Wild birds kept in tiny cages!!?

Question

So I visited my family in China for a few months and at one point I ended up in a huge outdoor pet store. I just wanted to check out the animals there.

At one area was all pet birds, and I saw some regular parrots like cockatiels, budgies, rosella parakeets, etc., but there were also small wild birds like chickadees (I'm not sure but I've studied birds for a long time and pretty sure that was what it was), sparrows, wrens, magpies, and WILD finches kept in tiny wooden cages, the only things in there being the bird, a single short perch and a food and water bowl. All the bird does is jump back and forth on the cage. And by the lack of a door on the cage I'm sure the birds aren't even comfortable with humans. I live in Canada and here there are lots of chickadees in the parks and if you have some seeds and hold your hand out with the food, the chickadees will fly down from the trees and land on the edge of your palm and take the food before flying away.

I also saw an Indian ringneck parrot on a small perch with a metal chain around one of its legs. I walked over but it immediately hissed and backed away, and I realized the chain was no more than about 20 cm long.

There was also a cockatoo in a cage no more than 30 cm tall and 40 cm wide and in length. It's feathers were fluffed up, it was just hunches on the bottom, and it kept screaming like crazy that at one point I started covering my ears. I live with a cockatiel, budgie and conure and macaw for the past weeks and it never got as loud as this.

Those parrots were in really bad conditions and there were wild birds that were kept in tiny cages with absolutely nothing to do. Is this supposed to be illegal? Trapping wild birds in small cages? Why don't they do something about this and what's your opinion? I mean, I love China, it's really fun there, but when it comes to animals especially birds, I just wonder.

Answer 1

You are very young and have no idea of how it used to be in Asia and before in the developing countries. I am 56 and I still remember my grandmother having this wooden box with wire screen opening smaller than a piece of folder paper on one side and two perches that were only about 3 inches long and a food dish and water dish and that is all and the bird could not stretch its wing out unless he turned side ways and he could not fly and he lived his life out in that tiny box- and that was normal back then and that was about 1960 for poor people. Before that you must realize that most Asian countries ate all of those birds- even in Europe -I have old books and recipe book that have how to cook sparrows and a dish that called for just the tongues of birds. They still eat them. Poor people would leave the birds in those small cages their whole lives and the birds would be lucky to get some bread or rice for food. If you look at old drawings -you will see birds in about the same cages- ages ago. In China only recently have pets been allowed again- during the revolution all pets- birds, cats, dogs- were not allowed and they were all killed by the government. The peoples revolution decreed that it was wasteful that pets were fat and people were starving and a socialist government said that was wrong. So those small cages mean that those birds were sealed into the cages and that way they could be stacked or moved without worrying about them escaping. Why do you think that a lot of bird flu breaks out in Asia. And no it is not illegal- just unsanitary. It is not considered cruel because that is the accepted norm there- and if you take anthropology- you will be told that your horror and attitude is totally unacceptable. We are not suppose to judge another culture by your cultures standards- that can get you in deep trouble while traveling and a F in anthropology. Even my grandmother kept making noise about having a good for nothing cat -who always wanted more food- she would scold the cat -telling her that she would only get a heaping tablespoon of food a day until she brought a dead rat or mouse to earn her keep--she still had that mentality about wasting food or money on animals. You must realize that dogs and cats are also considered food there (although the pet industry is growing) and are treated like the chickens here on major chicken farms - confined to tiny cages and slaughtered when big enough- cat fur in Asian countries is considered a commodity also- there was a boom on long hair cat fur for coat trim and stuffed animal toys- that was about 5 years ago.

Note that the releasing birds for a religious belief is basically a Buddhist religious belief - the Chinese government frowns on all religions especially the Buddhist religion (note the Buddhist who set themselves on fire)and they have destroyed many temples and had sent the priest to the reform farms during the revolution. This ceremony is well know in other countries like Thailand -where there has been many articles written about birds in tiny cages sold for the release ceremonies and that those birds would return to the sellers afterwards.

http://goseasia.about.com/od/eventsfestival1/a/Vesak-Buddha-Birthday-In-Southeast-Asia.htm

Answer 2

Keeping bird in the cage and providing right conditions food, toysz stimulation and outside cage time are not cruel. Take a look what is happening in nature, many parrots went extinc due to hunting, starvation, pollution, classified as pest, deforestation , global warming , disease etc. in captivity these can be almost prevented .

Answer 3

The Chinese are note for catching and putting birds in cages, but the idea is for people to buy them and then release them back into the wild, it has been noted that one bird was caught 6 times after being released, this is I believe a religious thing.

Answer 4

Yes they are HORRIBLE with birds!!! I've seen when they buy baby chickens they buy like 100 at a time and they pick only the dark colored chickens because of their religion and they have to sacrifice what they eat/kill and they wont eat white chickens because of superstition, but anyway when they buy them they break their wings and throw them in a box and they can't get away. And they keep them in their house and eat them as they need. I own a cockatoo and sun conures and I would be P*SSED if they were ever treated that way. My sister has cockatiels, and a mini macaw, and I know she would be disgusted if she seen parrots treated that way!

But no owning a wild caught bird is not illegal, but I think it is if they themselves trap it (catch it).

Answer 5

From what I've glanced, I would not argue what you're saying.

Answer 6

By wild birds do you mean your family because they should gladly stay in there with you. At least its a home you can afford.