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WHEN GOOD INTENTIONS MEET THE NATURAL BEHAVIOUR OF PARROTS Animal welfare has become an increasingly prominent issue in recent years. This is undoubtedly a positive development. No responsible aviculturist could disagree that animals should be kept in conditions that allow them to live healthy and dignified lives. Yet, I believe that the animal welfare debate is often unnecessarily simplistic. Good intentions can easily turn into general principles that are assumed to apply equally to every species. Biology, however, is rarely that straightforward. Parrots are one of the most diverse groups of birds in the world. Some species live in large flocks throughout the year, whereas others form strongly territorial breeding pairs. Some are naturally inquisitive and readily accept changes in their surroundings, while others can become stressed by even relatively minor disturbances. For this reason, it makes little biological sense to establish a single model of what constitutes good animal welf

VIGTIG VIDEN FOR PAPEGØJEEJERE OM KOMMENDE RESTRIKTIONER, GENETISK DIVERSITET OG FREMTIDENS FUGLEHOLD I EUROPA Forestil dig et Europa, hvor myndighederne ikke længere primært regulerer eksotiske dyr gennem forbud mod specifikke problematiske dyrearter, men i stedet gennem et system, hvor kun på forhånd godkendte arter er lovlige at holde. Alt, som ikke udtrykkeligt er tilladt, bliver dermed i praksis forbudt. Netop dette er kernen i de såkaldte positivlister, som i disse år diskuteres stadigt mere intenst i EU-systemet, også i relation til papegøjer og andre eksotiske fugle. Debatten om positivlister fremstilles ofte som et spørgsmål om dyrevelfærd, folkesundhed og biodiversitet. Bag de politiske overskrifter gemmer der sig imidlertid en langt mere kompleks virkelighed, hvor konsekvenserne potentielt kan blive meget omfattende, ikke alene for Europas seriøse fugleholdere og opdrættere, men også for genetisk artsbevarelse, forskningsmiljøer, kulturhistorie og menneskers mulighed for at

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARROT OWNERS ABOUT FUTURE RESTRICTIONS, GENETIC DIVERSITY, AND THE FUTURE OF AVICULTURE IN EUROPE Imagine a Europe in which the authorities no longer primarily regulate exotic animals through bans on specific problematic species, but instead through a system in which only pre-approved species are legal to keep. Everything not expressly permitted therefore becomes prohibited in practice. This is precisely the core principle behind the so-called positive lists, which in recent years have been discussed with increasing intensity within the EU system, including in relation to parrots and other exotic birds. The debate surrounding positive lists is often presented as a matter of animal welfare, public health, and biodiversity. Behind the political headlines, however, lies a far more complex reality, in which the consequences could potentially become extremely far-reaching, not only for Europe’s serious aviculturists and breeders, but also for genetic conservation,

Following my recently published video presentation on this blog from 27th March 2026, containing AI-enhanced photographs of some of the species belonging to the genus Tanygnathus, I have made a new edition featuring additional photographs. Mr. Bartłomiej Majewski, a well-known keeper and breeder of Tanygnathus megalorynchos megalorynchos from Poland, has very kindly lent me some of his private photographs of his own birds, with which I have now expanded the presentation, hereby published below. New edition of the videopresentation (N.B. Please allow a little time for the images to load in full resolution, so that they can become sharp): I have utilised modern AI-based image processing tools to develop a series of visual interpretations in the above videopresentation. The primary aim has been to explore and highlight morphological characteristics in a more analytical and differentiated manner than can be achieved through traditional wildlife photography alone. This approach enables a se

Blue-and yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) The Blue-and-yellow Macaw, also known as the Blue-and-gold Macaw (Ara ararauna), is one of the most charismatic and widely recognised members of the parrot family (Psittacidae). Its striking blue upperparts, contrasting sharply with bright yellow (occasionally orange-tinged) underparts, make the species instantly identifiable, and it has achieved iconic status in both natural history and human cultural contexts. In avicultural circles, the designation “Blue Macaw” is also used for the species; however, this term is ambiguous and may lead to confusion with species of the genus Anodorhynchus. The Blue-and-yellow Macaw has a very extensive natural range in South America and Brazil in particular has a large population of this species, which - relative to its presence in human care - is the most widespread of the large Macaws. Despite its large global population and broad geographical distribution, no formally recognised subspecies of the Blue-and-yellow

Following my recently published article on the genus Tanygnathus in the international avicultural magazine Les Oiseaux du Monde (announcement about this posted on 21st March 2026 on the blog on my website, www.birdkeeper.dk, and on www.facebook.com/birdkeeper.dk), I have continued working with an alternative and complementary approach to the visual presentation of some of these species through AI-enhancement. Based on my own original photographs of several Tanygnathus species, I have utilised modern AI-based image processing tools to develop a series of visual interpretations. The primary aim has been to explore and highlight morphological characteristics in a more analytical and differentiated manner than can be achieved through traditional wildlife photography alone. This approach enables a selective accentuation of, among other aspects: • Colour saturation and contrast • Feather structure and layering • Subtle variations in patterning and transitional zones • Proportions and overall