Do you ever...

[Bokkapooh]

No, ofcourse not. I never have rode a train before, and don't have any responsibility for a wreck.

Now comparing a train wreck to captive birds isnt really the same. And I find it irrelevant. Here is a better example:

The same would be comparing pound dogs to captive birds. Better comparison (In my humble opinion). Most can relate. Most people have had a dog, bought from a breeder, petstore, or dog mill, and most dog owners dont keep their dogs and then rehome them to the local shelter nearest them. So if I was a dog owner and bought from a breeder, I may feel some guilt in knowing that Im continuing the process. And I think this guilt can be the same as those that parrot owners feel.

And I dont really have guilt of why the parrots of today are in cages, thats not my fault. But I do have in inpact in supporting breeders, supporting keeping them in cages. I buy cages, I buy from (good) breeders, and I am basically supporting captive parrots. Supporting the fact that its OK to have captive parrots.

I just feel guilty that I have to cage such a majestic animal that shouldn't be caged. Im not guilty of "owning" Moby, Nana, Mali, Mera, Pinky, the whole gang. NO WAY. They are WAY BETTER OFF with me than in some of their previous homes. But I still feel guilty that I have to cage them. I dislike it. They deserve freedom and I cannot give it to them. So I try to do my best. I try to keep myself educated for their sake and for my sanity. I try to provide for them the best that I can. Not only for their sake, but for my sanity. My conscience

I still hope to one day have a huge aviary/property/land so I can really do good for my birds.

 

[Bokkapooh]

i prefer to be proactive. if i am unhappy with something in my life, i change it. if i cant change it, i accept it.

ABSOLUTELY. I 100% agree.

But acceptance doesnt mean your dont feel sad or bad about it. You just accept it and keep doing you best. But that doesnt mean you cannot feed bad.

 

[DQTimnehs]

It does bother me that they are confined to cages/houses. I try to give them as much space and time and toys as I can. But it doesn't seem like enough. I don't really buy the argument that they were bred in captivity so don't know the difference. Nobody is seriously saying we should release all of our captive bred birds. The point is that they should never have been taken for pets and bred. Too many were/are being imported cruelly (driven over the border in wheel wells of cars, e.g.) There are too many in bad homes being neglected and unhappy. Too many in rescues where they are taken care of but probably don't get the one on one attention they want.

I love having parrots but really wish it wasn't an option for anyone and that they were just left to live in the wild. This is hindsight. I can't say for certain that if I had the opportunity to be one of the pioneers importing parrots, I wouldn't have done it. But knowing what I know now, I definitely wouldn't. I don't like the idea of them dying by predators out in the wild either. That is an unfortunate reality of nature. But I'm not sure quantity is better than quality.

I could be wrong but I don't think anyone is ripping African children from their parents to give them a better life in America. There are way too many children living in horrible conditions in institutions. Adopting these kids and bringing them to America IS giving them a better life. Some of them barely get human contact where they are, not enough people to run the orphanages. Their parents and families are dead, so I'm pretty sure going to any family that will love and care for them is an improvement!

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

If I lived like Mare does in an area with wild forests and I had the resources to allow my birds free flight or even a very large aviary during the warm times of the year, my birds WOULD be wild and free. But I don't so I have to give them a room, all their own and let them out for the daylight hours as much as they want. I cage everyone but Sunshine Senegal at dusk in their cages with good food and fresh water and great toys and let them out at dawn again.

I don't have the courage Mare has to give Amigo his freedom; I see too much risk and on top of that risk, loss of my beloved birds. A large birdroom will have to suffice for my birdies; the most freedom I can give them.

 

[juliashmulia]

The fact of the matter is, guys, that wild-caught parrots are still being smuggled into developed countries every day. Do you know the methods used to capture them? Do you think some nice man climbs a tree, gently picks up a bird, puts it in a travel carrier, and transports it over in a climate-controlled car? The reality is sick and barbaric. They do things like gouge the eyes out on one bird, tie it to a stick, and use its screaming in terror and pain to attract the loyal members of its flock who they know will come to its aid. The birds that are caught are then stuffed into airtight boxes, stuffed into toilet paper rolls, tied tightly in nets, etc. MOST OF THEM DIE before they make it across boarders, and it's a slow, horrible death. I stand by my original point: THESE BIRDS SHOULDN'T BE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. I'm not saying we're cruel for keeping parrots, but please at least be aware of what's going on. Be aware of how your birds came to be here. And be aware of the horrors of some (but not all) breeding situations. Mira Tweti has one former breeder describe the emotional agony parent birds go through when their babies are ripped from their nests. These are not dumb creatures. They know you took their babies, and this former breeder descries how the parent birds never forgive her for it. They spend DAYS frantically searching for their children, and when they realize they won't be getting them back, are visibly depressed. It is their instinct.

You can blast me for saying all of this. The way I see it, people are happy to be ignorant of this stuff. I expect some of you to tell me this is all a load of BS. Then I challenge you to read the book. Again it's called Of Parrots and People. Please don't tell me I'm wrong about this stuff until you've read the it cover to cover.

So, I get the part about "they're already here, what can we do about that?" STOP BREEDING THEM. How is creating more parrots when there's already an unwanted parrot epidemic helping the situation? If I had my way, breeding of ALL ANIMALS would be illegal until all shelters and rescues were empty.

You can hate me for saying it, and I'm sure some of you will, but that's my opinion. No, that's reality.

Edit: I really want to make it clear that I'm not judging anyone. We're all here because we love our birds. We give them the best life we can, and that's super. But I think it's important that we open our eyes to what goes on behind the scenes. I know it's hard to hear, but sometimes that's life. :/

 

[Alan J.]

The larger parrot species will most definitely not be domesticated in your life or mine Lois.

Most parrot species remain wild, regardless of the fact that we keep them in our homes. They instinctively want to be part of an extended flock and are “hard wired” to fly considerable distances, source a mate and forage for a large variety of food items, amongst other things.

Keeping a single macaw (or any other species of parrot) in a cage, by definition prevents it from doing much of what it was designed since the beginning of time, to do. So yes, I do think of these things and yes, I do worry about them and will continue to do so.

These thoughts do not come easily to me. I have worked as a professional in the field of exotic animal husbandry for over 30 years and have served in more than one executive position during that time, but my opinions are starting to change. There is a growing body of evidence that captive dolphins will in extreme cases, commit suicide. It amazes me that these animals perceive how unhappy they are and are capable of reasoning that the only escape from their situation, is to take their own lives. Dolphins breathe air, as we do, so the act of consciously remaining at the bottom of a pool, with their lungs bursting, until they die, is an unbelievably unsettling action to my mind.

I dearly love Alex, my blue and gold macaw and have changed much of my life style to accommodate his needs and will continue to do so for as long as we are together, but I do sometimes wonder if someone waved a “magic wand” and Alex was able to choose between the life I can offer him and a life as a wild bird, what HE would choose, regardless of the consequences.

So yes, I do understand your feelings Vickie and without putting too fine a point to it Lois, I intensely dislike you telling me what I can or not feel.

 

[TwoTinyTrees]

Right there with you! Specially for Aang and Zuko when I still had them they HATED people and were not happy with me that much honestly thats why when I had to rehome them and my friend had an aviary I felt that that was better than now stuck in room by themselves but yea I get those moments when Ninny and I feel selfish...

 

[waterfaller1]

Alan, that is sad and incredible.

 

[juliashmulia]

The larger parrot species will most definitely not be domesticated in your life or mine Lois.

Most parrot species remain wild, regardless of the fact that we keep them in our homes. They instinctively want to be part of an extended flock and are “hard wired” to fly considerable distances, source a mate and forage for a large variety of food items, amongst other things.

Keeping a single macaw (or any other species of parrot) in a cage, by definition prevents it from doing much of what it was designed since the beginning of time, to do. So yes, I do think of these things and yes, I do worry about them and will continue to do so.

These thoughts do not come easily to me. I have worked as a professional in the field of exotic animal husbandry for over 30 years and have served in more than one executive position during that time, but my opinions are starting to change. There is a growing body of evidence that captive dolphins will in extreme cases, commit suicide. It amazes me that these animals perceive how unhappy they are and are capable of reasoning that the only escape from their situation, is to take their own lives. Dolphins breathe air, as we do, so the act of consciously remaining at the bottom of a pool, with their lungs bursting, until they die, is an unbelievably unsettling action to my mind.

I dearly love Alex, my blue and gold macaw and have changed much of my life style to accommodate his needs and will continue to do so for as long as we are together, but I do sometimes wonder if someone waved a “magic wand” and Alex was able to choose between the life I can offer him and a life as a wild bird, what HE would choose, regardless of the consequences.

So yes, I do understand your feelings Vickie and without putting too fine a point to it Lois, I intensely dislike you telling me what I can or not feel.

Very well-said, Alan.

 

[waterfaller1]

If I had my way, breeding of ALL ANIMALS would be illegal until all shelters and rescues were empty.

Do you truly feel this way? This is exactly what PITA wants. They would rather see them dead than in anyone's home or possession. That includes your own.

 

[MaraWentz]

Have a moment when you well up with sadness for your birds? I was thinking to myself tonight... that no matter how much time I spend with my birds, how much money I spend to vet them, buy them the best things I can afford when it comes to food and toys, they're never "supposed" to be with me. While I love them to pieces and they make my days so much brighter, our relationship was never what nature intended. I don't mean to be "doom and gloom", but I find myself thinking about this sometimes lately. I hope I'm not alone on this one.

I understand completely. I actually plan on having Erin released to a no adoption aviary so she can fly and be with a flock, once I can no longer care for her.

 

[juliashmulia]

I understand completely. I actually plan on having Erin released to a no adoption aviary so she can fly and be with a flock, once I can no longer care for her.

How do you go about arranging that? I have been trying to come up with a plan for where my birds would go should anything ever happen to me or my BF, and that sounds perfect. Do you know of any of these places?

 

[Ankou]

I personally don't think parrots, polar bears, tiger, sharks, whales, chimpanzees, etc, will ever truly be domesticated.

I respectfully disagree. Parrots will, as long as we continue to keep them as pets for companionship, will eventually be domesticated. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but it will happen unless we just stop breeding parrots or go back to treating them as aviary birds and decoration.
Since we don't breed the rest of those animals you listed in captivity as animal companions (at least in numbers large enough to have an impact,) they will not be domesticated.

It's likely already started. I've heard very compelling arguments that cockatiels are starting to show signs of becoming domesticated. The argument I heard is that other small, fast breeding "common" birds, like lovebirds and budgies, have been bred more for appearance than companionship until fairly recently. English budgies are another good example, bred for appearance primarily but I have heard both that they are calmer and just as wild as normal budgies.
The "drab" natural tiels, while still bred for appearance, found their way into our homes as pets more quickly. I suspect they will be the first "domestic" parrot, followed by budgies then peach faced lovebirds. The larger parrots will take much longer, since they breed more slowly and are more uncommon.

Russian scientists were able to semi-domesticate a small number of foxes in an experiment in 50 years, selectively breeding for temperament. As part of the experiment they also bred extremely vicious foxes with no fear. Whether it was ethical do to what they have done is a debate for another time; but they've done it.

Trouble is, with parrots, it is going to be slower because they are monogamous, unlike mammals you can't just throw the calmest two together when the female is in heat and get babies. Many breeders also breed for money rather than "pet potential" these days.
It isn't like when humans somehow managed to get a cow from aurochs or the dog from wolves. It was a little more spartan back in the stone ages, where if an animal didn't have the traits that were conducive to aiding your survival in some way that animal wasn't needed. (IE: It was killed or abandoned.)


Actually, now I'm really getting off topic, but I suddenly find it very ironic that this discussion is about possibly depriving parrots of existing in their natural state.

The natural state any living organism, with the exception of some "hive mind" types, is to insure their own personal survival. Happiness is a chemical reaction after all, serotonin, to tell us we are doing well. What you are doing is good, feels good, rewarding, and therefor likely to help you survive as an individual.
Keeping animals, domesticating them, has definitely been key to the survival of many humans throughout history. You could easily argue the humans that were drawn to keeping certain animals were the ones that had an increased chance of survival, surviving means reproducing.

We are animals too, could it be our own instincts and evolution is compelling us to keep animals to aid in our survival? By keeping "pets" are we fulfilling our own needs? Is it in our own nature to domesticate everything, including the environment? Why is Sondra suddenly a philosopher?

 

[Bokkapooh]

The fact of the matter is, guys, that wild-caught parrots are still being smuggled into developed countries every day. Do you know the methods used to capture them? Do you think some nice man climbs a tree, gently picks up a bird, puts it in a travel carrier, and transports it over in a climate-controlled car? The reality is sick and barbaric. They do things like gouge the eyes out on one bird, tie it to a stick, and use its screaming in terror and pain to attract the loyal members of its flock who they know will come to its aid. The birds that are caught are then stuffed into airtight boxes, stuffed into toilet paper rolls, tied tightly in nets, etc. MOST OF THEM DIE before they make it across boarders, and it's a slow, horrible death. I stand by my original point: THESE BIRDS SHOULDN'T BE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. I'm not saying we're cruel for keeping parrots, but please at least be aware of what's going on. Be aware of how your birds came to be here. And be aware of the horrors of some (but not all) breeding situations. Mira Tweti has one former breeder describe the emotional agony parent birds go through when their babies are ripped from their nests. These are not dumb creatures. They know you took their babies, and this former breeder descries how the parent birds never forgive her for it. They spend DAYS frantically searching for their children, and when they realize they won't be getting them back, are visibly depressed. It is their instinct.

You can blast me for saying all of this. The way I see it, people are happy to be ignorant of this stuff. I expect some of you to tell me this is all a load of BS. Then I challenge you to read the book. Again it's called Of Parrots and People. Please don't tell me I'm wrong about this stuff until you've read the it cover to cover.

So, I get the part about "they're already here, what can we do about that?" STOP BREEDING THEM. How is creating more parrots when there's already an unwanted parrot epidemic helping the situation? If I had my way, breeding of ALL ANIMALS would be illegal until all shelters and rescues were empty.

You can hate me for saying it, and I'm sure some of you will, but that's my opinion. No, that's reality.

Edit: I really want to make it clear that I'm not judging anyone. We're all here because we love our birds. We give them the best life we can, and that's super. But I think it's important that we open our eyes to what goes on behind the scenes. I know it's hard to hear, but sometimes that's life. :/

I agree with almost everything your saying.

However if we completely STOP ALL breeding until "shelters are no longer full" or until empty, that would mean we could never breed again. Most shelter animals are spayed/neutered (dogs/cats) and bird shelters, the animals there are most likely unfit to breed.

If we stop any breeding for any substantial amount of time, it would doom all parrots and other animals from ever potentially being back in society. We cannot simply stop breeding. If we stop dog/cat breeding for 5 years, that would mean when we try to do it again, most dams will be 5 years of older, thats way too old to start breeding for cats or dogs.

And for parrots, if we stop for 5-10 years, that would mean breeding pairs will get old, and most "pet" birds are not good for breeding, stopping parrot breeding would doom parrots.

 

[Bokkapooh]

I respectfully disagree. Parrots will, as long as we continue to keep them as pets for companionship, will eventually be domesticated. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but it will happen unless we just stop breeding parrots or go back to treating them as aviary birds and decoration.
Since we don't breed the rest of those animals you listed in captivity as animal companions (at least in numbers large enough to have an impact,) they will not be domesticated.

It's likely already started. I've heard very compelling arguments that cockatiels are starting to show signs of becoming domesticated. The argument I heard is that other small, fast breeding "common" birds, like lovebirds and budgies, have been bred more for appearance than companionship until fairly recently. English budgies are another good example, bred for appearance primarily but I have heard both that they are calmer and just as wild as normal budgies.
The "drab" natural tiels, while still bred for appearance, found their way into our homes as pets more quickly. I suspect they will be the first "domestic" parrot, followed by budgies then peach faced lovebirds. The larger parrots will take much longer, since they breed more slowly and are more uncommon.

Russian scientists were able to semi-domesticate a small number of foxes in an experiment in 50 years, selectively breeding for temperament. As part of the experiment they also bred extremely vicious foxes with no fear. Whether it was ethical do to what they have done is a debate for another time; but they've done it.

Trouble is, with parrots, it is going to be slower because they are monogamous, unlike mammals you can't just throw the calmest two together when the female is in heat and get babies. Many breeders also breed for money rather than "pet potential" these days.
It isn't like when humans somehow managed to get a cow from aurochs or the dog from wolves. It was a little more spartan back in the stone ages, where if an animal didn't have the traits that were conducive to aiding your survival in some way that animal wasn't needed. (IE: It was killed or abandoned.)


Actually, now I'm really getting off topic, but I suddenly find it very ironic that this discussion is about possibly depriving parrots of existing in their natural state.

The natural state any living organism, with the exception of some "hive mind" types, is to insure their own personal survival. Happiness is a chemical reaction after all, serotonin, to tell us we are doing well. What you are doing is good, feels good, rewarding, and therefor likely to help you survive as an individual.
Keeping animals, domesticating them, has definitely been key to the survival of many humans throughout history. You could easily argue the humans that were drawn to keeping certain animals were the ones that had an increased chance of survival, surviving means reproducing.

We are animals too, could it be our own instincts and evolution is compelling us to keep animals to aid in our survival? By keeping "pets" are we fulfilling our own needs? Is it in our own nature to domesticate everything, including the environment? Why is Sondra suddenly a philosopher?

How would you domesticate a parrot. What would we need to breed about them to change them from their wild counterparts?

Even budgies, lovies and tiels are not domesticated. We have just bred for looks.

Breeding for looks and NOT temperment will never domesticate an animal. And since 100% breeders breed for looks and overall appearance, they dont breed for personality or temperment, how will we ever domesticate them?

I stand by what I said, Parrots cannot and will not ever be domesticated. They will never have their wild instincts, needs and wildness about them, bred out of them.

edit:add:

Also about those foxes. Im very skeptical about them being "semi domesticated". I can go pay $100,00 for a 2nd generation bred baby elephant, hand raise it until adulthood and it would be tame.

Many lions in zoos are captive bred. Infact all are. And they are still lions. Sure they are "tame" kinda sorta in a way. But just because we breed them and theyre tame doesnt make them domesticated. Holds true for those foxes. They were all once wilds caught. And over time they have lost their fear and defensive behavior, just like our captive raised hand reared parrots. But that doesnt make them anywhere close to domestication.

 

[juliashmulia]

I agree with almost everything your saying.

However if we completely STOP ALL breeding until "shelters are no longer full" or until empty, that would mean we could never breed again. Most shelter animals are spayed/neutered (dogs/cats) and bird shelters, the animals there are most likely unfit to breed.

If we stop any breeding for any substantial amount of time, it would doom all parrots and other animals from ever potentially being back in society. We cannot simply stop breeding. If we stop dog/cat breeding for 5 years, that would mean when we try to do it again, most dams will be 5 years of older, thats way too old to start breeding for cats or dogs.

And for parrots, if we stop for 5-10 years, that would mean breeding pairs will get old, and most "pet" birds are not good for breeding, stopping parrot breeding would doom parrots.

We could set a time limit. Change.org has a petition to ban the breeding of cats and dogs for three years. That would give us a chance to catch up on adoption and greatly reduce the number of animals being euthanized.

 

[Bokkapooh]

But can dogs and cats start breeding at 3 years of age? I thought optimum age was between 1-2, but if they start too late they can have complications? (I am by no means an expert, so Im ony wondering how this would work).

And what kind of time limit would there be for parrots? And would it include all parrots? What about the critically endangered? Hys, Red tails black cockatoos, palms, some amazons, etc? Stopping a year of breeding could really be bad for them.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Alan, if you look at what I wrote, I did not tell you what to feel. All I said was be realistic and stop wishing for something that cannot be. Instead own the solution to the problem and do the best you can for the birds you can make a difference for. It is useless for us to obsess about the birds being wrongly taken from the wild for human pleasure; it is done and nothing we do can change that. Do you want to euthanize all parrots in captivity and never get another or are you willing to care for those you can and help the others as much as you can and continue to have wild parrots in human homes.

Those are realistically our only choices in this equation. If you have a better solution, tell me. But all the guilt and hand wringing and wishing does nothing to help the parrots already here in our homes, rescues and breeder farms. We need concrete, workable ways of bettering the lives of captive parrots. We need to start actively working on their domestication not only with management techniques but with sensible breeding practices and in the future genetic manipulation. Use the energy wailing and beating our breasts in horror for a more productive use.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Mercedez, what PETA wants is absolutely no animal slaves present in human society. None, ever, at all, ever again.

Parrots will definitely become domesticated. We already know neophobia and, to an extent, featherpicking, are have genetic bases; eliminate or modify the genes and you have a bird not afraid of new toys, less nervous about change, and one that does not pluck themselves bald. The specter of gene surgery is rapidly approaching and once the genomes are read and the places where the genes reside found, gene surgery will happen and domestication of parrots will become a reality. Also, humans have been exploring various ways to mainipulating the raising of young birds so that the young birds are more likely to accept and even look for a human relationship. My Gracie Tiel was a handfed bird from the age of ten days old and when I stepped her up out of the flock cage of potential cockatiel pets, she immediately perched on my shoulder, snuggled against my neck and sighed, selling herself in that instant. Grace remained that loving tiel, wanting to be with an on me every minute I was around; and that had been accomplished by limiting her interaction with other tiels, hand feeding her from a very young age and selling her very young. A young bird wants another living thing which which to have emotional and physical contact; when other birds were not provided for Grace, she chose me as her companion. Later, after much encouragement, Gracie also picked a cock as a mate and was able to mate and raise young successfully while still remaining a perfect pet. Think about all the different ways breeders manipulate the psychology of the young birds to make their journey to being a pet a successful one. These are strategies which will aide the domestication of parrots. Once a young bird has formed a bond with a human, they remain bonded unless the human rejects them and the bird no longer has an opportunity to interact with that specific human. That is the reason why when the young, bonded parrot reaches hormonal/reproductive state, all the human has to do is manage the aggression from the hormonal surge until the hormones decrease and then present themselves for rebonding and a continuation of the parrot's companionship. I have seen this time and again, with my own cockatiels, with various poicephalus youngsters I have raised and with lovebirds. The young bird suddenly becomes hormonal and wild in their breeding mode; if a breeder companion can be found, the birds breed, raise their babies and at the end of it, the now mature bird kind of 'wakes' out of the hormonal aggression and resumes the bond with their human. But the human must understand what is happening with the newly aggressive bird and manage the youngster until the hormonal madness passes. Unfortunately, too many of new parrot owners don't understand the aggression is temporary and don't stay the course and resume the relationship; instead they rehome the parrot or send the hormonal bird off for breeding and break the bond. People need to understand the bird will recover and remember after the hormones wear off and the subsequent hormonal seasons will not be as traumatic to the bird or the human companion.

So in a way, domestication is not just one sided; the bird's side. It also consists of management techniques the human has to learn as well. Domestication will happen but it will take a long, long time.

 

[karen256]

You can blast me for saying all of this. The way I see it, people are happy to be ignorant of this stuff. I expect some of you to tell me this is all a load of BS. Then I challenge you to read the book. Again it's called Of Parrots and People. Please don't tell me I'm wrong about this stuff until you've read the it cover to cover.

I have read most of that book but it's very much one-sided anti-parrot propaganda imo. She describes how easy it was for one person to train his RFM to free fly and implies typical parrot owners are lazy and neglectful to not put in such minimal effort to free fly their birds (when free flying actually is quite risky, takes a lot of training, and is not something a lot of pet birds would even enjoy). She describes horrible, cruel bird mills with sick or dying birds as if they are the norm when in fact, virtually all successful breeders (even the large scale commercial ones that are not 'good' breeders) do at least provide flight cages, balanced diet, clean environment, and vet care; sick, stressed birds do not breed well and it's in their best interests to keep their birds healthy.
She describes parrots as being completely wild animals when, in fact, most individual pet parrots are of domesticated species (budgies, lovebirds, cockatiels). And then, finally, she says that most parrot owners get into it not realizing how intelligent and social parrots are - based on the fact that she got her parrot with the expectation that it would require no more attention than a cat. Just because she could not be troubled to do any research before acquiring her parrot does not mean that other people do the same (some do, of course, but it's not fair for her to assume most do). I can understand her not wanting others to make the mistakes she did, I think a lot of what she says is well-intentioned but just misleading.

Yes, there are some parrots that are neglected, parrots that are kept in horrible hoarder conditions, there are breeder parrots who are kept healthy but not given enrichment, and there are still wild parrots being trapped for some countries that allow parrots to be imported. Some of the larger, rarer, more valuable parrots are smuggled, and sometimes captured in awful ways (the worst probably being cutting down rare nesting trees to get chicks). It's important to be aware of that, and it's important to be aware of how intelligent and needy parrots can be, and to be aware that they are not perfect pets and require some training and allowances for natural behaviors. BUT, the vast majority of pet birds are from domestic breeders, receive decent (if not ideal) care, and are at least a few generations removed from wild caught relatives. I don't think there is anything wrong with well-cared-for parrots, or with caring, responsible, small-scale breeders; I do think capture of wild parrots for pets is wrong, at worst horribly cruel, and at best, largely unnecessary (the only legitimate reason would be to improve genetic diversity and health of some species) - but luckily it is increasingly becoming a thing of the past.
Also it's worth noting that many of the species imported in large numbers in the past were crop pests, able to be trapped in large numbers precisely because of this. If not sold as pets, they would likely have been shot or netted and then gassed or crushed to death... sad but true. They would not be living out perfect, carefree lives if they were not captured and sold as pets. They were caught and treated poorly because they had negative value in their native countries. I think it was Argentina that used to offer a bounty on quaker parrots - millions were killed while it was in effect.