatoos come to mind readily.  I'm pretty sure they guard the gates of hell.  Every time one screams, I can feel the blood vessels in my head exploding one by one.  Their beaks are a sadistic cross between a nutcracker and a set of hedge clippers, wielded with malicious glee.  They have all of the respect for personal boundaries of a toddler who's just swallowed its body weight in sugar.  They are as emotionally-stable as a Jenga set in a hurricane.  In other words, they are not to be trifled with.  And yet some people insist that they make great pets and bring them into their homes.

It isn't just the people who can suffer from living in these associations - parrots, more often than not, are the ones who come off worse.  They are often kept in unsuitable enclosures and fed unsuitable diets, without enough opportunities for exercise and socialization.   Parrots are capable of living for decades, and can be surprisingly forgiving of all but the shabbiest of care.  But they may not thrive under such circumstances.

I wouldn't go so far as to call for a ban on parrot ownership - but I would like to envision a dramatic reimagining of how people keep parrots.  They should be kept in appropriate social groups (the definition of which does vary from species to species) in enclosures large enough to allow flight, or at least with regular access to opportunities for flight.  

Zoos have two responsibilities towards the goal of promoting parrot welfare.  First, their educational materials should be clear about the negative role that the pet trade can have on parrots, both in endangering wild species and in providing compromised welfare for captive birds.  Secondly, their facilities and presentations should highlight optimal welfare for parrots under their care, be they exhibit/breeding birds or educational ambassadors.  The facilities and care practices at the zoo should demonstrate best practices in parrot care for the public, providing a model of what care for these birds should look like for anyone who chooses to go down the road towards sharing their home with a macaw, cockatoo, or other psittacine.