He was protective of Cindy. If Jim would touch her while Baby Bird was perched on her arm, the bird would bite her husband. It was like having a dog, a very small feathery dog that could talk. They weren't pet people — up until then. They had a few feral cats they fed outside, and a three-legged deer has lived in the woods behind their Springettsbury Township home the past few years. Baby Bird was different. He became part of the family, like the child they never had. It was the first animal they had grown that close to.
They had Baby Bird for about a year before they learned exactly what kind of parrot he is. Jim looked around the internet and learned that Baby Bird was a Quaker parrot, also known as a monk parakeet.
Quaker parrots are medium-sized parrots native to South America. They are intelligent and social birds, prized as pets, but they are also considered a nuisance. In the s, either via escape or intentional release, they began establishing feral colonies in the eastern United States. They eventually colonized in eight states. Florida alone is believed to have a colony of more than , Quaker parrots. Once they learned Baby Bird was illegal, the Tomes kept him under wraps, not really telling people that they had a Quaker parrot.
It wasn't difficult; it's not as if you take a parrot for a walk or anything. Last month, Baby Bird developed some redness around one of his eyes, and Jim took him to the East York Veterinary Clinic to have it checked out. A few days later, Jim called the vet to ask about something, and the vet told him he could no longer treat Baby Bird because the bird was illegal.
He offered to give him the number of a vet in Maryland, where the birds are legal. A few days after that, on March 29, at about in the evening, two wildlife enforcement officers from the state Game Commission showed up at their door. One of them asked, "Do you know why we're here? The vet, according to the statement, felt legally bound to comply. Veterinarians don't have a legal obligation to report illegal pets, but Shawn Musser, wildlife conservation officer for the Game Commission, said they may have a moral obligation to report illegal activity.
Musser said he couldn't discuss specific aspects of the case, including the name of the vet, because it is an ongoing investigation. Quaker parrots are illegal in Pennsylvania for good reason, Musser said. In a state where Quakers are illegal to own, Quaker enthusiasts would be a minority voice.
It is difficult to convince the larger voice that its laws regarding Quakers are antiquated and that the reasoning behind the origin of the laws is unfounded. Know the laws regarding Quaker ownership in your state. Click on "Legal Status' on the menu bar to make sure that you know the status of your state and the states around you.
Be an advocate to make sure that potential Quaker owners, breeders, pet stores, and any individuals who sell Quakers know the laws in their state and are informing their customers of those laws.
Each time a Quaker is detained or seized within the borders of an illegal or restricted state, authorities could view the Quaker owner as irresponsible, which could lessen the chances of the law being changed. Know the laws regarding Quakers in all states, so that you can be fully prepared should you need to travel with your bird or relocate. Knowledge of the laws regarding Quakers allows a Quaker owner to make sensible and responsible decisions. There are states where it is illegal to own Quakers and some states where restrictions apply to ownership.
In non-domestic settings, Quakers are hardy and resourceful birds. In the 's, when feral Quaker populations began to appear in the United States, lawmakers became concerned that these populations would pose an agricultural threat, as well as a threat to native avian species. To date, it cannot be substantiated that wild Quaker colonies are a threat to agriculture, nor has it been proven that they are invasive to native avian species.
Instead, Quakers have been recorded sharing their nesting areas with native species, such as owls. Quakers are the only parrot species that construct nests. In urban settings, Quakers may choose to construct their nests in places that provide warmth, such as on electrical power transformers and lights.
What's Being Done? Favoring an urban setting, visiting local bird feeders "en flock" and constructing their nests on power transformers or lighting poles, does not endear wild Quaker populations to all. In several states, such as Texas, Florida, and New York, individuals, avian groups and organizations, and some power companies, work cooperatively to safely remove wild Quaker nests from places inconvenient to the human populous.
Efforts to invent non harmful deterrents to discourage wild Quaker colonies from constructing nests on power lines and lighting fixtures are being explored. Studies that gather accurate and current information about Quakers in the wild and their behavior in wild colonies are helping to dispel inaccurate information. Two important studies are as follows:. Pruett-Jones, S. Appelt, A. Sarfaty, B. Van Vossen, M. Leibold, and E. Urban parakeets in Northern Illinois: A year perspective.
Urban Ecosystems 14 1. Burgio, K. Rubega, M. Nest-building behavior of Monk Parakeets and insights into potential mechanisms for reducing damage to utility poles. PeerJ 2:e; DOI Idaho: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions.
Illinois: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions. Indiana: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions. Iowa: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions. Louisiana: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions.
Maryland: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions. Massachusetts: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions. Michigan: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions.
Minnesota: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions. Mississippi: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions. Missouri: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions.
Montana: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions. Nebraska: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions. Nevada: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions. New Hampshire: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions. North Carolina: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions. North Dakota: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions. Ohio: Legal, but their wings must be clipped.
Oklahoma: Quaker parrots are legal with no restrictions.
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