How did certain species end up more commonly in the pet trade?

[RavensGryf]

I thought it was interesting how some species may have a threatened conservation status in the wild, yet they're commonly seen as pets.
Then sometimes it's the other way around where a rare pet species is of least concern in the wild.

I'm interested to hear answers from those who might have a little insight as to WHY AND HOW certain parrot species happened to be wild caught and imported in mass quantities back in the day, while with other species, relatively few were ever collected for the pet trade.

Out of all the parrot species within a certain geographical range, I wonder what factors determined WHICH species were collected for pets, and why some weren't imported as much.

I can understand if a certain species lives in a very remote region which is hard to get to, then obviously it couldn't easily be collected, or some simply aren't hardy enough in captivity because of certain requirements that can't be easily simulated, but there are others where that isn't the case.

Sure, I could go research the answer myself, but I thought it might be a decent topic of discussion?

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ALSO... Why did some formerly common pet species "go away" and are now uncommon as pets?

When I got Robin in 1994, I remember 3 parrot species in particular which were extremely common pets, and now are uncommon or rare.

Maroon Bellied conures were everywhere! They were just as popular as the Green Cheek is today (in fact, I had never heard of a Green Cheek conure back then). The Maroon Bellied are not that popular now. What happened?

Same with the Mustache Parakeet!

Same with the Gray Cheek (Brotogeris) parakeet!! Except the formerly super common Gray Cheek is EXTREMELY rare, hard to locate and expensive now.

Why? What happened to the breeding of these? Were they all wild caughts back in the day when they were common, and not many breeders carried on the species in captivity??

 

[veimar]

Wow, I had the question zillion times while browsing my favorite "Parrots of the World" book! I do not have any answers, but I thought about that a lot. I think it's probably because some species are more easily tamed than others, and are easy to keep healthy and breed in captivity. Please anybody who knows, kick in!

 

[Mekaisto]

Keep in mind, the pet trade changes all the time!
Plumhead parakeets used to be extremely popular in Australia, then, because they were so common, they fell out of fashion and their numbers plummeted. They're starting to gain a bit more momentum again now, so the numbers are increasing once more.

Some species are rare because they are difficult to breed in captivity, such as the Lear's macaw which requires a hollow in the side of a cliff in the wild!

Some are rare because the country they come from has strict exporting laws. For instance, most Australian parrot species.

Parrots which are common in captivity are often so because they are prolific breeders, highly sought after and make good companions, such as budgies.

 

[RavensGryf]

That makes sense, but how about the Poicephalus genus for example... They're all pretty hardy, no problem to breed, and make good pets. BUT...

Senegals were wild caught and imported in huge numbers, (and people kept breeding them) which must be why they're still popular to this day...

But then the Capes (Brown Necked and Gray headed), although they're beginning to become more popular because of demand as pets and so bred more nowdays (in the US), were pretty rare which is because I'm assuming there weren't a whole bunch exported out of Africa? Yet their conservation status says they're not endangered. WHY weren't there more originally exported like the Senegal?

Same with Ruppell's like my Griffin. Rare as pets although not very sought after, they're not endangered in the wild. I wonder if they just got passed up since they're pretty plain colored lol.

Then even more interesting is the yellow faced parrot, a Poicephalus which is I believe only kept in Africa in a few collections and never seen as a pet, and NEVER have been exported. Conservation status is least concern, so they're plentiful! WHY was this species (same with the Niam Niam parrot) not caught and exported?

 

[strudel]

Here, there are regulations relating to birds (and reptiles). Some you aren't allowed to keep, some you need a permit to keep and some you can just have, without any permit. The "easy" ones like budgies and weiros are probably more popular and widespread than the ones you have to "fill out government forms" for and have to have a double-entry cage (or whatever the rules are for the species you want) because they are easier to "get". Perhaps. Also, they are cheap, whereas if you want to get a caique or a macaw or something, you aren't going to get one for $10 (or something). Always available. You don't have to "put your name down" and wait if you want a weiro or a budgie. Even if somebody wants, or likes, the "fancy" bird, they might give in to wanting something now and not be prepared to be patient, so the demand matches the lower supply.

 

[sonja]

Interesting topic!

Another example of a formerly common bird that became less common is the Canary wing parakeet. I had one in rescue a couple years ago, and hadn't seen one before. An older gentleman adopted him and was telling me how when he was a kid, this type of bird was sold by the thousands at dime stores, just like gold fish. Then they just sort of disappeared. Now they are making a come back and go for several hundred dollars a piece.

 

[strudel]

That's interesting.
The Affectionate Canary-Winged Parakeet

“Canary-wings were so plentiful and inexpensive that many breeders didn’t concentrate on setting them up [for breeding]. Many of the birds coming in went straight to the pet trade instead of to breeders.” She added that when the Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992 stopped the importation of birds, breeders had to rely on the birds that were already here, essentially trying to convert pet birds into breeders".

So, there's one reason - change in import regulations on a market not geared up for "local production".

 

[Scott]

A great topic, Julie, worthy of scholarly research that would give us all a better understanding where our fids have come from and more importantly how the wild ones can be better preserved in natural habitats.

As posted, government import/export policies have shaped the basic supply, as has illegal transport. Breeders will attempt to fulfill demand, and certain species have better adapted to captivity and endeared themselves to their human families.

I hope we can all learn from this thread!

 

[Terry57]

I agree, great thread, Julie!
Last year I decided I absolutely HAD to have another gray cheeked parakeet, I had several when I was younger, they were everywhere and everyone I knew called them pocket parrots. What I read in a couple of places was that they were imported in such huge numbers, that no one even really tried breeding as they were so cheap and easy to find. 25 years ago I paid $25 each for mine (wholesale). By the time that import laws were put into place, people realized they were not that easy to breed and are rare now, and in fact are on the CITES II endangered list
They were such fantastic little birds, so full of personality.

I have often wondered these same questions you posed, and am looking forward to reading more people's thoughts on it.

 

[thekarens]

Last bird show I went to there was a lady selling two canary wings. She had bought them as a pair, hoping to breed them, but it turns out they were both hens and she couldn't find a male.

 

[Birdman666]

This is largely supply and demand based...

When they can't sell them for a decent profit, (or they are difficult to keep) they stop breeding them.

Then there are the birds that somehow became "status" items... and the focus was on breeding those. Some of them are great birds. Some of them not so much...

One of the species I dearly love, but wish was never introduced to the pet trade are the M2s. It's rare to see one that is healthy and psychologically intact. So many of them end up covered in sores, plucked down to their very last head feathers, and screaming bloody murder...

Sweet as they are... they don't thrive in captivity unless an exceptional person owns them.

 

[RavensGryf]

Thanks for all your thoughts and answers so far . I understand the import laws were put into place in 1992 (at least in the US), but it still leaves me with the burning question..... BACK WHEN IT WAS LEGAL TO IMPORT WILD BIRDS AND THE TRAPPERS WERE COLLECTING MANY FROM THE WILD..... Why then were some species collected in mass quantities where others who were of similar species, just as hardy, same geographical range, more or less ignored? Maybe (?) for example the Senegals were easier to snatch up a bunch of them, and some other Poi's were in less accessible areas, or weren't as plentiful in one given area despite that they aren't endangered? If that's not the case of why, who knows?

 

[RavensGryf]

Birdman, it's sad that SO MANY of the larger white Toos including M2 are for sale at bird stores (and breeders) just because of the demand and the money they bring in!!! :53:
Demand because of status symbols . I think some people (of course not here :11 see large Macaws as status symbols with the wow factor of their flashy colors and large size.

 

[Birdman666]

Birdman, it's sad that SO MANY of the larger white Toos including M2 are for sale at bird stores (and breeders) just because of the demand and the money they bring in!!! :53:
Demand because of status symbols . I think some people (of course not here :11 see large Macaws as status symbols with the wow factor of their flashy colors and large size.

And the babies are all cute and cuddly...

THEN THEY TURN FIVE!!! AND AS IF ON CUE... THEY TURN INTO THE TOO YOUR MOTHER WARNED YOU ABOUT! (Most folks really don't do such a hot job of boundary setting and teaching them to self entertain. If you haven't got this down by age five... well, you were warned!)

The worst pure tantrum thrower I ever ran into was a LSC2 with spoiled bird syndrome... MAN! THAT BIRD WAS PURE EVIL!

 

[Birdman666]

Go to the source... ask Howard!

Here is a Howard Voren rant that answers some of this. He's as old school as it gets... and a bit on the opinionated side.

http://www.voren.com/articles/achieving-a-lifetime-goal/

Some of this rambles and sounds a bit on the paranoid "the black helicopters are coming to take our birds away" side:

http://www.voren.com/Aviculture-Thirty-Years-to Self-Consumption.pdf

 

[Christinenc2000]

Ignorant question here. What is a M2 ?
I did a google search and came up with a Machine gun and I am sure that is not what you are talking about

 

[Birdman666]

Moluccan Cockatoo = M2

Moluccan Cockatoo Birds

LSC2 = Lesser Sulfer Crested

G2 = Goffins

 

[Christinenc2000]

Thank you very much

 

[strudel]

Why then were some species collected in mass quantities where others who were of similar species, just as hardy, same geographical range, more or less ignored?

Obviously, you'd need to do a lot of work to research that, but it could just boil down to supply and demand.
1. heap of species X trapped and sold.
2. People buy as pets.
3. Friends and neighbours want one too.
4. more of same species trapped and sold.

When you are selling something, you care about turning over your "stock" and getting money. Particularly trappers. They weren't conservationists, or enthusiasts, or bird-lovers. They were just grabbing stuff to sell. If demand for bird X had started, they'd concentrate on satisfying that demand rather than "bothering" to introduce something else.

Also the market for pets is a bit different to the market for iphones. Most people aren't going to ditch their pet to "upgrade" to something "better". If they don't want it after all, they don't buy another. If it dies, they might not want to go through the upset of having another. The market isn't something you can sell bird x, bird y, bird z and keep selling. Mostly. Then there's us..... There may be a market for enthusiasts, but it isn't going to have a large turnover or generate much profit. Some little easy-to-look-after cheap-to-feed cute thing that the neighbour's already got will do that.

EDIT: have we got a glossary on the forum?

 

[RavensGryf]

Strudel - well I bet you're right sounds like it makes sense anyway.

Birdman - yes, I bet Howard Voren would know all the ins and outs of how it happened back in the day. I'll have to check out his site. Not that I NEED to know, just interests me that's all