Is bird ownership ethical?

[Tom Tildrum]

Originally Posted by Renee

Thanks, Broomstick. Do most small parrot type birds like to sleep in the same spot every night? Like chickens roosting?

Mine does. We've hung a washcloth in his cage that he likes to huddle against while he sleeps.

[Broomstick]

Pretty much, yes, they have their favorite spot in the cage and tend to sleep there every night. Also, favorite nap spots around the house as well, usually in a spot where they feel protected. For most small birds in the wild "eaten alive" is an all too common cause of death. Parrots instinctively want to hide when they feel vulnerable. Quite a few of mine have preferred to crawl under/into something when they want to go to sleep.

[zweisamkeit]

Originally Posted by thelurkinghorror

I am not a bird aficionado, but I have never heard the word parrotlet. In the US, everybody calls budgerigars "parakeets." Wikipedia tells me that parrotlet is a fancier bird that you're less likely to find at Petco than parakeets.

Yep. Budgies are known as parakeets in the US, while parrotlets are a different bird entirely. My mom has a blue parrotlet named Paulie (from the Sopranos, even though the bird's a girl ). This is a green one, with a good view of their tiny size.

I don't know too much about birds, though I find them fascinating. I do know that parrotlets tend to be more intelligent and have bolder personalities than budgies/parakeets. One of the most common pieces of advice parrotlet owners say is that you really cannot treat them as tiny birds, because they truly are big birds in little bodies.

My interactions with Paulie bear this out. She is the mothafuckin' BOSS and don't you forget it! I'll be like, "Paulie, I'm like 100 times your size, girl! Shouldn't you maybe step back a bit?" and she's all, "YOU DON'T KNOW ME! BETTER BACK OFF! IMMA KILL YOU! YOU TALKIN TO ME?"

And both dogs (cocker spaniels! Bred to help hunt waterfowl and love chasing squirrels and birds outside) are (were, in Zig's case, since he was put down a year ago) scared of Paulie. She's the boss and they'll even slink out of a room when she's in it. And keep in mind, they have never had any fight or bad encounter with her, ever. She's got swagger.

[Engineer Dude]

Brian Regan summarized it very well in one of his stand up routines:

"People are unfair to their pets, like putting a pet bird in a cage, that's pretty nice, huh?

'Get in there, (clank) shutup. I'll be making the decisions.'

I just wonder what the birds thinking, standing in a cage

'Hey, thank you! Hey I've been blessed with the gift of flight, (I) appreciate the environment. I know how to fly and I'm standing on a STICK!..."