Parrot

'Parrot' is the generic term for all tropical birds with the typical bent down upper beak. Ara's (macaws) and Amazon parrots live in the jungle area's of South-America, the grey red tailed parrot lives in the African rainforests and cockatoos are found mostly in Southeast-Asia and Australia. They are a coveted pet, thanks to their colourful plumage and their ability to imitate sounds, including human speech.

As a pet, parrots are usually kept solitary, although they are pre-eminently social animals. In the wild, pairs of them will flock together in groups up to 50 or even 100 animals. In captivity, out of sheer necessity they will try to get in touch with their owner. Hence the fairytale that parrots can talk; what they actually do is imitate sounds, without any comprehension of the meaning. Owners that argue that their animal always says the right thing at the right moment forget that their animal recognizes body language or will react to the cookie in their hand.

Loneliness and a limited freedom of movement will lead to undesired behaviour such as continued screeching, biting or the plucking of its own feathers. Often the desperate owner will know no other solution than to cover the cage with a blanket, giving the animal the impression that it is always night. Given the fact that a parrot in captivity can live up to more than 40 years, that is quite a long nightmare to live through!

For more information on parrots please contact Stichting Nederlandse Opvang Papegaaien (NOP) in Veldhoven: www.papegaai.org.