SANTA MONICA—The Parrot Care Project is promoting its "The Cage XChange Campaign" to help promote awareness about the well-being of exotic birds kept as pets.

The event is intended to encourage owners of parrots and other large birds to provide larger cages, and, if possible, to create environments for their birds that will allow them to thrive as much as possible while in captivity.

A statement at the Parrot Care Project website reads:  "The message of the Parrot Care Project is that all captive birds, regardless of their size, need to live in the largest amount of space possible... There are an estimated 30 million pet birds living in cages in the U.S. today and 70% of them are parrots... Unlike cats and dogs, animals whose behavior and caretaking we all are familiar with, birds are not mammals, and have physiology unique from them. There are 370 known parrot species and, also like cats and dogs, vast differences exist among them in terms of diet and the types of environments they come from... Like lions, tigers, zebras and other wild animals, parrots retain their wild natures even if they are bred in captivity and hand-raised by humans... Most parrot species have evolved to live in specific, complex habitats. The ideal places for them are forests and savannahs, cliffs and rainforests in their natural habitat ranges."

Mira Tweti, founder and executive director of the campaign, states  that the project will be first for birds of any kind in 125 years since the founding of the National Audubon Society in 1886 to stop the decimation of egrets, herons and other native species from extinction because the birds were being decimated for their feathers to decorate women's hats.

"Everyone has to be awakened to this issue, not just the people who care to know about it," Tweti writes. "That's the only [sic] to see dramatic changes to better the lives of pet birds."

The event will take place at "Omar's Exotic Birds" located at 3301 Wilshire Blvd., in Santa Monica, CA 90403.  Participants with bird cages that fall below the desired minimum of cage standards for their birds are encouraged to bring the cages to the event to trade them for new, high-quality cages, each measuring at 34" by 24" by 40" or larger at below wholesale prices.  To learn about the recommended cage measurements for small, medium and large birds visit http://www.cagexchange.com/CARE_%26_CAGE_XCHANGE/Cage_Size_Minimums_-_Small_to_Medium_Birds.htmland http://www.cagexchange.com/CARE_%26_CAGE_XCHANGE/Cage_Size_Minimums_-_Large_Parrots.html.

For information on donating to the campaign or on becoming a volunteer, visit http://www.cagexchange.com/CARE_%26_CAGE_XCHANGE/WELCOME_%26_BLOG/WELCOME_%26_BLOG.html.  

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