Wild parrots face severe welfare threats from the illegal live bird trade while introduced feral populations create complex conservation and welfare challenges.
Wild-caught parrots experience some of the most severe acute welfare impacts of any traded wildlife. The capture process involves trapping in ways that cause injury, followed by collection in crowded containers with inadequate food, water and ventilation. Mortality rates of over 50% mean that for every parrot that reaches a buyer, another died during capture or transport. Survivors carry trauma, chronic stress and often undetected injuries. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that captive-bred birds of equivalent or greater suitability as companion animals are readily available for essentially all commonly traded species, making wild capture entirely unnecessary from a market perspective.