Evaluation of welfare indicators for companion parrots: a Delphi consultation survey

Abstract

Parrots can experience several welfare challenges when kept as companions. Despite their popularity no science-based guidelines are available to assess parrot welfare. The aim of this Delphi study was to evaluate welfare indicators that owners could use to monitor parrot welfare. One hundred and twenty-two potential welfare indicators (behaviours, body measurements, husbandry and management conditions) were sourced from a systematic literature review and by consulting an avian medicine specialist. They were presented to participants with expertise on parrots in two rounds of online survey. We identified 73 welfare indicators that could be used by owners to monitor the welfare of all/most parrot species. Abnormal behaviours and management conditions that allow parrots to express their natural behaviours were ranked among the most important indicators. Participants concurred with scientific evidence about the impact of diet, species susceptibility to develop behavioural problems, early life, and pre-acquirement experiences on parrot welfare. When inquired about the suitability of species as companions, participants indicated seven small-sized species as most suitable to keep as a companion parrot, while cockatoos, critically endangered, and highly trafficked species were evaluated as those that should not be kept as companions. These findings could be useful to monitor and improve parrot welfare.