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Escaped parrots are a serious problem for native birds in New Zealand
#1
Escaped pet parrots are a problem in many parts of the world.  They breed and multiply. They compete for food and nesting space with local bird species. 
In New Zealand this is becoming a serious problem. There are struggles with other invasive species too. The parrots however are putting at risk local birds that are already endangered. People lose pet birds every year. Many are the same species so there is a good chance of them meeting up and breeding. Some species are already established in the wild. The only hope is to ban the birds, both breeding and selling. If this is only done regionally it will not work because people will just bring them in from areas where they are not banned. Any ban will need to be countrywide for it to have an effect on the problem.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/f...land-birds

It would be sad if local birds in New Zealand were lost because of imported parrots. The imported birds are beautiful, but people keep these species because they are adaptable and easy to breed. If they get loose or are released, they simply find a way to survive. There is suitable food. The climate is good. There are others of the same species to pair off with. It is a recipe for disaster. 

The same situation in Canada wouldn't be a problem. A lost bird must be found quickly if it is to survive. Food and weather are against parrots survival.
I have known a number of escaped parrots to fly to the nearest person for help.

In New Zealand the birds will survive and thrive. I don't know how much of a ban they will come up with, but it must be done soon, before yet more species establish themselves.

We have created no end of trouble around the world with our introduced species. It seems no one stopped to ask what would happen if a species was able to survive in the wild in a country that is not its own.
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Catherine

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#2
This is not the parrots' fault; it is the fault of the humans who are not careful enough with their non-native imports. Import and breeding bans of non-native species are sometimes now needed, to save local species. This is a sad fact of life, entirely caused by human carelessness.

My mother had a pet budgie some years ago. When she let him out of his cage to fly around a bit, she would lock the door of her room to avoid any chance of escape from someone else entering the room: a simple gesture, but effective.

Deliberate abandonment of unwanted pets also poses a serious problem to indigenous species. Florida, in particular, is a dumping ground for unwanted reptiles - a very sad story, indeed. Once again, the problem is caused by human action, but in this case often deliberate:

https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/are-there-inva...-concerned
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#3
Quote:This is not the parrots' fault; it is the fault of the humans who are not careful enough with their non-native imports. Import and breeding bans of non-native species are sometimes now needed, to save local species. This is a sad fact of life, entirely caused by human carelessness.
None of these species ever asked to be moved  to another country let alone another continent. 
I think all countries are struggling with invasive species. Some species can be pretty destructive. The parrots in New Zealand could potentially wipe out a number of local birds. Banning some species may be the only way to stop this. 

Florida is another matter. There are so many invasive reptiles. Iguanas are thriving there. Some are starting to adapt to the cold so they will be able to move further north. Iguanas eat a lot of vegetation. They could have serious impact on native species of plants and agriculture. A group of iguanas could ravage a vegetable crop.

The Tegus are a whole different issue. Argentine Tegus are serious carnivores and they grow to 4 ft  and live over 20 years. They can climb trees and eat the eggs or baby birds from the nests. They can get the adult birds too. They will go for rodents and any other small animals. They eat a lot. They could wipe out local species because they are good hunters. 

There are so many other species in Florida that don't belong there and are really messing up the ecosystems. I have no idea how they can fix this.

People releasing pets or losing them is a problem. Your mother was a responsible budgie owner. She never took chances with her bird. If all other pet owners were as responsible we wouldn't have these problems. 

Goldfish are a whole other level of invasive species. Whole lakes and ponds have been destroyed by a few released goldfish. They can handle the cold and they multiply very quickly. They can eat anything. 

Maybe this needs to be tackled as a global issue, the way we are trying to tackle climate change.
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Catherine

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