Environmental enrichment for psittacines

literature review

Abstract

Psittacines are birds with curved beak, of great intelligence and psycomotor ability. These birds are commonly kept in captivity, in zoos, breeders or even as pets. Captivity can be damaging for psittacines, for they are easily bored when there is lack of stimulant environment and interesting activities. Environmental enrichment aims to make the captive animals’ environment more dynamic, inserting activities and items that allow the animal to express its natural behavior. For psittacines, enrichments such as vegetation, card boxes, nests and sounds are eficiente, offering these animals the opportunity to Interact and enhance their natural abilities, preventing the development of behavioral problems and, thus, enhancing their welfare.