Papegaaienpark Veldhoven

Cooperation with the World Parrot Trust (W.P.T.)

Cooperation with World Parrot Trust (WPT) The World Parrot Trust (WPT) was founded in 1989 in England by fanciers and breeders of parakeets and parrots. Ever since the organization has spread worldwide. The cradle of WPT is the bird park “Paradise Park” in Hayle Cornwall. The administration building of this park offers a free space to the administration of the Trust. At this site the only paid employee of WPT operates his fulltime job – all other contributors are volunteers and receive no indemnification whatsoever.

The WORLD PARROT TRUST aims for two important objectives:

1.) Keeping and protecting of parrots and parrot families still living in nature

Not only big parrots, like Macaws and Cockatoo’s, but also big and small parakeets, like Lovebirds and Lorikeet’s still live in the wild. The activities of WPT mainly focuses on species that are threatened with extinction. Also activities are developed to prevent other species will be threatened with extinction. There are over 300 kinds of parrots and about 100 of these are threatened with extinction. First of all this is caused by the capture of birds to export them to Europe, for example. Furthermore the territories of many species are threatened. Disappearing of tropical rainforests by hacking the trees makes these territories smaller and smaller.

What does WPT do?
An important part of the activities is projected at protecting the territories. Not only parrots profit from this, the entire ecosystem with other birds, mammals, insects e.a. also benefit from this. There is also collaboration with governments of the concerned countries, as well as with habitants in regions where these birds live. The WPT offers financial support to projects researching parrots in nature.

Some examples:

• Projects protecting Scarlet, Hyacinth and Lear’s Macaws in South America;
• Projects in Indonesia protecting Goffin and Moluccan Cockatoo’s;
• The very successful project protecting and reintroducing the severely threatened Mauritius Ring-necked Parakeet at Mauritius;
• At several places (formal) poachers are paid to help protecting species and to work as guides of nature.

The WPT is objector of catching and importing of parrots from their habitual area’s. Of course importing birds damages nature and moreover many birds die before they arrive at their destiny.
However, importing is unnecessary when birds are handled with care and breaded by breeders. Yearly thousands of parrots are breaded and thus importing is redundant.

2.) Promoting the well-being of parrots with breeders as well as in-home, as a pet.

Parrots are very social and intelligent beings. Still insufficient information is available and used by owners and breeders about requirements of responsible feeding, accommodation and care.

What does WPT do?
The WPT provides enlightment and information towards breeders to improve the well-being of birds.

Did you know…?:

• The majority of problems and complaints about parrots is caused by lack of proper information;
• Feeding incorrectly is an important cause of disease-symptoms with parrots;
• Solely mixtures of seed is insufficient to fit the requirements of parrot feeding;
• Parrots should NOT be kept in cages permanently;
• Birds should be showered or sprinkled on a daily bases;
• Birds should go outdoors as much as possible.

Because parrots are most intelligent and social beings, high demands are set for the owners and “roommates”. A proper education is as important for a parrot as it is for children and dogs. The upbringing is significant for the well-being of the bird and prevents problems in behavior like squealing, biting, demolishing, picking feathers, etc.

The WPT strongly advices just to buy a bird breaded by a breeder. This implies that the bird must be wearing a footring that is closed.

Also WPT acts as a patron of buying young parrots only from the moment they can feed autonomous. Young parrots raised by their parents display less problems in behavior than handfed parrots do.

Worldwide several fulcrums are established among which the “WPT-Benelux”, so that more attention can be paid to local questions and problems.

Four times a year WPT publishes the magazine “PsittaScene” (English) containing all kinds of articles about parrots all over the world. WPT-Benelux adds a Dutch translation as well als a “Newflash” to this magazine, containing specific subjects from “de Benelux” (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg), like expositions, markets and symposia.

WPT-Benelux possesses a professional promotion stand and with this our volunteers travel throughout the country. This way they try to recruit funds for projects and to provide enlightenment about problems of threatened parrots and “responsible bird keeping”.

WPT-Benelux offers an interpreting with slides on a big screen. Using two projectors the lecture (approx. 1,5 – 2 h) is suitable for societies, clubs, institutes, etc. Furthermore WPT-Benelux organizes workshops and symposia.

Membership costs € 33,50 / year (keeping it from your bankaccount)
Info NL: Ruud Vonk, tel. +31 (0)168 472715;
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   Also visit our WPT-website: www.worldparrottrust.org