It’s better to adopt an adult bird than to buy a baby
By Mieke
Why is that?
1. When people adopt, they help by decreasing the demand of commercial breeding.
2. If you buy a bird, you won’t have a great deal of support, therefore all the questions you have will go unanswered and if you do get answers, it will most likely be from the wrong community.
3. You’re taking a stand against enabling breeders to continue mistreating thousands of sentient beings solely for profit.
4. When adopting, you help reduce the number of euthanasia each year.
5. Parrots are expensive, so rather adopt and pay a small fee. This money goes towards continuing to improve the lives of many parrots in need. Then use the rest you would’ve spent on a new bird to make your adopted bird’s life amazing.
6. You’re saving a life; you’ll be giving a parrot the love and life he deserves. There is no better feeling than earning the trust of a previously neglected or abused bird.
7. With an adult bird you know what to expect, you can then work on the problems together.
8. A baby bird might never turn out the way you want them to. They might even reject you as their favorite human and bond to someone else in the household, or simply unbond from you, when they reach sexual maturity. It’s a myth that you will have a better bond with a bird if you raise it from a chick… Chances are actually quite high that the baby will eventually turn on you as their instinct dictates. In the wild, they are hardwired to reject their parents and go out on their own to find a mate. If they see you as their parent, they’re likely to follow the same course. You want them to see you as a platonic flock mate, not as a parent or a mate. The best way to achieve this dynamic is to build a relationship with an adult bird.
A few tips:
• Do your homework on the species, diet, care etc. before you adopt a parrot, they are not domesticated.
• Make sure you realise that having a parrot requires lots of work and it’s very challenging at times.
• Join a rescue community where you’ll be given the best and correct advice for your new adopted bird.
• Do not buy or adopt a parrot to give away as a present.
• Take note that some birds have a lifespan of 80 years and can go up to 100, so plan accordingly.
Adopt, don’t shop!
I’ve had a cockatoo and a Senegal Parrott. I’m now 80 and am worried about leaving a bird behind. I loved having birds. They were more like my children than pets. I live alone now and want companionship, but is this fair to a bird? Am I too old?
Perhaps you could look into long-term fostering some birds instead of adopting? That way you get the benefits of companionship but you don’t have to worry about what might happen to them if you suddenly become unable to continue their care.