Question for exotic bird owners on the Big Island

[crash1122]

Thanks OpenD, very interesting and makes a lot of sense!

[terracore]

We brought seven parrots to the Big Island. I summarized our lessons learned here: How to import parrots and other birds into Hawaii

I have seen flocks of conures (over a dozen birds per flock) on the Kona side in the thickest vog. I have also seen a small flock of amazons.

Do your research and you will discover that there are places on the island that rarely gets any vog. In a year and a half I have only had vog at our house 3 times and have only seen it bad once. Our parrots live outside in huge flights we built for them and all of them are in much better health than before we moved here when they lived inside.

There are also parrots living outside at the Hilo zoo and at the botanical gardens. None of them appear to be effected by the vog, and the same can be said for the tens of thousands of wild birds (endemic and otherwise) that live here. There is a sole sun conure that lives near our house. We rarely see it but hear it all the time.

Most of the native birds below 3000' have gone, or are going extinct due to imported avian malaria so most of the birds you see in Hawaii are imported species. 99% of the bird importation rules are focused on keeping bird diseases out, not the actual birds themselves.

[crash1122]

Terrecore, thank you, very helpful! I would love to eventually have my birds outside in an aviary too. Wow, 7 parrots! That's quite a flock. What kind of birds do you have?

[terracore]

Originally Posted by crash1122

Terrecore, thank you, very helpful! I would love to eventually have my birds outside in an aviary too. Wow, 7 parrots! That's quite a flock. What kind of birds do you have?

Two macaws, three amazons, a citron cockatoo, a grass parakeet, and since arriving, 3 budgies. Only one was intentionally acquired as a companion animal, we wound up with the others because they outlived their humans or had some other circumstance that left them homeless. I highly recommend keeping them outdoors if you can. They are a lot healthier and happier and so are we.

Of course 7 only counts the hookbills. If you want me to start counting how many livestock birds we have, I honestly don't know though my wife probably keeps a tab on them. We have free range chickens and ducks too. Of course we didn't bring any of them to Hawaii.

[crash1122]

That's fantastic! I'm hoping to have chickens too, once I get there. Great for keeping centipedes at bay )