Cage & Aviary Birds Magazine No.5790 Spread Your Wings Back Issue

WHERE DO YOU draw the line between help and interference? Dot Schwarz’s column on page 19 got me thinking afresh about this. Dot describes a friend who has given up on a companion parrot whose “difficult” behaviour has proved “just too much”. Dot, more experienced in the ways of parrots, pinpoints a number of shortcomings in her friend’s care of this bird: neglect of its nails, for example. So if she had “spoken out” earlier, or even directly intervened, would things have
turned out better? As it is, both Dot and her friend, and the bird, of course, must face the consequences of failure. It’s an issue that’s apt to crop up whenever experienced fanciers observe what less experienced ones are up to. And if the wellbeing of the birds is at risk, then there’s a clear duty to intervene – isn’t there? But then if you intervene in the
wrong way you’ll be resented, which may make things worse and
possibly even drive the person you’ve tried to help away from the fancy.
There have got to be good and bad ways to handle these awkward situations, and I feel it’s to everybody’s benefit to share some relevant experiences. So if you’ve got an example of intervention working well – or indeed going completely awry – do drop me a line. ■ When something goes wrong, it’s a mark of a good person that they tend to feel it’s their fault. (As we saw with Dot.) There’s another example of the same thing on this page, where Andy Falconer describes the sad closure of South Essex BS, which he has served as secretary. Mr Falconer, it isn’t your fault that this proud club is closing its doors. It is because of you and people like you that your club has a history to be proud of. Enjoy your birds this week – and keep an extra eye on those outside aviaries as the gales continue.