Parrots are among the most cognitively sophisticated animals kept as pets, with welfare needs that most households struggle to meet adequately.
Parrots in inadequate environments develop feather-destructive behaviour, screaming, aggression, and stereotypic rocking from frustration, boredom, and social deprivation. Feather plucking is a welfare crisis analogous to self-harm in humans and is extremely difficult to reverse once established. Parrots in isolation deprived of social contact suffer chronic psychological distress that may be equivalent to solitary confinement. The mismatch between parrot needs and most household environments creates a massive welfare burden across the millions of parrots in captivity globally.