[shamrockmommy]

I understand the passion in all of the posters' words. Having seen first hand, however, the immense stress on the caged birds- particularly the large parrots, I can say that they are not ideal pets and probably should not be in the 'average' pet owner's homes.

There are rescuers and those who are quite knowledgeable about parrots but it is very difficult to allow them their natural behaviors in the average household.

They are meant to fly long distances, many miles per day. They are meant to chew and scream. They're basically a toddler with a can opener on their faces! LOL They are meant to have the security of a flock. These cannot be disputed as their natural behaviors. We humans have taken them out of their natural environments and attempted to domesticate them. They may be tame but they are still, at heart, wild animals.

This is not to say that the birds existing in homes today should not be loved by us humans, it's my own *personal* opinion that we should probably leave these very complex beings in the wild, flying miles overhead where they belong.

If you do have parrots, go ahead, love them, care for them, enrich their daily lives as best you can but I wouldn't suggest going out and getting another. Take an honest look at this.