Pet Birds There  are only a few types of softbills that truly    qualify    as   household   pet  birds,   although   most   hand-raised   and   some  parent-raised softbills will become tame enough  to  land  on  you or eat out of your hand.     Mousebirds   make   very   parrot-type  pet  birds: playful, can live in your household easily, like petting and riding on people.  They are quiet but cannot be taught to speak.     Mynahs, some crows, and jays can be great pets  also.   They  are  intelligent and even mimic the human voice (the Indian Hill mynahs   are exceptional  at  this)  but  will  need larger accommodations

An interesting note:  Because of the softbill  diet, softbill feces don't stain clothes as parrot feces do.

Speckled mousebird pet enjoys going everywhere with his owner

Exhibition Birds Most   softbills   are   primarily  kept  for  people to observe their beauty and behaviors in natural-looking environments.  Unlike parrots which are usually  kept  in  bare suspended cages with nothing more than perches and nestboxes, most softbills are placed  in (and   in  some  cases  require) large or small  aviaries   that  are    planted  and  usually  extend  to  the  ground  or floor.  Such   enclosures   can   rival  the  best  modern zoo exhibits.  Even the smaller caged softbills  should have potted plants to enjoy.

Softbill enclosures are  sources of hours of relaxation and enjoyment to their viewers.

Breeder Birds There  is  such  a  variety  of softbills that most have not been regularly breed yet, but they need to  be  if  we  are to have them in aviculture in the years  to  come.   Importation restrictions have made it difficult to introduce new genetic bloodlines to the USA so each individual softbill is very important in the large scheme of things.  Each new birth is a triumph.   Although setting up breeding pairs in their own aviaries  is  ideal,  luckily,  many softbills breed quite well in mixed species aviaries.  Softbill keeping  is,  by  far,  not  as  popular  as parrot keeping yet, so it can take allot of detective work and luck to pair up unrelated individuals.  Communication between softbill fanciers is improving slowly as we build a web of contacts since finding other "softbillers" is not that easy either.

A tame juvenile Livingston turaco being asked to not "go" on the coat.

Softbills and the Law Keeping softbills is regulated by our government just as is the keeping of any animal.  It is important to know the laws in your area as some vary across the USA.     Keeping wildlife found in the USA, or native wildlife, and importing birds is regulated on a federal  level  with  the WBCA (Wild Bird Conservation Act), ESA (Endangered Species Act), Migratory Bird Treaty, and CITES (Convention of International Treaty of Endangered Species).  Basically,  it  is  illegal  to  keep  any native species or any listed endangered species.  It is also illegal to import any animals or plants listed in the CITES treaty without special, and very difficult to get, permits.  Call the Fish & Game Department (check your telephone directory) to get copies of these laws and agreements sent to you.   Every  state has its own set of laws regarding which birds are legal in that state.  Some like California and New Jersey are very restrictive, some are more lenient  For instance, California does not allow any birds in the corvid family, which includes crows, jays, and magpies,  and  only allows Indian Hill mynahs and Bali mynahs out of the whole sturnid family,  which  is  all the starlings and mynahs.  Some states such as Oregon are in the process of putting together their restrictive wildlife lists.  Again, contact your State Fish & Game Department for the current laws.   County and cities have their own set of restrictions as well.  For instance in Sacramento, CA,  it  is  illegal  to  house  parrots outdoors.  Some cities have limits on the number of animals per property.  CCR's (neighborhood regulations) are another potential problem.  It  is  wise to find out all you can about the laws in your area as ignorance of the laws is not  an  acceptable  excuse  in  the  eyes  of  the government even though many of the regulations are hard to find out about.   Animal  rights  groups  and  many  animal  welfare  groups would like to see Americans lose all their rights to keep any type of animal, and these groups have a strong lobbying front  in  our  government.   Aviculturists must stand together with a loud voice and stay vigilant  for   new   attempts  to  limit  our  freedom  to  keep  animals.   AFA,  American  Federation  of  Aviculture,  is  a strong association that is a fore-runner in protecting our rights.  Join us and support this group!  (See the links on our Link Page.)

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