HundredsofbirdsarechirpingatUmgeniRiverBirdParkinDurban,SouthAfrica.Listen.Ablue‑frontedAmazon parrotissingingscales.That’saskillitlearnedfromitsprior owner.

Manyoftheparrotsinthiszooandbreedingcenterarerescues.Theyweregivenupbypeopleunpreparedtotakecareofthem.Parrotsareneedybirds.Theyarealsolongliving.Someparrotscanlivetobe80years old.


Parrotsaresocialandintelligent.Theycanmimichumanvoices.Theycancreatedeepbondswiththeirowners.It’snowonderthatparrotsareamongthemostpopularpetbirdson Earth.

MajorMitchell's cockatoo

ParrotsatRisk

Parrotsmaybepopular,buttheyfacealotofdangers.Deforestationandhabitatlossaremajorthreats.Thehumanpopulationtakesupspaceandneedsresources.Rainforest landsareclearedforbuilding materials.


Warmingtrendscanalsochangehabitats.Achangingclimatecanaffectfoodsources.Itcanalsodisruptbreedingcycles.Also,pollutionfromacidraincankillparrotsandputtheirfutureat risk.

Butthegreatestriskofallisthedemandforparrotsaspets.Breedingprogramsraiseparrotsincaptivitytosellaspets.But,manyparrotsarestilltakenillegallyfromthe wild.


“IntheU.S.,if yougobuyaparrot,theoddsofitbeingcaptivebredare99 percent,”sayszoologistDonaldBrightman.InLatinAmerica,parrotsaremorelikelytakenfromthe wild.

Thisblue‑throatedmacawiscritically endangered.

ParrotDiversity

Parrotspeciesliveinrangesonfivecontinents.TheAmazon,NewGuinea,andAustraliahavethegreatest variety.

NorthAmerica

SouthAmerica

Africa

Europe

Asia

Australia

AmazonBasin

New ​​​​​​​Guinea​​​​​​​

Africangrayparrotrange

numberofparrot species

fewer

more

DIDYOUKNOW:
Palmcockatoos,suchasthisone,onlylayoneeggeverytwo years.

ParrotPopularity

Onereasonwildparrotsendupaspetsistheillegalwildlifetrade.Crimegroupshavemadebillionsofdollarstraffickinganimalparts.Theseincludeelephanttusksandrhinohorns.Nowtheyhaveaddedparrotstotheirlist.Australianpalmcockatooshavebeenknowntofetch $30,000 eachonthe black market.


Today,allbutthreeofthe350parrotspeciesqualifyforprotection.TheConventiononInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpecies,orCITES,fightsillegalwildlifetrade.CITESismadeupof179 nations—all with thesamegoalin mind.

TheillegalparrottradeisatitsworstinLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean.Here,thelawscanbedifficultto enforce.


However,themostdesirablespeciescomesfromAfrica.ItiscalledtheAfricangray.Thisparrotisthebesttalkerofthemall.Overamillionhavebeenexportedlegallyfromthe18 countrieswheretheylive.Yet,hundredsofthousandsmorehavebeentakenillegallyfromtherainforests ofWestandCentral Africa.

Africangrayparrots

Lawsbanningbirdtradehaveclosedmanymarkets,includingtheUnitedStatesandEurope.Still,thousandsofgraysareexportedtoother regions.

In2016,CITESmadeacontroversialdecision.ItaddedtheAfricangraytoaspeciallistofotheranimalsthreatenedwithextinction.Tosellthisbirdabroad,breedersmustprovetoCITESthatthebirdwasraisedincaptivityandnotcaughtinthe wild.

ThisAlexandrineparakeetlookslikeitiswearinga mask.