Wildlife

Companion Parrot Wild Population Impacts

The wild-caught parrot trade historically devastated wild populations, and ongoing legal and illegal trade continues to threaten parrot welfare and conservation.

Key Facts

Parrots are among the most traded wild birds globally with millions captured historically
Wild capture mortality is extremely high — for every bird that reaches a pet shop, many more died in capture and transit
CITES Appendix I listing has substantially reduced legal wild-caught trade but illegal trade persists
Captive-bred parrots are now widely available but some species are still wild-caught illegally

Welfare Considerations

Wild-caught parrots experience extreme welfare harm — capture stress, transport in crowded cramped conditions, high mortality and the sudden confinement of wild birds evolved for vast ranges. The survivors face decades of captivity with needs that are almost impossible to meet fully. Legal captive breeding has largely replaced wild capture for common species, but the illegal trade in rare species continues to cause significant welfare and conservation harm.

What You Can Do

Only purchase captive-bred parrots from documented responsible breeders
Report suspected wild-caught parrot trade to wildlife authorities
Support TRAFFIC monitoring of parrot trade
Adopt rescued parrots from sanctuaries rather than purchasing new birds