Interesting Question

[spiritbird]

This is a question I spied on another forum and I thought it was something to think about.

If your parrot(s) could be taken to a wild place for free flying and living that was completely safe and had everything they needed for natural living would you let them go? They would be living as a wild bird, be safe, be happy and most of all thrive.

[Mr Peepers]

Nope! :th_smile:

[spiritbird]

For me it is a yes. If i knew my birds would be happy and safe in the wild then that's where they were meant to be. I would be sad for their loss but what I feel is not that important in this instance.

[Lady]

I think I would. Especially if I could visit daily.

[Mr Peepers]

I would fear nature, a storm that I have no control of could harm.kill them or some type of illness I can't see and can't detect without that constant visualization I have daily with my bird/s. I would just be worried all the time.

[spiritbird]

Peeps you have such tiny, fragile birds I don't blame you.

[PeachyDoll]

If I knew she would be safe, I would let her go. It would break my heart to let her go but knowing that she was free and be how she was meant to be (flying and uncaged) that would mean everything. Realistically though we know that this cannot happen, once you made a human imprint on a exotic bird you are their flock. If I knew she would fly away free and healthy and wouldn't wonder where we were and was happy to be with her own kind that would be ideal. I would do it if I could. We adopted Rosie last year just before her 30th birthday. I am fortunate to know her original owner of 25 years I did ask him recently if she was born in California. He said yes. So while she was not trapped/captured I know that her parents were and just a few years before the ban on Moluccans in the USA. That is incredibly sad and while we didn't seek out to buy a bird what do we do as bird lovers when there are huge amounts of older birds that people have given up on? Adopt and love them. I've often thought about this question Dianne. It's made we wonder how our Rosie came all this way to us. The answer to my question didn't make things any better, she was still taken from her parents but our job is to make the best life possible for them while they are here with us.

[Mr Peepers]

If I knew she would be safe, I would let her go. It would break my heart to let her so but knowing that she was free and be how she was meant to be (flying and uncaged) that would mean everything. Realistically though we know that this cannot happen, once you made a human imprint on a exotic bird you are their flock. If I knew she would fly away free and healthy and wouldn't wonder where we were and was happy to be with her own kind that would be ideal. I would do it if I could. We adopted Rosie last year just before her 30th birthday. I am fortunate to know her original owner of 25 years I did ask him recently if she was born in California. He said yes. So while she was not trapped/captured I know that her parents were and just a few years before the ban on Moluccans in the USA. That is incredibly sad and while we didn't seek out to buy a bird what do we do as bird lovers when there are huge amounts of older birds that people have given up on? Adopt and love them. I've often thought about this question Dianne. It's made we wonder how our Rosie came all this way to us. The answer to my question didn't make things any better, she was still taken from her parents but our job is to make the best life possible for them while they are here with us.


A thoughtful and excellent post! :th_smile:

[PlaxMacaws]

Some very good points from each of you. I'm the same in that I would set my guys free if it were truly possible. But, quite frankly, it's not. So I guess as far as answering the poll, I'm neutral.

[Mare]

I think my view of safe place may differ from other's. Amigo came to me a completely caged bird at eight years old. He is a free bird now and still our friend and part of our family. Poll question.. "Would you let your bird be free in a safe place". Heck, yeah! Not only Amigo but Sassy and Chip, too! Birds were born to be free and to fly at will.

At risk of sounding harsh and not caring, if Amigo was taken by a hawk tomorrow, I will know that he had a halfway full life, a happy life. I would miss him and would always hold him dear to my heart but would also know, that I gave him what he needed.

[PlaxMacaws]

I think my view of safe place may differ from other's. Amigo came to me a completely caged bird at eight years old. He is a free bird now and still our friend and part of our family. Poll question.. "Would you let your bird be free in a safe place". Heck, yeah! Not only Amigo but Sassy and Chip, too! Birds were born to be free and to fly at will.

At risk of sounding harsh and not caring, if Amigo was taken by a hawk tomorrow, I will know that he had a halfway full life, a happy life. I would miss him and would always hold him dear to my heart but would also know, that I gave him what he needed.I agree with you, Mare... but with one exception. I believe that to be taken by a hawk would be an unfathomably brutal and horrifying way to die. I guess the question in my mind would be whether or not my happiness about the years of wonderful and contented freedom could appease my knowledge of such a violently agonizing end :sad:

[spiritbird]

I think a predator bird starts to eat the prey while its still alive!

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

I would love for Casper to be with his own kind but he knows its a jungle out there and he has rejected my offer of a first class ticket to the Amazon. ~I think his reluctance is mainly due to the huge amount of effort he has put into training us to attend to his every wish.

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Tickle me Mum
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[Mare]

Tony, yes, it makes me happy to see Amigo free but his freedom wasn't given to him to make ME happy, it was to make HIM happy. Death by hawk is an unimaginably brutal thought, I know it could happen, pray it doesn't but I could not take his freedom away just because I'm afraid of something like that happening. I think it would be more devastating for him to be locked up for the rest of his life.

[PlaxMacaws]

Tony, yes, it makes me happy to see Amigo free but his freedom wasn't given to him to make ME happy, it was to make HIM happy. Death by hawk is an unimaginably brutal thought, I know it could happen, pray it doesn't but I could not take his freedom away just because I'm afraid of something like that happening. I think it would be more devastating for him to be locked up for the rest of his life.I support your feelings on this, Mare. I was merely stating a question that I'm sure would plague me if the unthinkable happened :(

[Mare]

I understand where you are coming from, Tony. I think this would be a personal dilemma for anyone. When Tim and I decided to take on this venture with Amigo, that was the foremost thought in our minds..what if something like a hawk attack or him getting lost happened, could we live with that knowing it was our fault for allowing this? It took a few years of complete stress, on my part, every time I cut Amigo loose. I was only at ease when he was safe and sound back in the house. I can now relax, he is very comfortable in his surroundings, he has experienced so many things that I wished he hadn't but he came out the wiser for it. He's a smart buddy and I love him more than you can imagine..this is why I will continue let him be free.

[PlaxMacaws]

Yes, Mare... typically no situation is perfect. There are usually always drawbacks or risks :(

[Mare]

So true :). When I get up in the morning, I count my blessings and continue to continue!.. What else can you do?!

[spiritbird]

Wonder when man first began to cage birds for their own pleasure rather then letting them fly free.

[Mare]

Good question, Dianne! My guess would be...in the time of kings that wanted beauty caged for their entertainment.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

This is a wonderful and emotional thread. Hopefully it will encourage those who have not considered the ills of human vanity to think twice before buying a bird as an ornament. Become a guardian instead.

[spiritbird]

Most likely. I really cannot stand any sport that uses animals for human pleasure purposes like horse racing or any other kind of animal racing.

[PlaxMacaws]

Most likely. I really cannot stand any sport that uses animals for human pleasure purposes like horse racing or any other kind of animal racing.Nor can I! Quite simply, man enslaves and brutalizes animals for profit and thrill. Bullfighting, cockfighting, and dog fighting come to mind :( Humankind has a longstanding, shameful history of staging and enjoying such horrific "sports" :,(

[Mr Peepers]

Wonder when man first began to cage birds for their own pleasure rather then letting them fly free.


Man used falcons to hunt back as far as 2000 BC.

Before the Spanish ever crossed the Atlantic, an ancient people were breeding scarlet macaws. Paquime Indians of this Pre-Columbian, Puebloan community built and occupied an elaborate settlement made from adobe from about 900 to 1340 A.D. What was found there by archeologists was astounding: Approximately 56 macaw pens made of adobe. This site is more than 500 kilometers north of a macaw’s indigenous home.

These pens were made of adobe clay, shaped and smoothed by hand. Made of the same material that was used for housing people, they resemble a rectangular flower pot with a round plug at the end. The adobe kept the birds cooler than if they were housed in any other manner, and the pens contained stone doors and plugs. Research suggests that large-scale breeding of scarlet macaws occurred there long before the industrial age.

If they found Macaws housed as far back as 900 A.D. I'm sure smaller and other types of birds were housed in cages all over the world either before this time or afterwards. So caged birds have been around a long long time ago.




Good question, Dianne! My guess would be...in the time of kings that wanted beauty caged for their entertainment.

Way before the time of Kings apparently.

I recall reading that 100's of years back when the Chinese people started keeping canary's the Asians would walk to a local tea cafe with a favorite single singer canary in a tiny cage so they may sit and play cards/tile games drinking tea. During the afternoon games the many canary's would fill the cafe with amazing song which would advertise their worth by song, the owners would then make deals to either sell or loan the top singers to another breeder so they may breed some expert singers.


Recently I watched a show called the Outlander which was portrayed in the mid 1700's, one of the kings of Scotland had starlings housed in cages in his room. It was odd to see this filmed with the birds hopping around in wooden oddly make shift cages. I recall seeing a starling with a sisal rope attached to its foot and I wondered why they filmed this and wondered if anyone complained about the bird with the sisal rope on its feet/leg.

It seemed abusive to me to have the bird in this environment while they were shooting scenes with the birds in the background. Shooting film is never easy as they often have to shoot over and over again to get things perfectly set up. The room was dark almost smokey with a fire roaring in an open fireplace 6 feet away from the cages, I can image the atmosphere was horrible for the birds in that room for however long they were there.

[spiritbird]

Nick you must be a history buff. Good information thanks

[Shanlung]

This is a question I spied on another forum and I thought it was something to think about.

If your parrot(s) could be taken to a wild place for free flying and living that was completely safe and had everything they needed for natural living would you let them go? They would be living as a wild bird, be safe, be happy and most of all thrive.


Perhaps this will give some food for thought.
As I send off an Asian Fairy Bluebird I rescued.

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Those parting moments.

Oberon - Ending this chapter ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks])

Oberon -Returning him to the realm of Fairy Queens ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks])


Back into the realm of fairy queens.
And fairy kings.
And pythons.
And raptors.

And lots of food. Or maybe no food.

Might be a paradise. Or might be a hell.

Oberon was going to find out, for better or worse. No more wonderful Oberon Mash, and no more being frightened by my presence either.