The Bird Inspector

Parrots are among the most intelligent and behaviorally complex of birds, and right up there alongside primates in the intensity of the care that they require, in my book, anyway.  Unlike primates - and other mammals - however, their care is not especially regulated by the federal government.  All of that may be about to change.

For years, the US Department of Agriculture has said that their inspection office would be expanding its purview from just mammals to cover birds as well.  Most of us never believed that it would happen.  USDA was stretched thin enough as it was, and I went years without seeing our inspector, as far back as she was in her caseload.  The last two years of the COVID pandemic didn't help either, of course.  Now, it looks like things are changing.  USDA has announced that they will start inspecting bird care at licensed facilities as well.  For many zoos and aquariums, this will dramatically increase the number of animals, enclosures, and paperwork that is subject to inspection.  For a facility like the National Aviary, which currently has a tiny number of mammals, previously inspected by USDA, it will be an enormous change.  Other facilities which have birds but no mammals will be inspected for the first time.

F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote, "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.," and here's my stab at that.  

1.) This is a good thing.  This will lead to increased standards of bird care - maybe it won't make much of a difference at good zoos which are already providing excellent bird care, but it will force facilities which are not doing right by their birds to either improve their practices or phase those species out.  For too long, birds have been considered "lesser" animals in the eyes of regulating authorities.  USDA requires regular enrichment for primates, and proof of its implementation.  Why should parrots be any different?

2.) This is also going to be a huge pain in the butt.  I don't think that a lot of inspectors are well-versed in the care of exotic or wild mammals, let alone birds.  I've had many frustrating exchanges with USDA inspectors who don't know what "normal" is for an animal, and as such are unable to determine if something is appropriate/adequate or not.  Besides, birds are such an amazingly diverse group of species, from hummingbirds to ostriches, penguins to falcons.  Even within the individual orders - parrots, waterfowl, raptors, etc - there is a lot of variation in lifestyle and requirements.  Coming up with standards of care for so many species with different needs will be a daunting challenge.  Regulating them will be even more so.   Is USDA really up to the task of doing this properly?  Or is this just going to add another level of bureaucratic red tape to the already complicated business of running a zoo or aquarium? 

Time will tell.  At the moment, I have noticed that our bird staff doesn't seem too concerned.  They're heard that USDA was going to start inspecting birds for years now.  At this point, I don't think they'll actually believe it until the first inspectors come in.