Before you bring home a parrot because of a cute video, you need to hear this conversation.

This episode of Squawk Global is sponsored by Squawk Shop, your source for quality parrot supplies, cages, toys, Java trees, and enrichment products for companion parrots.

In this episode of Squawk Global, Kyle is joined by Megan and Sheen from Greta’s Roost Parrot Rescue in Alberta for an honest conversation about the reality of parrot rescue, rehoming, behavior challenges, and what it actually means to share your life with parrots.

We talk about why “not enough time” is often the easier thing to say when the real issue may be fear, overwhelm, behavior problems, or simply realizing that parrots are far more complex than people expected. Megan and Sheen also share how Greta’s Roost began, what foster-based rescue really looks like, and why there is no such thing as a perfect rescue home waiting for every bird.

This episode also digs into the impact of social media on parrot ownership. Cute bird videos can bring joy, but they can also create demand without showing the full picture: the noise, the mess, the cost, the vet care, the long lifespan, the behavior work, and the emotional responsibility that comes with these incredible animals.

We also discuss why experience does not always equal good care, why willingness to learn matters more than ego, and why talking to real parrot people, rescues, clubs, and science-based behavior professionals can make all the difference.

If you are thinking about getting a parrot, currently struggling with your bird, feeling guilty as a bird guardian, or simply want to better understand the rescue side of the parrot world, this episode is for you.

Topics covered in this episode:

• The origin story of Greta’s Roost Parrot Rescue

• Why “starter birds” are a harmful myth

• The real reasons many parrots are surrendered

• How behavior challenges lead to rehoming

• Why rescues do not have perfect homes waiting

• The guilt bird guardians carry

• How cute parrot videos can increase demand

• Why research alone is not enough

• The importance of parrot clubs, fosters, and community

• Why science-based behavior support matters

• What to consider before getting a parrot

Featured Guest:

Megan Craig and Sheen from Greta’s Roost Parrot Rescue

Learn more about Greta’s Roost:

https://www.gretasroost.ca

Resources mentioned:

Parrot SOS

Calgary Parrot Club

Edmonton Pet Parrot Association

Meika’s Safe House

Parrot Trends

Next week on Squawk Global:

We talk with Dr. Andrea Piseddu about PsittaWel, a science-based welfare assessment tool for companion parrots.

Thank you for watching and listening to Squawk Global. If this episode helped you, please like, comment, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to understand that parrots are so much more than cute pets.

This episode is personal for us.

Today we’re joined by Rene Ebersole from WIRE — Wildlife Investigative Reporters and Editors. Rene is an investigative journalist who has spent years reporting on wildlife crime, environmental crime, and the exploitation of nature. Her reporting on the global parrot trade was one of the first things that made us stop and ask a hard question:

What role does social media play in creating demand for parrots?

In this conversation, Rene takes us behind the scenes of the global parrot trade — from African grey parrots being taken from the wild, to glue traps, pet markets, breeding systems, illegal laundering, and the businesses making money higher up the chain.

We also talk about the uncomfortable reality of cute parrot content. Parrots are intelligent, emotional, long-lived beings, and videos of talking birds can bring people joy. But they can also make people think, “I want one,” without understanding the lifelong commitment, the rescue crisis, or the demand that keeps the system moving.

This episode is not about guilt or shame. It’s about awareness, responsibility, and doing better once we know better.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why parrots are in demand because they are smart, social, and can talk
• How wildlife trade is driven by demand
• The reality of wild-caught African grey parrots
• Glue traps, poaching, and the high mortality rate of trafficked birds
• Why the people poaching birds are often exploited too
• How legal trade can hide illegal activity
• Why pet stores and social media can keep demand alive
• The difference between buying and adopting
• How new science, including microbiome testing, may help identify wild-caught birds
• Why rescue centers are overwhelmed
• How to think more responsibly about parrot ownership and parrot content

Rene’s reporting helped spark the mission behind Squawk Global, and this conversation is a big part of why we believe the message has to shift from:

“I want one”
to
“How can I help?”

Listen now and please share this episode with someone who loves parrots, watches parrot content, or is thinking about bringing a bird into their life.

Adopt, don’t shop.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Squawk Global, Kyle speaks with Rachel Slater about consent-based touch, parrot body language, and why biting is often misunderstood.

Rachel shares the story of Tikki, a cockatiel who had already been through four homes in his first year of life. When Tikki arrived, he was shut down, physically weak, wary of hands, and unable to fly properly. Through patience, trust, and consent-based handling, Rachel helped Tikki begin to feel safe again.

Together, Kyle and Rachel explore why biting is not “bad behaviour,” but communication. Rachel explains how birds use body language before escalating to a bite, including signs like pulling the crest back, opening the beak, leaning away, or making harsh warning sounds.

The episode also breaks down Rachel’s “stop and check” method — a simple way to ask a bird for permission before touch, pause during the interaction, and give the bird the choice to continue or walk away.

They also discuss attention-seeking bites, why punishment does not help, and why safe touch should stay around the head and neck to avoid triggering hormonal stress.

The central message is simple:

When a bird is allowed to say no, they become far more willing to say yes.

In this Episode

Kyle and Rachel discuss:

• Why birds are often passed from home to home when their behaviour is misunderstood
• Tikki’s story and how early neglect affected his confidence, diet, and ability to fly
• Why biting is communication, not a moral failing
• How to read parrot body language before a bite happens
• The difference between fear-based biting and attention-demanding biting
• How to use the “stop and check” method
• Why birds need the right to say no
• How to ask for consent before touching a bird
• Why head and neck tickles are safer than touching the back, wings, or body
• How consent-based handling builds trust and emotional safety

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Key Takeaways

A bite is rarely the beginning of the conversation. It is often the final signal after quieter signs have been missed.

Consent-based touch gives birds a safe way to say yes, no, or “I’ve changed my mind.”

When a bird bites for attention, punishment can make the problem worse. Calmly removing your hand teaches the bird that biting does not work, while polite “green light” behaviours can be rewarded.

Even when a bird says yes to touch, where you touch matters. Rachel recommends keeping tickles to the head and neck area, because touching the back or wings can mimic mating behaviour and contribute to hormonal stress.

Trust is built when the bird learns that their choices matter.

About the Guest

Rachel Slater brings a background in animal care, behaviour science, and education. She earned her Animal Behaviour degree at the University of Sheffield and is now a Charter-qualified dog trainer working towards her Clinical Animal Behaviourist accreditation to work with avian companions.

Follow Rachel and Tikki

Instagram: @fur.clan.life

Helix Dog Training