Parrot Confidential

During mating rituals, male Blue-Footed Boobies show off their feet to prospective mates with a high-stepping strut. The bluer the feet, the more attractive the mate. Love in the Animal Kingdom premieres Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 8/7c (check local listings).

From the wilds of Costa Rica to suburban America, a lovable, quirky cast of parrots will reveal their unforgettable tales and the bittersweet world they share with humans. Nature explores the difficulties of caring for parrots.

Moluccan Cockatoos are an endangered species. In the 1980s, an estimated 74,000+ birds were exported from Indonesia to supply the pet trade. Today, poaching is still a reality, but moluccans are also threatened by loss of habitat. Dolly was captive-born, originally purchased by a man with a parrot collection and soon put up for adoption. In her new home, Dolly and her owner are inseparable.

Basil was taken from the wild as a chick in Honduras in 1987. He was shipped to a quarantine station in Florida, probably with other chicks — many of whom would not have survived. It’s estimated that 70% of wild-caught parrots died before ever reaching the pet store. Basil survived the odds and finally landed in Massachusetts with a happy and loving family.

Geoffrey was born at the ARA Project, a macaw conservation group in Central Costa Rica. His mother was an ex-pet and his father was poached from the wild. When his mother abandoned her eggs, Geoffrey had to be raised in an incubator. When Geoffrey is old enough, he will be released into the wild. Until then, he is being taught all the things that he will need to know to survive as a wild macaw.