Speakers Flock to World's Largest Bird Store While Breeding Birds Languish
On October 18 and 19, 2008, Bird Paradise, the self-proclaimed "world's largest bird store," will host its fifth annual "Parrot Palooza" featuring professionals from the bird trade including Dr. Irene Pepperburg, Sally Blanchard, Lara Joseph and Madeleine Franco.
TAKE ACTION: Letters and calls needed ASAP to the speakers and promoters asking for their help to prevent the continued suffering and exploitation of birds. Sample letter follows the sum mary – all you have to do is cut, paste, sign and send it on! Are you in the New Jersey area? Join us on Saturday, October 11, 2008 for a peaceful demonstration in front of the Bird Paradise store.
WHAT
Peaceful Demonstration against Bird Paradise
WHEN
Saturday, October 11, 2008 from 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
WHERE
Public right of way in front of Bird Paradise, 551 E Rt. 130 S, Burlington, NJ 08016
CONTACT:
Rowan Morrison, 610-733-1248, boycottbirdparadise@gmail.com
SUMMARY:
Birds, especially parrots, are becoming the world's fastest growing unwanted pet. These complex animals require attention and care that few people are prepared to provide, and many times unsuspecting owners who can no longer handle the loud, active creatures will simply ditch them or store them in a dark basement or garage.&nb sp; Studies have shown that wild birds spend 30 percent of their time flying just for fun. Most birds in captivity never get a chance to fly, or fly only a few yards. Bird Paradise operates a bird store in southern New Jersey offering thousands of birds for sale along with a wide assortment of cages, toys and food.
On Bird Paradise's infomercial aired in 2008, a visit is made to a Florida breeding facility where many of the birds sold by Bird Paradise are born. A recording of the infomercial can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq30I_-ZSE8. While watching the infomercial you will make some disturbing observations. Among other things, the breeder birds housed at the facility are kept in barren cages devoid of any of the multitude of toys for sale at Bird Paradise's own store. Captive birds need enrichment, such as toys and out of cage time, to remain as physically and emotionally healthy as possible in captivity. It also appears that the perches provided for some of the breeder birds are an inappropriate diameter measurement for their foot size. In order to avoid serious captivity-related foot problems, it is important to offer a variety of perch types and sizes appropriate for their foot size.
Another problem at the facility is the artificial environment in which the eggs are hatched. Apparently some of the eggs are taken immediately from the parents and placed in an incubator. This is very stressful for the adult birds and baby birds alike. And despite the thousands of birds confined at the facility, only one employee is shown during the entire video. This raises concerns about a possible lack of individual attention for the birds, whose lives appear to be limited to a cage, nesting box and perch.
TAKE ACTION:
Pressure is needed immediately to bring resources to this issue. These speakers and bird advocacy groups should be working to help birds, not increase the profits of one of the worst exploiters.
Sample Letter:
I am disturbed to learn that you are supporting the Parrot Palooza at Bird Paradise. As shown in the store's own promotional video, Bird Paradise obtains birds from a breeding facility in south Florida where the birds are confined in small wire cages devoid of any toys or other enrichment. For many of the birds, the sole furnishing in the cages is a perch inappropriate for their species. Because the eggs are hatched in the artificial environment of an incubator, the parents are deprived of expressing their natural nesting and parenting instincts; instead, they are confined to the same wire cages to breed over and over, supplying Bird Paradise with thousands of birds for sale each year.
I am also concerne d about your support of any store selling birds at a time when so many birds desperately need homes. Please ask Bird Paradise to discontinue the sale of birds and promote adoption instead. Thank you.
Please send to:
SPEAKERS:
SALLY BLANCHARD
Phone: 970-278-0233
staff@companionparrot.com
LARA JOSEPH
Phone: 419-360-1234
Email: pickyparrot@buckeye-express.com
MADELEINE FRANCO
Email: madfranco@aol.com
IRENE PEPPERBURG, PhD
Email:
