Birds as money makers? Avian welfare proponents say no. (Plus post-Auction Update:)
Post Auction UpdateZiggy’s Haven saved 17 birds, and other rescues were able to get 13 birds. Wendy from Ziggy’s Haven reported, “We saved 30 birds from a life of containment in a semi trailer.” A more detailed update and photos of the birds will be posted soon. Ziggy’s still needs help from the bird-loving community! Visit their website
Here.
*Update: Ziggy’s Haven Bird Sanctuary in Lake City, FL is planning to attend the auction. They are seeking donations to outbid breeders and possibly foster or adoptive homes for birds won at the auction. Visit their website at
www.ziggyshaven.com, or e-mail wendy@ziggyshaven.com to help.
By Kelli Ohrtman: Best Friends NetworkBird auctions take place all the time throughout the United States. It has long been illegal to import wild-caught birds into the country, but large-scale breeders have been handily filling consumers’ demand for pet birds. In reality, most auctions happen quietly with birds changing hands from breeder to breeder. Not the case for a March 31st closeout sale of Beech’s Bird Nest Ranch in North Carolina.
An ad announcing the
500-bird auction was placed in Bird Talk magazine, causing an uproar from bird lovers and breeders alike. Now the issue is in the open and on the table.
We spoke with Denise Kelly and Eileen McCarthy, co-founders of the Avian Welfare Coalition (
www.avianwelfare.org) about the welfare issues surrounding the auction, and what can be done by those who might not agree with treating birds this way. They laid out the main issues including commercial breeding, overpopulation, and the realities of living with parrots. They also shared their advice on what to do about it all.
Commercial breeding isn’t good for any animalGenerally, when any animal is bred on a large scale for its owner’s profit, care standards go down in proportion to the number of animals kept. The more focus is put on increasing production and profit, the less goes to considering the animal’s well-being, because often the two don’t go hand in hand. The auction bill for Beech’s birds reads “This is an opportunity to buy proven factories -- money makers.”
Whether the auctioneer meant that the birds are themselves factories, or that they are also money makers, the mindset is clear. The birds exist to make money for their keepers. Denise spoke on how birds are kept for breeding purposes, and had this to offer, “In most mass production breeding operations, birds are routinely placed with a mate in small enclosures with nothing more than water, food, and a nest box. The idea is to keep them breeding with the least amount of distraction. Breeder birds are seldom offered enrichment activities and are kept away from human interaction.”
This is the exact opposite then the environment parrots have evolved to live in over millions of years. Birds have adapted to free flight, gregarious social groups and close-knit families—not to mention living in the wild. Keeping birds warehoused for breeding purposes is on no level humane to the bird.
Aside from a bird’s mental and physical well-being at a breeding facility, another point to consider is the number of birds that commercial breeders pump into the pet trade, and whether it is ethical to do so, which brings up the next point.
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There are already thousands more parrots than there are homes to care for themThe basic truth is, Eileen said, “There’s already an overpopulation of parrots in captivity.” The Avian Welfare Coalition took an in-depth look at the true status of the pet bird overpopulation problem in this document,
Avian Welfare Issues: An Overview, and the results are alarming at best.
The lowest estimate of exotic birds kept as pets in the United States is 11.7 million; the highest estimate is more like 40-50 million. Even the lower estimate makes birds the third most popular pet in the country. But when one considers that many of the most popular species of parrots live 2-5 times longer than a dog or cat, and can easily outlive a human, there’s whole different set of issues to consider. Denise said “There is a built-in homelessness problem, particularly with large species such as Macaws, Amazons, African Greys, and Cockatoos. It is unreasonable to assume that the average 40-year old person who acquires a large parrot is going to be able to provide lifetime care, so you already have that factor that the animal is going to be re-homed at some point in its life.”
She went on to explain that overpopulation is more than the number of animals present. “Another consideration is that species with complex or demanding care requirements who need skillful and knowledgeable caretakers will reach overpopulation at far fewer numbers than species requiring less specialized care. The smaller the pool of qualified caretakers or suitable environments in which to place an animal, the faster overpopulation is reached.”
Eileen spoke to the number of parrots estimated to be given up by their owners each year, stating, “If there are twelve million [pet birds], even if you only had a 1% annual relinquishment rate that would mean 120,000 a year become displaced. And one percent is very conservative and probably completely unrealistic. I think with dogs and cats it’s more like a 5-7% relinquishment rate—and that’s with animals that people are generally capable of providing care for.”
This is a problem. Finding an appropriate home for a relinquished parrot is not easy considering the type of care they need. In fact, Denise quoted one study indicating that as many as one third of people who had parrots acquired them from someone else instead of buying, breeding or adopting their own bird. It makes sense that with a lifespan that exceeds our own, it’s inevitable that a bird will need to be handed off to someone else someday. But to who?
So while the pool of birds without homes continues to grow, passing birds from one place to the next, breeders keep on breeding. Meanwhile…
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Parrots are not for everyone—in fact they’re not good pets for mostThis brings us back to the auction. Anyone can bid on, and go home with a parrot on auction day. Birds could go to other breeders or to first-time owners. Eileen said, “Having a sale of animals with absolutely no screening process and no guidelines for animals which are very difficult to care for is very irresponsible.” On the flip side, any responsible shelter, breeder or seller will make sure that their birds go to people who are educated and equipped to care for them.
Eileen explained, “A parrot is not necessarily a pet in the sense of the word that we usually use—obedient, always happy to see you, happy to have its needs met on your terms.” In fact they can be pretty difficult animals to keep healthy and happy in a home environment, more so than the average person might think.
This
fact sheet, provided by the Avian Welfare Coalition lays out some of the surprises new bird owners might be faced with if they haven’t done enough research—things like the potential screaming, the cost of care and supplies, the daily time and attention parrots demand from humans in a home. It’s enough to send most right back to calling themselves strictly dog or cat people.
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The bottom line—how to change things for birdsWhile the Beech’s Bird Nest Ranch auction has brought many issues in avian welfare to the forefront in discussion, the fact remains that it is the live pet industry that perpetuates events like this. Denise and Eileen offered several tips on how bird lovers can stop supporting large-scale breeding of parrots that already don’t have enough homes to go around.
-Don’t buy products from stores that sell live animals. “Your influence comes in the way of money,” Denise said.
-Never buy a bird—adopt from a rescue instead
-Tell your local and state governments how you feel about the exotic bird trade in your area. Eileen said, “There’s no reason people in the area of the auction can’t be writing letters to the editor on how they feel about 500 birds being auctioned in their community. Tell legislators you want an ordinance prohibiting it.”
Ideally, every parrot to be auctioned off would go into a good environment, and not back into a breeder’s world. Sadly, that most likely won’t be the case for most of these birds. But if enough people take action, even a small action like not buying from a store that sells birds—and telling them why—change will slowly start. In the meantime, take a moment with your own birds if you have them, or call a local bird rescue or shelter and offer to help. Even small steps can take bird lovers a very long way toward a better life for their feathered friends.
For more information about birds and bird welfare, visit the Avian Welfare Coalition’s website at:
www.avianwelfare.orgMore resources and information:
10 Things to know before adopting a bird 10 Reasons why birds are given up10 things to make your bird happy! The True Nature of Parrots Take Action for Birds!