The earliest record of a ‘pet parrot’ in the British Isles dates back to 1504 when Henry VIII owned an African Gray Parrot. The Age of Exploration lasted from the early 15th century to the early 17th century, and it was marked by European ships sailing around the world in search of new trading routes. Several animals had been brought back from these trips, for different purposes.
Parrots from India, Africa, and South America were the most common imports from these exploration trips. Parrots are colorful and easy to domesticate, but they also provide relatively easy transportation on the long, uncomfortable sea voyages back to Europe. Only a few people were aware of the needs of parrots, and this ignorance resulted in the death of many birds in transit. However, parrots did much better than more delicate bird species. The records of birds kept in menageries, the precursor to zoos, private collections of the elite, and artwork of birds from the 16th to 18th centuries list parrots, pheasants, ostriches, and other long-lived and relatively easy-to-keep birds. Most pet parrots are relatively “fresh out” of the wild, as they are only a few generations removed from the wild, and few owners allow parrots to express and exhibit their most basic bird instincts, such as flying, flocking, and mate-finding.
Tanja's Little Corner of The World 