Are Red bellied parrots rare as a pet?

SilverSage

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I am not sure in general, but in Hawaii they are quite common.
 

Colorguarder08

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I think as with all animals it depends on where you are. I know they are not that common here. I have only seen two and both were at the same house.
 

SilverSage

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The interesting situation here in Hawaii is that they are basically exclusively bred by people in their homes/yards and sold on craigslist. I have not been able to find a single one from a breeder, though there is a pet store who always has them - but I think they still have the same ones they have had the whole time.
 

SilverSage

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Technically breeders are not allowed to post on craigslist, but they do anyway. There was a guy on our craigslist not that long ago - he breeds them and then sells them to hand feeders, experienced or not.
 

Terry57

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I am just outside of Edmonton, and I just got an older pair last weekend from a breeder who is getting rid of all her birds. There is also one in a rescue here, but those are the only ones I have seen here. You could probably find one in Ontario and have it shipped to you, I am sure there are breeders out there:)
 

RavensGryf

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I'm in Southern California. 20 years ago when I got Robin, I told the bird store I was looking for something a bit unusual... She said "I have the perfect bird for you"... LOL. Robin sure is the "perfect" bird :) That was 20 years ago, and now here in SoCal, they are more common than they were then, but not as common as Senegals or Meyer's.

My avian vet (who has worked exclusively with birds for decades) told me they typically don't see Red Bellied pets very often. Still, no they aren't rare, just not real common.

Maybe about as common/rare as a Brown Headed?
 

Colorguarder08

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Technically breeders are not allowed to post on craigslist, but they do anyway. There was a guy on our craigslist not that long ago - he breeds them and then sells them to hand feeders, experienced or not.

Clearly a sign they don't care what happens to their babies.
 

SilverSage

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Cg 08 - exactly. Hawaii more than any state I have ever been in sees animals as disposable, which is sad. I mean, I come from farm and ranch country, but even when an animal is destined to be dinner there seems to be more respect than I have seen here. TONS of people are breeding their pets with no clue how to properly do so, and polluting the market. The poor animals are the ones who suffer.
 

Colorguarder08

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I think it's just the community's attuide about animals and the way people are raised but not always. If people always viewed pets how their parents did there's no way I'd be the animal lover I am. My dad (he's the one who raised me) would get a dog then when he got bored with it or mad at it for making mistakes because he wouldn't take the time to teach it what was expected he would drive out into the middle of nowhere and drop the dog off. He would wait about 6 months then get another dog and repeat the process. Yet I get asked by him how did I get Rocky to learn to behave or stay off the furniture. Just makes me mad. I put in a lot of time and care with my animals. During the summer I often take my niece with me when I take Rocky to an off leash trail or something because I can't tell you who enjoys it more her or the dog and every time without fail when I get back with my niece my grandmother or dad (everyone is always at my grams house) will ask me "Don't you worry he will run away" No he's been trained and knows what is and isn't ok. I hate people who refuse to take care of their animals.
 

RavensGryf

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Oh my! Your dad and his dogs :eek: That's too bad.

Back to Red Bellied parrots, though they're not rare birds, they're definitely not very common. (Except apparently Hawaii:confused:). The Senegal is by far the most common of the Poicephalus parrots. Even then, Poi's aren't nearly as common as some of the Conures, or Ringnecks.
 
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ConureLover5368

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I love your story Raven, the part where you say you want something 'Unusual' and the guy says he has the perfect bird for you.
 

SilverSage

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Hawaii is a small place and it is hard to get birds here, and very expensive and tedious. So what is here is here, and gets bred and bred and bred and bred! So yeah, we have tons of red bellied parrots, IRNs, cockatiels and thousands if not millions of lovebirds. I think I mentioned once before that a could of times I have seen them being sold literal
Ly by the hundreds on craigslist. That is lovebirds, not RBPs. One guy had over 200 and his ad specified 'must take all' people get a few, toss them in a cage or aviary, and 'let nature have her way with them.' Because of the weather it is pretty easy to keep birds alive outside here, so people don't even have to keep them in the house. That is another part of why we have feral populations of IRNs, macaws, and greys, too. I heard a rumor about come cockatoos, but I am not sure of it. Our local pet store had no fewer than 4 RBPs when I arrived, and they have at least one right now, I don't know if it is the same one or not. I have seen them on craigslist quite a few times, including twice 'for hand feeding' which might have been the same guy.
 

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