Bird Culture in Hong Kong
Part 1: History
Part 2: Current Situation
Yuen Po Bird Garden offers a glimpse of the Chinese traditional culture of keeping birds as pets in Hong Kong.
Bird lovers, mostly the elderly, gather in the garden in the morning, taking their beloved birds along with them. Occasionally, the birds of various breeds are caught in the pictures by tourists.
The owner of a bird shop in Yuen Po Bird Garden surnamed Song said he has been running his bird shop for 21 years, selling birds, bird fodder and cages.
As a bird lover himself, Song said the joy of keeping birds as pets
“You can know birds well and communicate with them,” said Song. “When you look at them and they look at you, you will know about what they want.”
Song said that he has seen his business declining over the years due to a decrease in the number of bird lovers, most of whom are in their 40s or older. The younger generation has somewhat lost interest in birds, he said.
“Young people are not interested in birds. They keep dogs, cats and fish,” said Song. “Even my children don’t like keeping birds.”
“It’s a change of times,” he said.
BY SUN LI
Part 3: Who is the best seller?
The Best Seller
Small Nymphicus Hollandicus
Lifespan: 10 years
Price: 90HKD
Monk Parrot
Myiopsitta monachus
Lifespan: 20 years
Price: 3000HKD
Good Friends
Big Nymphicus Hollandicus
Lifespan: 18 years
Price: 300HKD
Famous Star
Aratinga solstitialis
Lifespan: 20 years
Price: 300~1000HKD
Singers
Zhu Zha Sparrow
Lifespan: 11~12 years
Price: 1200HKD
Elf
Red-billed Leiothrix
Lifespan: 11 years
Price: 80~100HKD
Part 4: Photos
Part 5: Raising the birds in cages or seeing them in the wild?
Source: The New York Times
Raising the birds has a long history in China. Men keep birds as a hobby started from the Qing dynasty.
Fin, 8 years old, from the United States, is on a family trip with his parents. “I like the bird market here that I can see all kinds of birds, but I’d love to see them in the wild,” he said on Sunday. His brother, Tyler, 10 years old shares similar ideas with him.
According to the dodo, a website helping makes caring about animals, birds get really stressed when they are kept in cages.
Speaking about any number of birds who struggle in captivity, including parrots like macaws and African grey parrots, as well as lorikeets, lories, parakeets, cockatoos, cockatiels and New Zealand parrots, says Jennifer Place, program associate and bird expert for Born Free USA, the dodo reports.
In nature, parrots have their own languages, instead of speaking human’s language “hello”.
Birds men spend a lot of time with their birds. They get up early in the morning, walking with their birds. Asking them why they raise birds, the general answer is: “Because it’s interesting and they like the bird.”
But is it a good way to love birds to keep the bird on the cages? Or raising birds in cages is the game that human, the top of food chain plays？
Part 6: What can we do to make pet birds happier?
-Buy the largest cage you can afford, a cage birds can fly.
-Let the bird out of the cages sometimes every day.
-Put some toys in the cages.
-Love them, and keep it in mind that birds are the equal creature as you