Should i release my parrots?

[MollyGreenCheeks]

A few weeks ago I got a macaw that had escaped (or been let go, I'm not sure). He landed on somebody's shoulder in a park. His feathers were ungroomed, and his beak was all jagged and had grown funny. I got him after he'd been back in captivity for a week. Now his feathers are nice and groomed again, and his beak is smoothing out. I think that he landed on a stranger's shoulder (he was pretty shy with strangers) because he was having a lot of trouble in the wild, and was desperate for help because he didn't know how to survive in the wild.

It sounds like you are taking good care of your birds. If you want more freedom for them, perhaps you could have a whole room for them to fly around, and/or add an outdoor aviary like somebody else mentioned.

With my last bird I often thought he'd be happier if he were born in the wild, where he could fly around and be crazy 24/7. He didn't have any instinct for predator birds though, so I doubt he would have had many other survival skills. One time, as an experiment, I brought him over to the house of a friend who rescues handicapped raptors. She brought a great horned owl (tethered) in to the room, just a few feet from Puck. Puck didn't even acknowledge the predator a few feet from him (I believe they are predators in his native land also). The owl ignored him too, though.

I think your birds will be better off kept in captivity, since they have been raised that way.

That is a good point Remy! Parrots don't know about predators because they've had no experience with them. They usually won't be afraid of them unless they are given a reason although sometimes they area simply afraid of the unknown. A GCC born in captivity won't know what the sounds of a wild GCC mean as it has not every learned what the sounds mean. The same goes with predators etc.

 

[Thingamagigs]

YIKES!! Thingamagigs, are you for real!? Yes, some of us humans are free, I'm feeling sorry for you that you don't feel that way. Our government sucks and I don't trust them, one bit. Besides that, birds are not born domesticated. They are not feeling domesticated even after twelve years in a home with you, sorry, sad but true.

Being free is way more better, than being imprisoned. Whether it be in our own lives or in a cage.

(( Ok... sorry for the long post in advance lol ))

How are you "free" in the same way a wild animal is? You pay taxes, you pay for utilities, you likely have a job (or a partner with a job) or you have government assistance. You have rules imposed on you by government which tells you where you can live and build and how you live your life. It is essentially captivity human style

Freedom is an indulgence we can occasionally have when we go camping or swimming or frolicking in the countryside... then we have to come back to the reality of society and the rules imposed upon us True freedom, for everyone, would be complete anarchy. But most of us are comfortable with the rules and confinement that keeps most of us safe most of the time.
I am not saying that its a horrible devastating thing, but it is reality

The same is true for our pets, a captive life means safety. I mean thats the basic reality of it if you don't want to complicate things or live in a dream world. There is no need to feel sorry for me, I am a realist and therefor content. I don't delude myself into thinking that I have full unconstrained freedom.

Living a domestic life does not denote an acceptance of domestication. As you would have read, I mentioned that their instinct is for flight. Most species no matter how long they have lived a domestic life will still heavily rely on instinct. If you are to think carefully about it, no animal we share our lives with is truly "domesticated" but some animals fit our lifestyles better than others. Heck, there are a lot of people who aren't really "domesticated". I had to work hard on my acceptance of an ordinary domestic life LOL

Free flying is a different thing to being turned out into the wild. This has absolutely nothing to do with your choice of free flying your bird (which I think is beautiful and I admire your courage, I am far more of a selfish coward )
Such a thing is a personal choice and neither right nor wrong... so I wouldn't comment on such a thing. I personally have fully flighted birds who fly in my own home and will eventually have an outdoor flight room. But some others prefer to have their birds clipped for safety and to keep them indoors. Its just personal preference and I wouldn't berate anyone on their choice regardless of my own personal feelings.

When someone considers that setting captive born and raised animals "free" as in releasing into the wild (or to a sanctuary) would be in their best interests... thats a much different thing indeed. Its a thought based on a misconception Which I do hope the OP understands more now... that being "free" (i.e. being wild) is not everything... but that being safe and with those you love can far outweigh the fleeting feeling of freedom... and that the safety of captivity in its own way brings a far more greater sense of freedom... that of being free of life or death concern.

 

[djven]

thank you all guys, i really read and take into consideration all of your opinions. i had an ourdoor aviary in my old house and let them there for some hours per day
they seemed to like it but one of them wanted to escape!, of course i'm thinking of other solutions like making again an outdoor aviary cage, or finding a house with sunroom when we move to uk and definitely giving them a whole room.
Regarding the food, toys e.t.c, so far i can afford pellets, seed, veggies e.t.c., so there isn't any need to give any of them. Every time i have to separate someone and take him /her to doctor (avian vet) they get really upset even if i take 2 birds together, and since i can keep them there is no need to give some of them, we are family, this isn't the point i 'm talking about.
Thank you all again, i opened this thread so i can see your personal opinions and i really appreciate the fact that you spent your time answering, i will definitely think very carefully and will consider all your opinions and also ask some avian vets.

 

[JerseyWendy]

I was going to stay out of this after posting my original reply to the OP. Actually I was going to stay FAR away from it, but suddenly felt compelled to say something:

"We" (people) may not be as free as we want to be, however, what sets us aside from ALL animals is that we are "supposed to be" CIVILIZED.

Now if we all acted in that manner, the world would be a much better place

 

[djven]

i 'm sorry if i wasted your time i didn't have that intention or if i made you angry.. any of you.. i thought we were just chatting.. i just saw one sanctuary which said that shelters are overflowing, as some said this solution may seems better for birds who don't have a home.. thank you for everything i don't want to waste your time..
god bless all of you, thank you

 

[Mare Miller]

I apologize, djven, I didn't mean to step on toes or inflame. If I had a flock of cockatiels, I personally, (just because of where I live), might attempt free flying them, not to let them fend for themselves but allowing them freedom, none the less. We all have different views on what freedom means to us and our birds.

 

[MonicaMc]

I don't think any harm was intended...

But I do feel as if clipping to keep *most* parrots safer is a *huge* misconception... and I wish more people knew about the cons of clipping rather than just the cons of flight. But then there are pros and cons to both.