Answered by Jamie Gilardi:

Hi Bart, Most of the Blue-headed Macaws in captivity outside of South America are to the best of my knowledge, in Europe. Only a small number are here in the USA, and I think you can still see them on exhibit at the Houston Zoo.

As you may know, CITES is an international agreement which primarily regulates trade in endangered species. If someone wants to move an appendix I or II animal from one country to another, then CITES permits may or may not be issued by the importing country and the exporting country depending on many details of the individual birds themselves.

Many countries, particularly in Europe, have domestic regulations and paperwork which hinge on the CITES Appendix where the species is listed, however they just use the CITES categories, but CITES as an organization is not involved.

There are a few facilities (mostly outside Europe) which are registered by CITES for captive breeding, primarily for crocodilians and a few raptors. A few species of parrots are listed - the list can be found here http://www.cites.org/common/reg/e_cb.html then click on "List of species" on the left hand side - but no Blue-headed Macaws.

I hope this helps,

Jamie

Answered by Jamie Gilardi:

Dear Meike, First I have to say that I'm quite impressed that you have a wild caught Grey Parrot that may be as old as fifty years, that's quite remarkable in its own right. If that history is well documented, please let us know as that could be one of the longest lived Grey Parrots with a documented past.

Second, it's great that you've solved many of the problems Marcootje had when you first got him. Feather plucking can be especially difficult to resolve in any bird as has been discussed here and in the PsittaScene many times.

Third, I think you're heart is in the right place to try to find foods which are similar to what Marcootje at in the wild. That said, there are two reasons to be cautious here. On the one hand, your bird has been away from such foods for decades and so something which might be quite edible to a wild grey in Cameroon, might be quite dangerous for your bird to eat. On the other hand, I think it's quite unlikely that any of the really wild foods from the range of the African Grey are likely to be available in Europe. Some of these might be present in special indoor gardens, but I doubt these folks would take too kindly to your harvesting of their delicate tropical fruits, flowers, and the like!

The good news is that if your Marcootje likes destroying things, then providing him with fresh browse from trees and shrubs native to your area is likely to be something which will turn into both a fun and healthy activity for him over time. Of course, consult with other parrot keepers about the plants you have in mind to ensure that they are not dangerous for your bird, and introduce things slowly and in a supervised manner. I also recommend going to our forums and typing browse in the search box for additional discussions of this kind.

In any event, do bear in mind that if your parrot has lived for five decades and is still going strong, you're certainly doing something right!

All best wishes,

Jamie

Answered by Jamie Gilardi:

Dear Sandra,

You’ve asked and excellent, if difficult, question. As you know, parrots live in parts of the world which are generally quite different from where you’re likely to be (I’m assuming USA based on your ‘foot in the door’ comment). So field work is likely to involve different climates, different cultures, and nearly always different languages.

Some people are really interested in a particular species or region or habitat type and that interest should probably be a guide for where to get started. Find out who is working in that area or on that species in the wild, looking as broadly as possible, then start communicating as much as you can. What you’re after is pulling together enough background such that you can plan and carry out a trip to the area which will open your eyes to the realities and opportunities awaiting you on the ground there.

So, if you’re interested in macaws in Central America for example, you might want to spend some time in the Yucatan and then also in Costa Rica. If you make contact with researchers in both places, ask if you can visit and possibly volunteer on their projects, then line up a trip itinerary which will work to spend time in each area/project of interest.

When you get there, you’ll likely get an immediate feel for whether the place, people, language, habitat, etc. are a good fit for you. Some people get into a rainforest for the first time and they find the humidity and darkness to be incredibly uncomfortable, others find it to be comforting, beautiful, and rich. Of course, lots of parrots live in dry forests, or not even forests at all, and you may find that such open areas are either boring or spectacularly beautiful … depends on you!

The same issues hold for the species in question, your fellow researchers, and the local cultures – you may click, you may not, and the only real way to know is to go see for yourself. You may find that the cockatoo in your bedroom which is endlessly fascinating, is incredibly hard to see in the wild. Maybe just when you finally do see one, it flies off over a huge canyon and disappears over a mountain on the horizon.

When you do find a place which you find comfortable and exciting, keep your mind open about study subjects and questions. It may be that you really love this one particular macaw, but in fact, the more common parakeets in the area are much more easy to observe, and they’re clearly up to some interesting things worth studying. It might not even be a parrot, or not even a bird you end up studying … at that point, especially if you’re doing graduate work, you should focus on what you find to be intellectually most stimulating, challenging, and tractable, such that you become a great researcher in the end.

One thing to bear in mind is that most people with active research projects can always use functional people who are willing to volunteer and to really help out. But they also don’t have time to baby sit and they don’t want to deal with people who are just figuring out that the rainforest is rainy and sometimes you get wet! If you approach them and you’re honest about your experience and what you have to offer the project, and you make it clear that you’re willing to work, you’ll likely find people are quite receptive.

Good luck!

Jamie

Answered by Jamie Gilardi:

It really sounds like your bird has a LOT of potential companions already, but back to that in a minute. I suspect what you're really wondering is whether there is a sound conservation justification for breeding your female cockatoo because this species is quite rare in the wild (recall that CITES status isn't specifically about rareness, rather the potential or real threat from trade). Given your bird's history of being around other parrots in the west, it would be very difficult for your bird to be paired for conservation breeding strictly from a disease standpoint. Even if your birds are extraordinarily healthy, they clearly have had opportunities to pick up all sorts of things from all over the world - directly or indirectly - and many of these diseases can be hard to detect. As there are some islands in Indonesia with reasonable numbers of these birds, it is unlikely that captive pet birds like yours or their progeny will play a direct role in the recovery of the species in the wild. Clearly, there are a few species of parrots for which every individual is of potential conservation significance, but these are tremendously rare species like Kakapo, Spix's Macaws, and the like.

But that of course does not mean that your bird(s) can't have huge conservation significance in terms or raising awareness and support for the conservation of their brethren in the wild. Your birds are great ambassadors for their species and for parrots in general. Because they are such engaging and spectacular animals, captive parrots create great opportunities to educate and inspire individuals to help conservation all over the world. Many of the most consistent and generous supporters of parrot conservation have been inspired by a relationship or experience with a single bird and yours may well have the same great influence on people.

In terms of companionship, it's very hard to guess what would be best for your bird without experiencing the individual(s) in question and watching very carefully. My colleagues and I go back and forth on the question of the specific benefits of companionship with a bird's own species vs. other species. Part of the reason for this must be that species and individuals vary a great deal, and some treat birds of their own or other species like potted plants, while others would happily move in with the neighbor's cat (I've had both extremes in my time). If your cockatoo really doesn't get much out of your other birds, you might ask around local rescue centers to see if there is a cockatoo you might introduce her to to see how they get on. But as a cockatoo owner, I'm sure you're aware that there are big and sometimes dangerous gender differences, so be careful, talk to other's knowledgeable about this, and tread cautiously. And of course, practice very careful biosecurity whenever introducing your birds to others or others to your flock.

All best wishes,

Jamie