Types of pet birds?

[allpetbirds]

Hello,

I know this is a parrot forum, but I value your thoughts.

I just got an email through my website from a guy, angrily cussing, saying that "there are other types of pet birds besides parrots" and "if my site is about parrots, that's what it should say."

Well, my "types of pet birds" page lists these birds: African Greys, Amazons, Caiques, Canarys, Cockatiels, Cockatoos, Conures, Eclectus, Finches, Hawk-Headed Parrots, Lories and Lorikeets, Lovebirds, Macaws, Parakeets, Parrotlets, Pionus, Poicephalus.

Canarys and Finches aren't parrots of course, but I didn't list other birds like doves, Mynah birds, etc. because, as far as I know, they aren't commonly kept as pets. And I would rather not recommend these types of "still-commonly-wild" birds to the general public.

So, I've thought about adding a section at the bottom of the "types of pet birds" page for "uncommon pet birds". But I don't want to add them to our possible quiz results.

I may be completely wrong in my thinking, so I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Do you think we should recommend these types of birds to our visitors? And what birds do you think we should definitely have listed?

-Michelle

[SpeedyNyC]

Well, there's no excuse for that guy cursing at you. However, you'd be amazed how many people keep doves as pets; Even quails. I used to keep both, doves and quails.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I've seen several Toucans kept as or sold as pets locally here -- and also one Turaco. Softbills are definitely in the pet category. And of course people keep homing pigeons, and various types of hawks, although those are typically working pets.

The guy shouldn't have been rude, but I guess ALLpetbirds might give folks the idea that you are mostly about non-parrots, since the default notion of a pet bird is a parrot. FWIW.

[allpetbirds]

I've added a section on the "types of pet birds" page with "less common pet birds." I've included Doves/Pigeons, Mynahs, Rosellas, and Toucans. What others do you think I should include?

I think the main reason we didn't want to add them to the quiz (we've always wanted to have them listed) is that they require different care and supplies than the common pet birds. For example, aviaries. And they are usually always flighted as well. I guess I just always put them in a different category in my head because of these things. Like, I know people do keep these birds, but to the general public, they usually aren't considered a "common household pet" and therefore not necessarily a "pet bird" but more in the "wild bird" category.

Only after we registered the domain name did we realize that there aren't a lot of "pet birds" outside the parrot family--the most common are finches and canaries.

In reality, I think if these birds are considered pet birds, we could include all wild birds in the pet bird category because people do keep all types of birds (illegal or not). I guess my question is: where is the line drawn?

I don't know if I'm making any sense, but I just want to know if I'm the only one who feels this way about these types of birds...and figure out what we should do about it concerning the site.

-Michelle

[Kim S]

I think I know what you are getting at. To me, the line is drawn at the amount of interaction there is between bird and owner. If there is a bond of, what we humans call, friendship between the two, I would call it a pet bird. If it is just being fed and kept to be looked at, it would not be a pet to me. Just an animal that is kept. It all just comes down to your definition of what a pet is suppose to be.

Where I come from (Holland) people also keep finches and kanaries as pets. Some bird of prey can become quite attached and affectionate to their owners as well. But like said, they are usually kept as working birds. That would not qualify it as a pet in my mind.
Beo's are rare, but known to the public. I dont know of people keeping hornbilled birds as pets in the definition I used here. They are kept as aviary birds though.

I think it might be an idea to open your home page with your definition of what a 'pet' is suppose to be.
Or you could just not care about the whining and give them the big fat primary feather....

[Michael]

There are definitely some corvids being kept as pets out there.

[zazanomore]

I wouldn't label doves and pigeons as less common pets, as I know of more people who own doves, then own parrots.

[SpeedyNyC]

I wouldn't label doves and pigeons as less common pets, as I know of more people who own doves, then own parrots.

Agree.


I think the line needs to be drawn between what's considered legal and ilegal if you don't want to encourage people to break the law. Just because something is not commonly owned it doesn't mean that they cannot be categorized as pets. Not many people own Hyacinth macaws and red tailed black cockatoos because they are very pricey. I used to own a red tail hawk when I was a teenager; I lived in the Dominican Republic back then. I never made it work for its food. I have never been hunting in my life. So to me, the hawk was my pet. Then there are dogs that are used to hunt, but they can get very attached to their owners and vise versa.

PS: If you can find a Petco store that doesn't selll doves I'll give you my parrots. (note: they can be out of "stock" :-p)


... ok ok I'm joking (even though you won't find one), I would never give up my parrots lol.


Ever!