PARROT
The parrot family consists of more than 350 different species of birds. They include groups such as Amazons, African Greys, macaws, cockatoos, eclectus, conures, lories and lovebirds. Although most people do not realize it, technically even budgies and cockatiels are classified in the parrot family. Though they are small, they too possess the basic traits all parrots share, including a large, broad head, a short neck and a heavy, powerful beak with the upper beak overhanging the lower. Parrots’ feet all have four toes, with two pointing forward and two backward. Parrots are wild animals. Though they may be domestically bred and hand-fed, they have lived with human beings for two generations at most. Parrots have adapted to life in jungle environment since the creation of the world 6,000+ years ago. However, human beings have long had a facination with these beautiful creatures and have kept them as pets for centuries. According to some sources, parrots were introduced to Greco-Roman civilization after Alexander the Great returned from his Indian expedition. These first imported parrots were probably Ringneck from India or related islands. In Greek and Roman culture, these exotic birds were housed in beautiful cages of precarious materials, and were worth a great deal of money. After Vasco de Gama found a sea route to Europe, parrot importation increased. The birds no longer had to be funneled through third parties in Arab countries. This elimination of the third parties in Arab countries. This elimination of the third party made parrot prices slightly more reasonable, and these birds became more widely available and popular. Keep in mind, however, that parrot availability was still limited to the highest echelons of society. Keeping an ornamental animal that did no useful work around the farm or home was entirely out of reach for the average citizen. Typically, many members of European royal families had parrots. Henry VIII had an African Grey with manners allegedly as bad as his own, and Columbus purportedly brought back a pair of Cuban Amazons to Queen Isabella when he retured from his first expedition to the Americas. Global exploration increased during the 18th century and flourished especially during the 19th century. Ventures to the New World to learn about the creatures, geography and exploitable resources of the continent were common. Knowledge about parrots increased with every venture intended to understand, observe or even capture them. Victorians made great strides and showed great interest in understanding the physical and behavioral mechanisms of these new creatures. Though their methods may be considered unethical by today’s standards, their research and understanding contributed immeasurably to many sciences, including the modern study of biology, natural history and the environment. The popularity of these birds in the United States has fluctuated with changes in prices, lifestyles and availability. Before the 1970s, parrots were imported, then banned when outbreaks of parrot-related diseases arose. These bans didn’t stop illegal imports from entering the country, but in 1973 quarantine stations were established in the Untited States, allowing birds to be safely imported. A period of vast importations of parrots followed, lasting almost twenty years. By the end of this period many countries had imposed restrictions on exporting their exotic wildlife. In 1992, the Wild Bird Conservation Act became low in the United States and effectively ended all importation of parrots. There was only a limited amount of domestic breeding of parrots until the mid 1980s. Most of the parrots purchased during the 1970s and early 1980s were imports and required a quarantine period and a considerable amount of taming and training when they were finally brought home. These birds were not always easy to work with as they had experienced a certain degree of trauma in being captured, exported and then moved from quarantine to distributor to pet shop to final owner. In addition, the thirty-day quarantine period involved medication with heavy doses of chlortetracycline. This regimen prevented the release of any parrots carrying an infectious disease. Unfortunately, thirty days of such strong medication can have a negative effect on a parrot’s spleen and liver.
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