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Rosemary Low

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Rosemary Low (born 1942) is a British aviculturist, ornithologist, expert on parrots, curator of parrot collections, conservationist, photographer, editor, international lecturer, and author of numerous articles and books. In the late 1980s and during the 1990s, she was curator of birds at Loro Parque, Tenerife, and subsequently at Palmitos Park, Gran Canaria. For 15 years until 2004, she served as editor of PsittaScene Magazine, published by the World Parrot Trust.

Quotes

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  • Red and Blue Lory (‘’Eos histrio’’)
    This lory is an almost unique case of how a parrot can be endangered by trade without specific demand. It was literally unknown in aviculture until only five years ago. There was always a local trade, within the Sangihe and Talaud islands, the only places where it occurs. These islands form a chain from northern Sulawesi to Mindanao in the Philippines. Then suddenly, hundreds of birds were captured and exported. In 1992 about 1,000 were captured, at least 700 of which were exported. In that year, at least 200 died from disease and neglect at the premises of one dealer in Jakarta. I saw dozens crowded together in the cages of a dealer in Singapore. This would have been appalling whatever the species.
  • Parrots were not designed to live in houses. They are noisy and destructive and suffer probably more than any other animal when kept in an unstimulating environment. They need constant interaction, either with a human or another parrot, to keep them happy and healthy. Keeping a parrot is so much more demanding than keeping a dog or cat. Alas, the fact that many owners have failed, and failed miserably, is evidenced in the growing number of parrot refuges. They are filled with feather-plucked or phobic parrots whose former owners had no idea of their emotional needs.
  • Parent-rearing keeps the pairs occupied for weeks or months, according to the species. They need the occupation. Rearing reduces the monotony of the days and weeks and years which have little to distinguish them. Boredom and lack of stimulation is a very real problem for the more intelligent species. Many parrots enjoy family life and most "owners" obtain a lot of enjoyment from seeing family groups in an aviary. (And I do mean an aviary and not a little suspended cage where close confinement can result in aggressive encounters.)
  • ... Colombia has one of the highest, if not the highest, number of bird species within its shores of any country worldwide: currently believed to be 1,875 (Compare that with just over 300 species found in the UK!). This high number is attributable to its unique location and to its topography. It is the only country in South America that has an Atlantic and a Pacific coast and it is also unique in stretching from Central America to the Amazon River. Three mountain ranges of the magnificent Andes occupy the western part of the country; in the east the habitats vary from lush rainforest and flat grasslands to sandy desert.
    Given this variety of habitats, it is not surprising that Colombia has the second or third highest number of parrot species worldwide, a total of 52. This is exceeded by Brazil with about 72 species and possibly by Australia with 52 or 53 species. (These numbers could be revised at any time as DNA research often indicates that a particular species is, in fact, two species.) There is a sad statistic connected with Colombia's 50 plus parrot species: at least 12 are in imminent danger of extinction.
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