Parrots are extraordinarily intelligent birds with complex social and cognitive needs. Meeting these needs is challenging but essential for their wellbeing in captivity.
Parrots evolved for complex, stimulating environments and cannot thrive in barren cages with minimal interaction. Feather-plucking is a compulsive behavior caused by chronic psychological distress, often from boredom, isolation, or inadequate diet. The long lifespan of large parrots means poorly considered adoption creates multi-decade welfare problems. Parrots need daily flight time, foraging opportunities, complex social interaction, and mental challenges.