The Animal Education Foundation is a non-profit organization in Washington, DC dedicated to teaching caregivers the principles of behavior science and training, in the attempt to help parrots and other animals to keep their homes. We only recommend and use strategies of behavior modification where animals are partners, not subjects, such as positive reinforcement techniques.

While the number of parrots in captivity has reached alarming proportions, we have a clear responsibility to ensure optimal welfare for those parrots already here. These can not be reintroduced in the wild, and have the potential to live a long, long time. Educating ourselves and others on the best ways to keep them healthy, both physically and behaviorally, is the key.

While the status of a species listed as either threatened or endangered is also of imminent concern, the efforts to save them must involve in situ, or in country of origin programs. These initiatives must have a multifaceted approach to protection including habitat preservation, anti-poaching efforts, and heightened awareness and educational components. Additionally, both the genetic diversity and behavioral competency for life in the wild are of equal importance.

For additional information on life with a wild animal, try visiting: http://www.aza.org and http://www.avianwelfare.org, for more information about some of the field projects with parrots in their native countries please visit http://www.parrotsinternational.org.