Is it possible that your parrot survives after releasing it in the wild ?

binta · May 21, 2015

First swallow up your pride.
My parrot loves me and I love her, she's happy and healthy.
But when I typed senegal parrots in the wild on youtube I just realized that it's wrong to let a parrot live in a cage big or small.
I don't regret adopting her (she was in a tiny cage with two other parrots).
I just love her so much that I want her to have a better life even if it means never seeing her again.
I can get her to the the Hann park in Dakar where other parrots live that's not a problem.

Mekaisto · May 21, 2015

The wild isn't an easy place to live - there are predators, competitors and lack of food.

Your senegal parrot was raised in captivity and is not native to Dakar - she won't know how to find food or how to escape from hawks.

Just because a parrot is in a cage doesn't mean it isn't happy - just like how living in a house doesn't make you unhappy.

Kiwibird · May 21, 2015

She will most likely die if you release her. She will be confused, unable to find food (especially in a non-native habitat), alone (no flock to be with), at the mercy of the elements (be it extreme heat or snow and cold) and subject to all manners of predators (dogs, cats, hawks, coyote and other wildlife in your area). Parrots who have lived their entire lives in captivity have no capacity to care for themselves.

In a nutshell, it would be extremely cruel to release her to the wild, and essentially, a death sentence. If you think she would do better in a "cage free" environment, I would suggest surrendering her to a parrot sanctuary where they have large, open aviaries, birds of her own kind and do not adopt out their birds (i.e. she would live out her life there). And if there are not sanctuaries in your part of the world, then the kindest thing you can do is provide her the largest cage possible, feed her a fresh foods based diet, give her lots of toys to play with so she is not bored and work very hard to build her trust and harness train her (for outdoors, so she is safe) so she can spend as much time outside the cage with you/your family as possible.

binta · May 21, 2015

Yeah, I kind of knew that it was impossible just wanted to look for a ray of hope.
Like stories of successful releases.

chris-md · May 21, 2015

They are wonderful stories for all sorts of animals. What you don't usually see is the extensive training that goes into teaching them to fend for themselves. Plus, re introductions are done in their natural habitat.

There was a wonderful story I saw (on 60 Minutes?) about the years long introduction of captive bred pandas back into the wild. It's an intense process to give any captive bred animals even the slightest by of hope at surviving reintroduction.

Kiwibird · May 21, 2015

chris-md said:
They are wonderful stories for all sorts of animals. What you don't usually see is the extensive training that goes into teaching them to fend for themselves. Plus, re introductions are done in their natural habitat.

There was a wonderful story I saw (on 60 Minutes?) about the years long introduction of captive bred pandas back into the wild. It's an intense process to give any captive bred animals even the slightest by of hope at surviving reintroduction.

These programs tend to be for endangered species and are run by highly trained professionals. I watched one where they were rehabbing macaws for re-release, and they were having to give the birds native foods collected from the jungle so they knew what to eat, making them learn how to forage and find their food, getting their flight skills up to par, breaking their bond/reliance on humans ext... Apparently, even then, survival rates were pretty low.

Kiwibird · May 21, 2015

binta said:
Yeah, I kind of knew that it was impossible just wanted to look for a ray of hope.
Like stories of successful releases.

I do get where you're coming from. It is unfortunate that these beautiful creatures were ever brought into the pet trade, but releasing a bird to most likely die, one who only knows a domestic home and loves/trusts humans, is not the way to fight it.

Promoting conservation, harsh penalties for smugglers, adoption over breeders, education before bringing a parrot home and harsher laws for neglect/abuse of birds (and all animals) are all valid ways to help less birds end up in bad situations and more (born wild) birds to remain in the wild. Meanwhile, the best thing you can do for your bird is to provide her as wonderful of a life as possible in your care. And remember, she has never been a wild bird, has no idea what she's "missing" and all she knows is living under the care of humans. She has no concept of the wild, just the bond, love and care she receives with you

JerseyWendy · May 21, 2015

binta said:
First swallow up your pride.
My parrot loves me and I love her, she's happy and healthy.
But when I typed senegal parrots in the wild on youtube I just realized that it's wrong to let a parrot live in a cage big or small.
I don't regret adopting her (she was in a tiny cage with two other parrots).
I just love her so much that I want her to have a better life even if it means never seeing her again.
I can get her to the the Hann park in Dakar where other parrots live that's not a problem.

HUH? What exactly is that supposed to mean?

In addition to the phenomenal feedback you have already received, when parrots in captivity are cared for properly, and if they remain healthy overall, they will live longer lives than their wild counterparts.

Doublete · May 21, 2015

If you love your PET bird you wouldn't consider this.
She is a captive bird and would
Not survive in the wild. Her natural instincts have been dulled.
Pets are just that. They aren't suited for living in the wild.

Puck · May 21, 2015

Kiwibird said:
These programs tend to be for endangered species and are run by highly trained professionals. I watched one where they were rehabbing macaws for re-release, and they were having to give the birds native foods collected from the jungle so they knew what to eat, making them learn how to forage and find their food, getting their flight skills up to par, breaking their bond/reliance on humans ext... Apparently, even then, survival rates were pretty low.

I saw that documentary, too. (Or one very similar). They also lived in aviaries outdoors in their natural habitat while they were being taught these things so they were used to the elements and stuff. And still, it was terribly hard to "rehab" them for the wild.

Quakers are known for their survival ability (hence while they are illegal in places), but I know for a fact that if I took Sammy to a park and "released" him (even a place with other Quakers that MIGHT allow him to join the flock), I feel it would be horribly cruel. Parrots bond very strongly, and we are very close. I am his flock. He mimics not just my voice, but behaviors I exhibit that I don't mean for him to pick up. For example, I will stretch my neck out to give him a big kiss with a smoochy sound on his neck sometimes, and he has started stretching out his neck and touching his beak to MY neck, making that smoochy sound. I don't think that he would know the difference between being "released" and being abandoned by the only flock that he knows, left in an unfamiliar environment with absolutely no idea what to do.

Overall, parrots can be very happy in captivity, especially since it's not like they have anything to compare it to. This is the same reason I am not taking my dogs to Honduras with me (not until we have a house rather than apartment, anyway). There are "wild" dogs roaming around. They are very friendly to humans, but if they decided to challenge one of my dogs, my fids would be dead meat. They have no clue how to defend themselves.

Birdman666 · May 21, 2015

Possible.

Not likely.

As an alternative, why not give him the best possible life, with lots of outside the cage time, and outside time, etc.

Just because he's a captive bred bird, doesn't mean he has to spend the majority of his time locked up in a cage.

I can tell you that my birds get outside in a tree every nice day. The few times they have flown off on me, they were HAPPY TO BE HOME AND INSIDE rather than out there.

My birds go outside all the time, and they have generally shown no desire to leave, even though they could... they know when they've got it good. And, by the way, they are also bonded and feel - (both give and receive) love... without the daily threat of either starving to death, or being eaten by something...

Tusk was lost for two weeks, and lost almost 100 grams in body weight in that time.

So, no. Not a good idea.

Kiwibird · May 21, 2015

Birdman666 said:
My birds go outside all the time, and they have generally shown no desire to leave, even though they could... they know when they've got it good.

Same here. Kiwi is outside whenever it's warm. He feels he's too "good" to sit in some "filthy" tree

(I've tried, he refuses). Sometimes he'll climb down off the chair or his perch and waddle back to the front door. He isn't exactly fleeing for the forest because he has no concept of being a wild bird. He goes to the home he knows and feels most comfortable in. He wants his pedicure perch to wipe his beak (coated in a warm mash dinner) off on and his swing to sleep on.

As a note- it takes A LOT of training and a strong bond for a bird to go outside unrestrained. Please don't take your bird out unless she's on a harness or in a secure cage until she has been trained to be so.

Birdman666 · May 21, 2015

binta said:
First swallow up your pride.
My parrot loves me and I love her, she's happy and healthy.
...I want her to have a better life even if it means never seeing her again.

If she feels love, and is happy and healthy, then honestly, what's better than that?! Especially if this is the only life your bird has ever known... and life with you is already night and day better than what she had.

If the bird were miserable in captivity, that would be something else entirely, but she's not.

If it's not broken, don't fix it.

EdwardH · May 22, 2015

One of the reasons that most govts are against trapping wild birds for the pet trade is the extremely high death rate. The overwhelming majority get so stressed that they die and that doesn't include those mistreated by smugglers.
The same goes in the reverse situation. Whilst some birds survive, the vast majority die. Nice sentiment but the action will almost certainly lead to the death of your bird.

Rockford · May 22, 2015

JerseyWendy said:
binta said:

In addition to the phenomenal feedback you have already received, when parrots in captivity are cared for properly, and if they remain healthy overall, they will live longer lives than their wild counterparts.

Click to expand...

I'll expand on that and say they live longer, safer, less stressful lives in captivity.
*assuming the birds caretakers care

Derbyan · May 23, 2015

So... something I was hoping to see mentioned in this thread but is sadly absent is the possibility if introducing disease to the wild population. Your parrot might appear to be completely healthy but may carry bacteria, fungi, or a virus that is not native to the area that could potentially be devastating to the wild bird population. I don't think any pet bird should ever be released into the wild for this reason.

Same reason why you should never release pet fish into the ocean or local water systems. You have no idea whether they contain diseases or parasites that might destroy the local environment.

Is it possible that your parrot survives after releasing it in the wild ?

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