An Alphabet Of Things I Like: P

~ beetleypete

Parrots.

Parrots, including Cockatoos, Lovebirds, and Budgerigars are colourful, noisy birds. They have been kept as pets for centuries, and their feathers were also prized in some civilizations. As a child, we had some budgerigars in a small cage, and they would bash the mirror, and ring the bell. It was my job occasionally to change the sandpaper at the bottom, and to restock the millet that they ate. I wasn’t old enough to consider that keeping two birds in that tiny cage might be cruel.

My first close-up experience of a large parrot was when my uncle kept an African Grey as a pet.

Although it had a large cage, it was allowed out, and would walk around the furniture, often choosing to sit on my uncle’s shoulder. I was wary of its powerful beak, and it made me jump when it would suddenly fly off to perch on top of the curtain rail. I soon decided that it wasn’t right to keep such a bird in a domestic situation. I was later proved correct in this, when his parrot began to pull out all the feathers it could reach, until it was bald over about 60% of its body. It also bounced its head up and down constantly, a sure sign that it was suffering from mental health problems.

Parrots should be allowed to live in the wild, and fly free.

Like so many other animals, some varieties of parrot are now endangered in the wild. Hunting for the pet trade, deforestation, and other encroachments of humans are threatening their existence. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just learn to be kind to them, and leave them alone?

52 thoughts on “An Alphabet Of Things I Like: P”

  6. We had budgies as well, although my father also let it out around the house, and they came with us on holidays. I agree with you, though. They should be free. We have many cockatoos flying free now here in the city, to the point where they’re becoming a pest (they are very noisy) although they seem to share space with pigeons quite peacefully.
    We aren’t very good at leaving them alone though. Yes, it would be nice.

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    1. I remember some kiosks along La Rambla that sold numerous birds in really tiny cages. When the kiosks were shuttered up at night, you could still hear the birds chirping. I thought it was very sad.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  9. Parrots are so cute! I had a little budgie bird which I was told is a smaller form of a parrot. I loved that bird. She died though. My neighbor, Mrs. Knott, had a real parrot. I don’t remember his name but I do know that he would cuss like a sailor and Mrs. Knott was a devout Christian and she would always be telling the parrot that he would go to hell if he didn’t stop cussing. Her husband, Roy, a drunkard, had taught the poor bird the filthy language. It would have been hilarious if it weren’t so sad.

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  13. I totally agree. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just learn to be kind to [wild animals and birds], and leave them alone?” Also tried commenting yesterday on crucial Ollie post, but was thwarted by phone app/network connection on a train. Best wishes to you all and a treat for Ollie when you judge appropriate!.

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  15. I’ve so far been really enjoying this series of posts Pete😀 This one of course is no exception, and I again agree. I just wish in general we would leave animals such as these alone😢
    The pictures you have included are amazing by the way:love the vibrant colours!😀

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  18. One reason why I love Australia is that you see a lot of their native wildlife around. Parrots, cockatoos, lorikeets, gulahs, and even budgerigars. Often in suburban gardens. My mother’s dad had an aviary outdoors and had an African grey parrot that lived inside. She refused ever to keep birds.

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  20. In Highams Park, where I live sometimes, we have green parakeets living in the forest around the lake. They tend to blend with the leaves, while there are still leaves on the trees, but they are noisy, so our visit last week confirmed that they are thriving. Sometimes they flock across the gardens of the homes on the forest verge.
    Apparently these first appeared last century on the other side of London – thought to be surviving escapees from somewhere. With no natural predators among London’s birds and few really cold winters, I gather they have spread as far as Hertfordshire.

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