Opium birds are parrots that have become addicted to opium and are destroying poppy crops in India. The birds have learned to be stealthy and swoop silently down into the poppy fields without making any sound. They wait until the farmers cut the poppy pods to help them ripen, which exposes latex that is rich in morphine. The farmers say that the parrots have become so addicted to the opium that they must be on guard nearly all the time to prevent the birds from eating the seeds and getting high. The opium gives the birds instant energy, similar to the effect of tea or coffee for a human. Once the birds experience this feeling, they quickly fall prey to the addiction. The legal cultivation of opium for medicinal purposes is carried out in several regions of India under special licenses.