Aviculture

Aviculture is the practice of keeping and breeding birds, including wild species kept in captivity and poultry, usually within a cage or an aviary; people who practice it are called aviculturists. It is pursued for a range of reasons, among them keeping birds simply as a hobby, running a bird-related business such as a zoo, and breeding threatened species for research and conservation, since many wild bird populations are put at risk by habitat destruction, the illegal wildlife trade, disease, and natural disaster; commonly kept birds include budgerigars, cockatiels, finches, macaws, canaries, pigeons and doves, lories and lorikeets, cockatoos, conures, and African grey parrots. The practice has been carried out for thousands of years, with evidence of bird keeping in ancient civilizations for food, beauty, communication, and symbolism, and it has since grown into a field that draws on biology, ecology, veterinary science, and conservation management. Today aviculture is pursued around the world both as a popular hobby among bird-keeping enthusiasts and as part of organized captive-breeding programs that help protect endangered species and, in some cases, support their reintroduction to the wild; responsible practice places real weight on the welfare of the birds, including proper housing, balanced nutrition, health care, and opportunities for natural behavior. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/