Save Parrots. Save People. Save the Planet.
Oct 4, 11am-3pm EDT & Oct 5, 2-6pm EDT
Free & Virtual
Hyacinth macaws in Paraguay (Photo by One Earth Conservation Team in Paraguay)
A conference creates ideas, provides new perspectives, encourages reflection, promotes deep thinking, and develops a shared reality to deal with an issue or crisis, such as the global parrot crisis. The Parrot Crisis Summit 2024, organized by the International Alliance for the Protection of Parrots (IAPP), will connect parrot conservationists, veterinarians, rescue organizations, animal rights and welfare advocates, students, and parrot enthusiasts from around the world to advance the goal of stopping the demand for and trade of parrots. The challenges are daunting, and that is why this is not just any conference, but rather a global effort by many actors to work and build a path to achieve the goal of stopping the trade of parrots. The conference will also highlight the numerous and severe damages that the legal and illegal trade in parrots causes to wildlife, people, and ecosystems, and provide networking, discussions, and solutions so that each can leave the conference with an action plan to end this crisis. The conference asks, “How can we change the perception of the relationship between parrots and people so that harm is diminished, and more lives can flourish?”
Currently many parrots are not flourishing. They are the most endangered group of birds in the world because of the wildlife trade and habitat loss. Some studies and those with experience estimate that up to 90% of trapped birds die after capture, and survivors are separated from their families and usually condemned to a life of clipped or broken wings, inadequate cages, poor nutrition, and social isolation, which results in enormous loss of life and immeasurable suffering.
Parrots kept in poor conditions as pets in Central America
Trade harms people as well. For one, when parrots disappear, those who live near parrots lose their cultural traditions and the health of their environment. In addition, those who live where parrots naturally range, often experience economic hardship, and many resort to poaching at the risk of injury or death to earn income, though for others, trapping and poaching is big business interspersed with other criminal elements. While there are international treaties and laws to prevent parrot trafficking, smugglers and traffickers find ways to circumvent these laws. The challenge in curtailing powerful criminal and special interest groups is often beyond the ability of governments, nonprofits, and local communities. For this reason, activists and parrot lovers seek to decrease the demand for parrots, hoping that one day it leads to less pressure to remove them from the wild and have them in cages.
Even if parrots survive the rigors of the trade, they still face risks. Captive parrots are one of the most frequently abandoned companion animals for a multiple of reasons. Their wild nature often does not allow them to adapt to a human environment where they can flourish. Other factors such as standard pet industry practices including hand-rearing (i.e., parental deprivation) undermine the parrot's ability to mature into a psychologically healthy and well-adjusted adult bird that is in tune with their evolved physiology and increase the likelihood that a bird will fail as a "companion." Even the most loving and well-meaning parrot guardians often find themselves unable to care for their lifelong pets in the event of declining health, financial hardship, stress, or other life circumstances. It is not only parrots that suffer, but the people that love them.
Supporting people is the reason that this conference will not just include presentations and panel discussions but will also allow for connection and dialogue between all attendees. Participants will get to know speakers from all over the world by listening to them and asking questions. Highlighted video shorts will also introduce activists and local community leaders from many different regions. . You can find out more about our speakers here.
One Earth Conservation is just one of many organizations participating in hosting this conference, which currently has over 300 people registered. To learn more about the parrot crisis and what we can do about it, please join us and register today and share widely.
The freedom of parrots is something near and dear to the hearts of many on this earth, for we know that none are free until all are free.
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