This Bird Can Rock!

Sadly, it is not well known that this video was taken at a parrot rescue. Thank you for including that note with the video. Snowball was an "unwanted" parrot before ending up at this rescue. This singing and dancing bird was relinquished likely because birds are also demanding, very loud, messy, expensive to keep. require special foods, and of course they bite. Not all birds will sing, dance, and talk. It is such a shame that people will see this video and think that parrots are an easy pet to care for. Nothing could be further from the truth. Parrots are long-lived and also one of the most difficult animals to keep in captivity. They are wild animals, not domesticated like cats and dogs. Few people are able to provide the things birds need to endure life in captivity. Birds do not just sit in cages and wait for food and water to be changed. They need socialization, time outside their cages. flight, toys, appropriate perches, veterinarians who specialize in avian medicine, and it is necessary to make sure that nothing toxic is introduced into their environment (including cleaners). This video is very misleading. Even the former guardian of this lovely bird found him too much to deal with, and that family is not alone! There are thousands and thousands of birds in rescues and languishing in basements, garages, or other out-of-the-way places because their guardians were not prepared for a sexually mature parrot. Just like dogs and cats, birds are also bred in large numbers (often in mills or large commercial breeding operations) and there are now too many birds and not enough homes. Reputable rescues such as Project Perry and Foster Parrots often have waiting lists or are filled to capacity. There is a captive parrot crisis, and this video has just made it worse because now people will look at this and think, "I want one! How cool!" How sad. For more information on rescue and adoption as well as honest information about keeping birds in captivity, please visit avianwelfare.org