Each year, thousands of birds are given to animal shelters. That’s because many people don’t do their homework before getting a bird.
Pet birds require lots of time and attention — sometimes for over 50 years in the case of large parrots. What’s more, exotic birds — even those born and bred in captivity — are not domesticated. They retain natural behaviors that can be challenging to live with. Simultaneously, they have not learned skills needed for survival in the wild, so releasing them is not a humane option. They rely on us for care.
If owners get fed up, birds may be banished to an isolated part of the house or handed off from one owner to another. Either way, the bird suffers.
But if you can meet a bird on its own terms and have plenty of love to give, adopting a bird can be its own reward. Check out bird shelters to learn more.