Parrots

These birds belong in the family Psittacidae.  They comprise the Macaws, Parrots, Parakeets and Cockatiels. They are a pantropical bird family, being found throughout the tropics.  They are some of the most beautiful birds in the avian class.  Some species are endangered. 

Rarities

You have heard about the fact that the science of physics has its own laws.  The science of ecology is just the same.  It has its own laws. One of these is that island species are more vulnerable than continental ones. Therefore more likely to be classed as Threatened or Endangered. One of the best examples is Mauritius, home to the Echo or Mauritius Parakeet. In the seventies the population was estimated at 16-22 individuals. A conservation project that became famous was set up to monitor the wild population and breed them in captivity and it was a great success.

Here in Brazil there are many species of parrot.  Perhaps the most spectacular is the Hyacinth Macaw.  It is an endangered species and is huge. As is its beak, which can crack nuts. It nests in the Pantanal, the Tropical wetland that is a biodiversity hotspot here.  The population is possibly in the tens of thousands, although you would have to check the literature if you wanted a more precise estimate. One of the best places to see the Hyacinth Macaw is at Kilometre 33 of the Trans-Pantanal Highway, an unsurfaced track that runs from Poconé to Porto Jofre.  There is a working farm there that has guest accommodation and the residents pride themselves on being able to provide facilities that enable close-up viewing, filming and photographic opportunities of the macaws. 

The parrots that can be seen locally include the following species. Macaws first: the Blue and Yellow, the Red and Green and the Hyacinth. Of the parrots, the Turquoise Fronted is probably commonest, and of the Parakeets there is the Monk and the Canary Winged.

Captivity

I had the idea for this article because I recently went on a field trip to a pig farm and on the way one of my class mates was saying how much he liked parrots and what he could do to obtain one. It is impossible for most Brazilians to get a parrot legally. They are kept as pets, of course, because there is a deep need in many of us to bring attractive animals into our domestic environment, and the parrot family is nothing if not attractive. But the ones that are kept illegally are mostly maintained in woefully inadequate conditions, with scant regard for their nutritional needs.  I don’t blame many private householders locally for the way they keep their animals.  Mostly it is due to a lack of available information.

The legal way is to buy one from a Criadouro Comercial, but these are are hard to find because they don’t advertise widely. If you have the money you can buy one and must keep the receipt as proof of purchase. I believe our local environment agency has just instigated a scheme by which people can adopt permanently injured parrots.

If you have a pet parrot and have a question, you can get in contact with many sources of help.  You can even send a comment here to me.  Have a good weekend.

 

My Bio. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Field Biology and Habitat Management, a Master’s degree in Conservation Biology and soon I will qualify as a Veterinary Surgeon with a major interest in wildlife veterinary medicine and surgery.