Does parrot farming protect wild species?

Those in favour of commercial captive breeding argue that breeding parrots to sell can relieve pressure on wild populations. Researchers Neil D'Cruze and Rowan Martin review the evidence.

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The lives of people and parrots have been entwined for thousands of years. These colourful, charismatic birds are kept as pets all over the world for companionship and entertainment.

However, today, nearly one-third of the 400 parrot species globally are at risk of extinction. Among them is the endangered African grey parrot.

This bird was commonly found in many parts of West and Central Africa, but numbers in the wild have collapsed. For instance, in Ghana, its population has dropped by 90% to 99% since the early 1990s.

In recent years, large commercial farms have sprung up, producing increasing volumes of parrots for sale as pets.

South Africa is now the world’s leading exporter of parrots – the country has exported over a million parrots from more than 120 species since 2020, primarily to countries in the Middle East and South Asia.

Yet despite the industry’s rapid growth, there are concerns over the effectiveness of legislation to manage its expansion.

As researchers who have spent decades studying wildlife trade and its impact on parrots, we conducted a critical review of the existing literature to evaluate how parrot farming affects the efforts to conserve wild parrots.

Our research uncovered the ways in which parrot farming can affect conservation efforts. We propose ways forward for preventing illegal and unsustainable trade in parrots.

WHAT IS COMMERCIAL PARROT FARMING?

Industrial parrot farms can house thousands of parrots in rows of cages for sale to a mass export market. Many, like budgerigars and cockatiels, are common. But threatened species, such as grey parrots, military macaws and yellowcrested cockatoos, are also being bred and sold.