Parrot lovers descended on the Breede Valley recently to attend the Overberg Parrot Club’s second annual auction in Rawsonville.
The club was started in 2008 for like-minded bird lovers, “to lend support to fellow bird lovers and breeders, also to provide help,” explained Guy van Zyl, chairperson of the club as well as the Parrot Breeders Association of Southern Africa (Pasa).
The auction was started two years ago so breeders could have the opportunity to get new bloodlines and species, and be able to grow their businesses. This year’s auction had more than 120 lots on auction, which included a variety of birds ranging from smaller to bigger birds. The highest bid was garnered by a Galah cockatoo at just over R60 000.
“Its an event where all the breeders can get together and is an opportunity for breeders to get new genetics,” Van Zyl said.
The auction attracted breeders and parrot lovers from across the country.
“We had people from places all over the country who attended the auction,” said Van Zyl, “and, of course, we had a lot of support from the Western Cape as well.”
He pointed out that the parrot industry in South Africa is “huge”. “Pasa currently has a member tally of 1 200 countrywide,” he pointed out. “South Africa is currently the biggest breeder of Parrots. There are people who breed for a living. It is something that you can make a living from if you work hard, really putting in the effort, and it can be a veritable second income. It is a long-term investment; success won’t just happen overnight. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. It is an intense operation. To me parrots are a form of therapy and relaxation. When I get home from work and I walk through the bird cages it totally puts me in a relaxed state of mind.”
Pasa also acts as a national regulatory body and has an agreement with the Department of forestry, fisheries and environment.
“We are responsible for conducting inspections of cages and granting permits for breeders to have ringnecks,” said Van Zyl. “We also sit on the Animals Committee where we provide information. Soon we’ll send a representative to Geneva to sit on the Animals Committee, and in November again.”
He also argues there is place for such breeders in conservation.
“Last year, breeders helped reintroduce the Spix Macaw. It was nearly extinct for decades, but with the help of breeders the birds could be reintroduced into the wild. If people didn’t get their birds from breeders they could get them from the wild, meaning the birds would be poached and stolen to sell on the black market.”
There are currently 350 species of parrots in the world and many sub-species such as ringnecks and cockatoos, to name a few.
The Overberg Parrot Club hosts its annual auction on the last weekend of May.
