Although the parrot is cute and clever, it may be against the law to take it home casually. At present, there are only three types of parrots in my country that can be traded and raised freely, and the rest are listed as key protected animals.
Interview expert
Ding Changqing ( Professor of Nature Reserve College of Beijing Forestry University ) span6sp
"The color and white should match the snow clothes, the red and green lips are still strange."
——Tang Laipeng "Parrot"
(Picture Source: Vision China) parrots are commonly known as Parrots. This large family has about 398 members, most of which live in tropical and subtropical regions. They are lively, dexterous, gorgeous and cute, and some can learn to speak. They are a type of animal that has been loved by humans for hundreds of years. In recent years, keeping a small parrot on the shoulder as a pet has gradually become a niche and fashionable trend. However, as parrots approach people’s lives, they also bring many problems-in addition to the online pet trade that caused a large number of animals to die during transportation, some people even rob national protected species in the wild... Then , Which parrots are the legal species to raise parrots in my country,What are the illegal varieties that violate the law?
(Picture source: Bilibili)
The parrot was once a "court alien pet"
The parrot has always been regarded as a symbol of its brilliance and wisdom. Personality, deeply loved by literati. But in ancient China, only a few people could afford parrots.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the prefect of Jiangxia Huang Zu's son Huang She transferred a parrot to Mi Heng, the latter gave a rare bird to the beautiful woman and made a song " parrot ", It depicts the parrot "Cyan-toed pill, green-clothed verdant. It is beautiful and beautiful, and it bites well. Although it is the same family in feathers, it is different in wisdom and different in mind." birds. Soon after, Mi Heng was killed for offending Huang Zu. Later generations remembered his story and named the place where he was buried "Parrot Island".
During the Tang and Song dynasties, the hobby of raising parrots sank from the emperor's generals to civil society. Especially in the homes of merchants and nobles, parrot raising became a popular "high-end fashion". " Kaiyuan Tianbao legacy " once recorded a "parrot sue" story, telling the story of a domestic parrot playing a key "witness" role in the government's criminal investigation.
△Left picture: Song Huizong "Five-color parrot picture" part; right picture: gorgeous honey-sucking parrot (photo source: Douban) Wu Tingfang was also dedicated to Empress Dowager Cixi several macaws native to America.These rare birds have gone through three dynasties and four generations, and the last one died in 1942.
Nowadays, parrots are no longer considered exotic animals, but it is not easy to keep one as a pet. If you are not careful, you will break the law.
There are only three types of parrots that can be bred legally
In 2017, the “ parrot case ” in Shenzhen attracted widespread attention. According to the police investigation, Wang Peng, the man involved in the case, sold six parrots to Xie at a price of 500 yuan each. Among them are 2 self-bred "little sun" parrots and 4 cockatiels .
"Little Sun" parrot is scientifically named green cheek conure , which is a protected species. The People's Court of Bao'an District, Shenzhen City sentenced Wang Peng to 5 years imprisonment for illegally selling rare and endangered wild animals in the first instance and a fine of 3,000 yuan. Later, Wang Peng filed an appeal. After the second instance of Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court, he was sentenced to 2 years in prison and fined 3,000 yuan. The Supreme People's Court reconsidered that after comprehensive consideration, Wang Peng could voluntarily plead guilty and sell the parrots that he domesticated and bred instead of being caught in the wild, etc., and that he could be sentenced to a penalty below the statutory penalty.
△ Green-cheeked Conure (Source: Pixabay.com)
In this case, many netizens have questions about the seized green-cheeked conure. Parrots that are common in the market, "many people have them in their homes," and "artificially bred", how can it be illegal to keep them?
There are currently only three types of parrots that can be bred legally in my country without special procedures, namely , peach-faced peony parrot (originating in southwestern Africa), budgerigar (originating in Oceania) ) And cockatiels (originating in Oceania).There are so many species of parrots, why are there only three that can be raised legally?
△ budgies of different colors (Source: pixabay.com)
In fact, as early as 1973, under the leadership of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, countries around the world signed Convention on International Trade in Wild Fauna and Plant Species (also known as " Washington Convention"), my country formally joined the convention in 1980. In the "Washington Convention" signed by 183 countries and regions, most parrot species are protected animals, with only four exceptions-peach-faced peony parrot, budgerigar, cockatiel, and red-collared green parrot .
As a signatory to this convention, my country also lists terrestrial wild animals that are not native to China but are included in the appendix of the convention as national protected animals, including most parrot species. Legislative protection of wild parrots not only benefits the ecological environment, but can also reduce the spread of zoonotic diseases and reduce the risk of alien species invasion.
△ Cockatiels of different colors (Source: Pixabay.com)
On the other hand, in order to better protect our native wildlife resources, the former Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture In 1989, the " National Key Protected Wildlife List" was jointly issued and implemented. In the latest version of the "List" in February 2021, nine native parrot species in my country (most of them live in southwest China and Guangdong) are listed as national secondary protected animals, including red-collar green Parrot.
In other words,Although the red-collared and green parrots are not included in the "Washington Convention" appendix, they are also protected animals in our country. Therefore, only three species of parrots can be bred legally in our country.
△Red-collared green parrot, also known as ring-necked parrot and moon-ring parrot (Source: pixabay.com)
Controlling breeding has been to protect endangered species for decades since It is illegal to buy, transport, and raise most types of parrots without a license in our country. For parrot species that are included in the national key protection scope, the law does not clearly distinguish between wild and artificial breeding. Instead, they are uniformly dealt with in accordance with the "Wild Animal Management Measures". All artificial breeding must apply for a permit from the local forestry bureau.
After obtaining the artificial breeding license, pet lovers can purchase legally sourced green cheek conures or African grey parrots from licensed sellers. Even if it is picked up in the wild, if you want to keep it privately, you must have a certificate according to the regulations, otherwise it is illegal.
△African Grey Parrot (Source: Pixabay.com)
"The national protected animals we refer to are based on the situation of their wild populations (to delineate them). The level of artificial breeding is good, just say that this species is not a protected animal.” Ding Changqing, a professor and doctoral supervisor of the School of Nature Reserves of Beijing Forestry University and a member of the International Bird Science Committee, told reporters.
In response to some people's idea that "people treat endangered species as pets and can indirectly help increase the total number of species", Ding Changqing believes that this is a completely wrong view. "Individual animals raised at home are not wild animals at all.The so-called increase is also meaningless.
Although the number of wild animals raised in captivity can increase the number of the species, it does not mean that they can smoothly return to nature, so the feeding behavior cannot completely change the natural state of the species. "For example, Golden Pheasant_ span7span, our current artificial breeding technology is very mature, and the amount of breeding is also large. However, in our country, their wild populations are still threatened by illegal hunting, so they are (to this day) still national second-class protected animals. "Ding Changqing said.
The private breeding of three kinds of parrots, such as the peach-faced peony parrot, is allowed in the country. On the one hand, the number of wild populations is relatively stable; on the other hand, the cost of artificial breeding is lower than that of wild capture. There are many, so allowing the breeding will not lead to traders stealing wild birds.
△Peach-faced peony parrot (Source: pixabay.com)
for a long time, due to the actual identification "Birds" and "wild birds" are more difficult, and it is also more difficult for the state to "untie" the legalized breeding of parrots. Although the " Wildlife Protection Law of the People's Republic of China" requires the identification of national key protected wild animals Management, but the parrot was not included in the scope of management. For a time, parrot breeding became a "grey area" in the pet industry.
Legalized breeding or "untied"
The turning point of things happened this year. The country In its reply to the Henan Forestry Bureau, the Forestry and Grassland Bureau agreed to carry out special label management trials for some animal species, and at the same time, strengthen supervision and management of parrots with special labels in accordance with the law as pets. Regardless of whether for parrot lovers, Breeders and animal protection practitioners, this news is exciting.
"The national decision,It really means too much to us. "Zhu Yueyong, director of the Yu Parrot Wildlife Domestication and Breeding Farm in Henan Province, said frankly to reporters. The whole country is looking forward to the pilot. If the pilot is successful, it will not only put the market on the right track, but also guide and regulate it. Civil legal domestication.
△Although the peach-faced peony parrot can be bred legally, other species of peony parrots (such as the Fei's peony parrot, also known as the brown-headed peony parrot) are all Protecting animals (picture source: Jiangsu News)
"Starting from September this year, in addition to the original three kinds of parrots, from legal sources, artificially bred, Fei's peony parrot , purple-bellied lorikeet, Monk parrot and green cheek conure are also legal. "Zhu Yueyong told reporters.
According to the new regulations, legal parrots will wear an exclusive foot ring on their feet, which is like an "identity card". A scan can show the species of the parrot and the base from which it was bred. And other information to ensure its legitimacy.
△The special logo foot ring for China's wildlife management piloted in Shangqiu, Henan Province (Source: Zhu Yueyong)
will be added in the future Is the scope of "unbinding"? We don't know yet, but what is certain is that with the continuous update of technology and the advancement of laws and regulations, the cute pet market and animal protection are both "in the future."
Extended reading of :
elves with different personalities
For ordinary people,Breeding budgerigars, cockatiels or peach-faced peony parrots may be the "safe type" just-needed species for choosing pets at the moment.
▸ Budgies: cute, petite and easy to raise
Budgies, also known as Jiaofeng, are the smallest of the three legally bred species. This species should be the most familiar pet parrot to Chinese people, and it is also one of the most numerous and most diverse parrots in the world. The common budgerigar gets its name because the head and back feathers have black stripes that resemble tiger skin.
Normally, budgies have good physical fitness, are easy to raise, and have very lively, bold and even aggressive personality. Although budgerigars have the ability to "talk", they are relatively rare because of their low IQ.
▸ The cockatiel: a clever and sticky "red-faced egg"
The cockatiel is also called . Cockatiel is one of the most common medium-sized parrots. Common cockatiel feathers mainly include pearl gray, primitive gray, and artificially mixed yellowing species. Each of them has a round red spot on each cheek, which looks like two red faces from a distance, very beautiful and lovely.
Cockatiels are quiet and timid. They rarely attack or bite. They are very close relatives, especially young birds. They are very close to the breeder. However, cockatiels are of average physique, and their feathers fall off severely.
▸ The peach-faced peony parrot: the smart and bold "love bird"
The peony species of the genus Peony are inseparable and stay together for life because of their love for gregariousness, their partners are always inseparable.Therefore it is also called "love bird". The peach-faced peony parrot is larger than budgerigars but smaller than cockatiels. The most common species are green feathers, red foreheads, and colorful blue tail feathers, which are very gorgeous.
The peach-faced peony parrot has the highest IQ of the three parrots. In addition, it is courageous, active, and can open a cage, so it is easy to escape. They are lively and aggressive, and they are relatively difficult to get close to. They are the "most difficult" species of the three parrots.
author / reporter Wang Xueying editor / Ding Lin
new media editor / Lu Bing
produced: science central kitchen
Producer: Beijing Science and Technology News | Science Plus Client
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