The Myth of "Starter Birds"

[Lacewing]

I hope everyone reads this, especially people considering a first time parrot in the home.

https://www.thespruce.com/no-such-t...tm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shareurlbuttons

 

[Flboy]

Good article! Although, everyone knows, this only works with spouses!

 

[SailBoat]

Thanks for Placing this article on Parrot Forums! Its seems to be needed by an ever great number of people!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Wonderful article.
Thank you!
Could this be a "sticky" someplace?
Very moving.

 

[Teddscau]

Yeah, thanks for posting . I hate that budgies are considered "beginner birds". They deserve the same love, veterinary care, research, nutrition, enrichment, freedom, giant enclosure, etc., that a "real" parrot would get. I honestly don't care about how much you paid to "buy" the animal. My parents got me, a human, for free! Yet they've spent tens of thousands of dollars on me, to give me the best life possible, even though I'm completely "replaceable". If I died or if they got "bored" of me, they could've created another child (known as "giving birth"), or they could have bought one (known as adopting agency).

It doesn't matter what species, how old they are, or how much you spent in order to acquire them, all beings under your care rely on you 100%, and it is your duty to give them the best care possible, even if it means you have to cancel your trip to Disney World because of unexpected vet bills (and you WILL bring said animal to the vet, even if they're a 3 year old blind mouse).

There's no such thing as an animal to "teach responsibility" or "gain experience". That goldfish you have in that bowl, who's fins are rotting from ammonia and nitrite burns, who's suffering from zoochosis? Go out and buy him a 50 gallon planted tank with driftwood, rocks, and a cave to hide in. Also, get him some friends from the shelter or something, and quarantine them for a month before introducing them (no more than two friends, because a 50 gallon is still really small). And that hamster you're letting starve because you told your kid that they were completely responsible for their care? Feed the hamster, give them some tasty crickets and mealworms from a quality supplier, and ask for forgiveness.

Honestly, animals aren't expendable or there for human entertainment. They're completely at our mercy, and have absolutely no control over their own lives. I'm sorry about ranting, but humans need to actually imagine themselves in the animal's place for once.

The only "boring" animal is an animal who isn't allowed the same freedoms and experiences as their wild brethren. Your fish just float there, not moving? Maybe because you have 1 bleeding heart tetra, 1 clown loach, 1 pleco, and 1 red tailed shark in a 5 gallon tank. My gosh, those are all social species, meaning they need at least 5 same-species friends each! Not to mention clown loaches grow to be more than 3ft in size! These fish are suffering from severe stress, depression, and sensory deprivation, just to name a few problems!

Again, sorry guys, but everyone needs to think about the non-humans in their lives and learn about how these guys behave and survive in the wild.

Thanks again for posting that article.

 

[SilleIN]

Thank you OP and Teddscau for a great follow up.

I have been in rows lately (and I usually never raise my voice) with people in the aviary end of the avian community of late. A person posted an add, stating that he had taken in this rock peblar hybrid of some sort, which was found in a public park. The bird was tame and he wanted to give the owner an opportunity to retrieve their lost bird. However he ended his add by stating, if the bird hadn't been picked up at the end of 3 weeks, he would euthanize the bird. I called and said, if no owner were found, I would gladly take the bird, so no need to kill the birdy. This mans reaction frankly floored me. He told me, that if the owner did not appear, he would kill the bird as it was a hybrid and should not be alive in the first place. He did not value this birds life at all.

On top of that I have seen a number of aviary birds living under deplorable conditions. I have seen a pair of galah too's where one of them had only 2 feathers left on their body and no action were taken to help these birds. It was just a bird!

And several aviary owners, who "just buy another" if some of the birds die or get sick. They say, that taking a bird to the vet is 10 times the price of getting a new bird.

Denmark is a country where generally the pet welfare is quite high, however I see these people, who keep these living beings as ornaments i their gardens and not as a lives to charish.

Sorry this i a bit off topic, but I have been raging inside for a few weeks now and now I could finally get it out

 

[Lacewing]

I am glad to read these responses and yes it should be a sticky so you can repost or direct a person to read this when appropriate. Each and every companion bird in our lives is valuable from the standpoint of gracing our lives with joy and love. I happen to be totally enamored with English Budgies at this point in my life. We all have to start somewhere with a species of bird and admittedly there are some species that are more difficult to take care of than others but no bird should be considered as a started bird. We don't have starter children so lets just not use the term at all.