Parrots are highly intelligent, long-lived, and socially complex birds whose welfare needs are among the most demanding of any companion animal. Most captive parrots live in conditions that fail to meet these needs.
Companion parrot welfare is in crisis: these are animals with the cognitive complexity of young children, the social needs of flock-living species, and lifespans that can outlast their owners — kept in cages, often alone, with limited foraging opportunity and insufficient cognitive stimulation. Feather destructive behaviour — where parrots pluck, chew, or damage their own feathers — is the most visible welfare indicator of chronic psychological distress and affects a significant proportion of captive individuals. The root causes are isolation, boredom, and the inability to fly and forage. Responsible parrot keeping requires foraging enrichment that occupies hours of each day, social interaction and companionship (human or conspecific), flight opportunity in large or free-flight spaces, and commitment that may span decades. The vast majority of pet parrots do not receive care approaching this standard.