What lots of folks don't realiza is that parrots like Macaws or African Grays have human-like lifespans, 60+ years in captivity, meaning getting one is a lifetime committment,plus they are also very gregarious, social animals in the wild and probably should have more of their kind living with them.
Such pretty birbs. Always wanted a pet bird but my father considered them too messy. My poor father, who spent most of his adult life in the military, was very neat but my mother was a pack rat. He never criticized her though. He loved her so much that she could do no wrong. As to us kids and the state of our bedrooms... I learned to hide things in the closet and under the bed. Thanks for the gif Martini!
I don't know if you had any desire to read that National Geographic story, but one person interviewed mentioned that macaws were wildly popular as pets for a while, but the novelty wore off soon after the purchase because they are so messy and destructive. While having city birds is probably not as idea as them living in the wild (and it sure can be dangerous for them), it's no doubt a lot nice for them to be sort-of-pets while retaining their freedom.
About your dad, though... I remember my mom pulling teeth to get us to clean up. And our bedroom was small, being in a city apartment, so the mess tended to migrate to other areas. Haha, kids, all the same on that front.
Yeah, I would have felt guilty keeping a bird in a cage. The idea of being able to fly but not having the freedom to fly would be heartbreaking. And I knew my father was right about the mess (one of my cousins had a parakeet) but I didn't like to admit when he was right. I was a willful child.
Yeah, I share your dad's opinion on birds. I love 'em, but I know having one living with would drive me insane. Heck, I spent a year or so sharing my bedroom with my sister's pair of lovebirds and that was enough for me.
I'd love to live in a city where macaws visited me for treats. That would be my ideal bird/human relationship.
What lots of folks don't realiza is that parrots like Macaws or African Grays have human-like lifespans, 60+ years in captivity, meaning getting one is a lifetime committment,plus they are also very gregarious, social animals in the wild and probably should have more of their kind living with them.
Very handsome birds, and so well-behaved!
Such pretty birbs. Always wanted a pet bird but my father considered them too messy. My poor father, who spent most of his adult life in the military, was very neat but my mother was a pack rat. He never criticized her though. He loved her so much that she could do no wrong. As to us kids and the state of our bedrooms... I learned to hide things in the closet and under the bed. Thanks for the gif Martini!
I don't know if you had any desire to read that National Geographic story, but one person interviewed mentioned that macaws were wildly popular as pets for a while, but the novelty wore off soon after the purchase because they are so messy and destructive. While having city birds is probably not as idea as them living in the wild (and it sure can be dangerous for them), it's no doubt a lot nice for them to be sort-of-pets while retaining their freedom.
About your dad, though... I remember my mom pulling teeth to get us to clean up. And our bedroom was small, being in a city apartment, so the mess tended to migrate to other areas. Haha, kids, all the same on that front.
Yeah, I would have felt guilty keeping a bird in a cage. The idea of being able to fly but not having the freedom to fly would be heartbreaking. And I knew my father was right about the mess (one of my cousins had a parakeet) but I didn't like to admit when he was right. I was a willful child.
Yeah, I share your dad's opinion on birds. I love 'em, but I know having one living with would drive me insane. Heck, I spent a year or so sharing my bedroom with my sister's pair of lovebirds and that was enough for me.
I'd love to live in a city where macaws visited me for treats. That would be my ideal bird/human relationship.