Parrot Confidential on PBS

[Pajarita]

I watched "Parrot Confidential" and although I agree that parrots are NOT for everyone...what would become of the parrots born in captivity in the US if people didn't adopt them and give them safe and loving homes??? My parrot was born and raised, by hand, in Florida, within the US, and was NEVER going to make it back to the rain forests of Peru. So what would be the alternative?? I see the point of discontinuing the breeding of parrots in the US but that will just lead to importing them illegally again which I think is a worse scenario....

P.S. I'm glad the program was at least successful at deterring some, not fit to care for these beautiful birds, from adopting them in the first place.

They are still been brought in illegally into the States today (read Of Parrots and People by Mira Tweti). And, do you know who buys these wild-caught birds? Breeders, that's who. Nobody in his right mind would want a wild-caught for a pet but they are highly valuable to breeders because they breed not only much better but longer and healthier babies so, if the breeding became illegal, the smuggling through Mexico will stop.

[Dbeguy]

if the breeding became illegal, the smuggling through Mexico will stop.

If it was that easily done Pajarita we would have won the war on drugs in the Reagan years! I believe that that what's needed is a paradigm shift. It's precisely why the video I posted earlier with the co-parenting greys was so heartwarming.

[Weka]

As a newcomer to the parrots-as-pets world, this documentary was a real eye-opener.

For some reason, I'd assumed that since humans have been keeping certain species of parrots for centuries, that they were domesticated animals, like chickens. Imagine my surprise learning that they'd only stopped legal importation in the US as recently as 1992, and in the EU in 2007! I thought that only the "rare" parrots were being brought in from the wild. Shame on me for not knowing...

--W

[marie83]

Just wanted anyone from the UK who may be reading that this program is showing on c11 on freeview, the channels called pick, tomorrow wed 19th Nov at 9pm. Sadly I'm working so won't be able to watch it straight away but will get a friend to record it for viewing later