Bird keeper profile

[GregH]

I was wondering about perceptions in the community about bird keepers after reading that story from Victoria about the smuggler. What type of people are we really and what are we perceived to be? I don't supose we have a psychologist amoungst us? As a whole we couldn't be described as "cat-people" but how many of us keep cats? Could Desert Bird's wonderful collection purely reflect the circumstance of living in Alice Springs so that aviculture is competative with going to the movies because everything costs so much more there? Generally its not for the young but who are the exceptions? What's relevant? What's not. Anyone want to have a go at a profile? Perhaps I watch too much Criminal Minds and just want to be a scientific reductionist because that's my personal profile?

[GregH]

Well at the risk of offending just about everyone and being banned I had a go at what the perceived bird keeper profile form the public and regulatory units would the "un-sub" to be:
• Male
• Mid 40s-70s
• A loner, with few friends but may be married to a submissive partner.
• Obsessed with control and without empathy
• Not tertiary educated
• Displays contempt for authority especially if this attempts to restrain their avicultural ambitions.
• Is employed in a job that requires attention to detail and not much travel


Now somone please have a go and tell us what we're actully like?

[jusdeb]

now lets see shall we ...

Censored

[Greg41]

Here is my reply:

Censored

[VR1Ton]

[flap]

Censored

To throw a spanner in the works, doing a survey in this forum is not representative of all birdkeepers... the ones on here are sociable which is why they join up. It is called a biased sample. Also only some of us are likely to respond to this thread. the more sociable ones and possibley more empathic??
How do we differ from bird association members (anyone a member and can comment???). Heard that politics and bickering figure prominently in one local group...

[gomer]

Censored

[Jayburd]

Censored

[GregH]

I didn't mean this to be a survey! I'm just a little peeved at our perception by the public and the regulatory authorities - in many ways it's very negative. I've recently been told by somone I perceive to be ignorant and ill informed that bird keepers are like jailers, they avoid intimtacy and conduct relationships at a superfical level and are down right are anti-social, uneducated misfits! Perhaps there is a proportion of "keepers" that are jailers but aviculturists by definition culture or grow birds so they must be quite nurturing and empathetic to the needs of creatures that can't speak for themselves. This sort of knowledge can only come from experience and through peer to peer interaction - hardly ignorant social misfits. If there were a tertiary course and job at the end of it I'm sure it would be full.

I don't want to collate it so please no more personal profiles.

[jusdeb]

Never been one to give a hoot what others think of me ...

Whoever said these things to you Gregh is an idiot of the highest order and we all know you cannot educate an idiot ...done let it bother you too much.

If I am indeed labeled a gaoler then let it be said that I have the best kept inmates in history