In the wild, birds preen each other, fly together, play, and share egg incubation duties. They are never alone, and if separated even for a moment, they call wildly to their flockmates. Many species of birds mate for life and share parenting tasks.
Yet in captivity, these beautiful, social birds are often put in a cage all alone, sometimes for decades. Denied companionship and the freedom to fly, they can become neurotic and self-destructive, pulling out their own feathers and/or bobbing their heads incessantly.
Parrots and other birds continue to be "captive-bred" and even illegally captured from their native homes and sold into the pet trade. Because the exportation of captured parrots is a crime, they are smuggled out in cramped containers-sometimes stuffed into socks and placed in shoes, small boxes or even toilet paper rolls. It's no surprise that half of these frightened, hungry, thirsty birds die before reaching a new shore.
Parrots and other exotic birds are also "bred" in enormous factories where they frequently exist in squalor, unable to fully stretch their wings or even preen properly. These captive-bred birds are still wild animals who instinctively crave freedom and companionship, even if it has always been denied to them.
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| Did You Know? |
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- Birds experience feelings like love, jealousy, and sadness.
- Every bird needs a partner, and in the spring, they will call out in an effort to attract one.
- Birds prefer to live in an aviary with other birds rather than in a living room.
- Only one out of every 10 parrots is inclined to talk.
- Most parrots die from diseases caused by the same conditions as humans—too much fat and stress, with too little exercise.
- Birds need plenty of space to move around and exercise.
- When kept as "companions," large birds need a great deal of socialization and attention—at least eight hours a day.
- About 70 percent of parrots suffer from "miner's lung" disease (pneumoconiosis) because of living in a dry, stuffy indoor environment. Pneumoconiosis can infect all birds, however, and is transmissible to people through bird droppings.
- Many large birds have multiple guardians in their lifetimes because they outlive one human family after another—they live about 40 to 70 years.
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You Can Help |
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Never buy a bird (or any animal!) from a pet shop. Your purchase pays the store to restock with another-and the next bird may not be sold to someone as compassionate as you are. Instead, inquire about birds up for adoption through your local animal shelter.
Please don't keep a solitary bird—they are flock animals! Make sure that you have the time, patience, space, and resources to properly care for at least two birds; they will keep each other company when you are away.
If you already have a companion bird, find out how you can help make his or her life better by reading PETA's factsheet on bird care.
Please support PETA's work to help parrots and other animals.
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