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+--- Thread: Parrots in wilderness or captivity? (/Thread-Parrots-in-wilderness-or-captivity)
Parrots in wilderness or captivity? - AnnaU93 - 03-01-2013
I feel that if a parrot is cared for and is in a good environment then there is nothing wrong with this, and in most cases it will be better in a home than in the wild in my opinion.
Some think that a parrot in captivity will be better than in wild, while others still believe that living in wild is still best...what your opinion on this?
RE: Parrots in wilderness or captivity? - jenb128 - 03-11-2013
The people who believe that ALL birds would be better off in the wild drive me insane. I don't believe in keeping "wild-caught" birds as pets, unless the bird has some sort of injury that makes him or her unable to survive in the wild (and most of those birds should be in sanctuary, wildlife park, or good-quality zoo instead of in somebody's house). However, if the bird was bred and raised in captivity, he or she does not know how to survive in the wild, and is therefore better off as a companion bird. I know that if somebody released my cockatiel into the wild, he'd be lucky to survive a day.
That being said, there are certainly some pet birds who aren't properly cared for. Those birds would be better off with a proper caretaker rather than the wild.
RE: Parrots in wilderness or captivity? - Rube - 03-21-2013
A parrot can be a good companion pet for humans and other animals. It would not be kind to leave a parrot on its own all the time, but within a family home, or in an aviary where there are other birds, I think a parrot can live a long and happy life.
I do think it's wrong to take birds from the wild and to sell them on as pets, but captive birds can breed and live a natural life in a large aviary.
RE: Parrots in wilderness or captivity? - Ram - 03-24-2013
I have to remind you that all the domesticated birds are the descendants of the originally "wild caught" birds.
Where else were the pet birds from? 
I am not against having newly wild caught bird as pet, as long as they are not endangered species and the people who try to domesticate them must be experts.
As for those already domesticated pet birds, they don't stand a chance on their own if you release them. They have been depended on us for generations with no knowledge of how to survive in the wild.
RE: Parrots in wilderness or captivity? - jenb128 - 03-26-2013
Yes, my pet cockatiel is decended from birds that were originally wild-caught. However, birds have been kept as pets for thousands of years, so today, there are more than enough captive-bred and raised birds to meet the demands of the pet market. I simply don't see any reason to catch a healthy wild bird to make him or her a pet when there are so many captive birds that need homes. A part of me wishes that people wouldn't have ever interfered with wild birds in the first place and would have left them alone. On the other hand, I'd be lying if I said I also wasn't glad that I have the opportunity to bond with a bird.
RE: Parrots in wilderness or captivity? - 4sweed - 04-04-2013
As long as the bird is well cared for and is healthy and content like most cage raised parrots are I think keeping parrots in cages is a good idea. And if the parrots are given ample time each day to fly in a flight pen and to exercise their wings it is an even better idea. Most caged birds would not last in the wild because they are not trained by their parents to find food in the wild.
Catching wild birds and keeping them caged is wrong and is against the law.
RE: Parrots in wilderness or captivity? - RiF - 04-15-2013
There are so many cases in which both the parrot and its owners are happy with the situation - the parrot gets lots of out of cage time to fly, toys, proper food and attention - that it really baffles me that some people still think they'd be better off in the wild. I really don't see the issue when both parts clearly benefit from the "arrangement".
Wild caught birds could hardly benefit from that, though. I know a lot of species are not endangered or even close to that, but these birds don't trust humans and are used to live a certain way. Change that and it's a lot of stress for them, and stress can wreck a bird's health. I like to think of them as individuals, not just a collective speciesof which a number can be disposed of since they're so plentiful.
RE: Parrots in wilderness or captivity? - SueA555 - 08-14-2013
It is illegal to sell wild-caught birds for the pet trade. There is a huge black market for smuggling them into this country, and unfortunately, most of these wild caught birds die during transport.
The birds that are available for the pet trade have been born and raised with a lot of interaction with people. Birds are social animals, and are more than willing to let a person be a part of the flock. A well-cared for bird is usually happy. Birds do need time out of their cages, and a lot of interaction with their persons to flourish as a pet.