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Parrot Rescue -- What to do if you get a new bird home

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Owning a Pet Bird . . . Is It Really For You?

In 1983, I was offered a job promotion and relocation to Chicago. But before leaving my 21st floor office in a skyscraper where I worked in another city, I said goodbye to a little bird I had become acquainted with, known as a "Cockatiel". The little grey bird with its bright orange cheeks and its cheery little tweets captivated my attention during many lunch hours. The owner of the plant store had shared with me about how these winged ones from Australia were known for being extremely affectionate, intelligent and funny. Although I never came close to holding the little creature, I didn't forget her after my relocation.

After settling into my new apartment on the west side of Chicago, I soon realized that I wanted a pet because life as an animal lover simply required this of my spirit. I loved dogs, but the apartment didn't allow them and I was allergic to cats.

So out I went, knowing little about cockatiels and went to the obvious place, the local pet store. (At the time, I knew nothing about Bird Sanctuaries or people who wanted to get rid of their bird).

At the store, I spent quite some time near a cage housing several cockatiels. As I chatted to them, one paid special interest in my communication. I determined that the little grey and yellow (Pearl) Cockatiel, wanted to come home with me. She actually PICKED ME! Why? I'm not sure; but she felt especially comfortable with me, where the others didn't have any interest. Animals have instincts; we could all benefit from paying attention to them, and following THEIR intuition. Maybe then, more pet / human relationships would work out in the end.

Since she chose me, I chose her right back and off we went; me in my seatbelt and she in a little box with a handle on it, driving to my apartment. This experience was almost three decades ago, but I remember the day like it was an hour ago; especially the first introduction at home.

Table of Contents

  1. The Joy and Challenges of Bird Ownership
  2. Amazing Demonstration of Parrot Wisdom
  3. Best Way for a Feathered Friend to Find You?
  4. TAKE A VOTE ON BIRD OWNERSHIP
  5. Help to Find A New Home for your Pet Bird and Pet Adoption Resources
  6. AMAZON BOOKS
  7. Flickr Photos
  8. Reader Tweetback
  9. New RSS: Add your blog
  10. New Featured Lenses

THE FIRST HOUR with my new Bird

Harmony's Assertive Nature

THE FIRST HOUR . . .
was so frightening!!! Thank goodness I purchased a book along with the cage and food. I quickly turned to Chapter 1 to find out how to get her out of the box. I thought the little thing was going to bite my finger off. But she didn't.

After managing to get the winged one in its new cage with fresh food and purified water, I located the cage on the cocktail table in front of the sofa. I laid down next to the cage and watched.

I read the new book on cockatiel care and learned that she needed to hear my voice; watch slow moving motions from my hands, arms, body; hear no loud bangs or frightening noises. I talked and sang to her. For two weeks, I spent extra time next to the bird, which I named "Harmony" in order to help her make her transition into her new home, delicately and safely.

After a week or so, I opened the cage door for a few hours and let her decide if she felt safe enough to venture out on her own. She didn't.

Then one day, about three weeks later I had fallen asleep on the sofa for an afternoon nap. I was awakened by a closeby sound I couldn't recognize. As my eyes slowly opened and my cheek laid on the cushion, a little mass of feathers, then eyes, peered up -- looking straight at me -- and the rest of the wings, legs and feet approached my vulnerable face!

HARMONY'S LITTLE MARBLE HEAD Emerged

I lay there, absolutely still wondering what one should do as a bird beak is heading toward you. Before I knew it, little Harmony made it to the top of the cushion, and standing up, she walked over to my face and suddenly just dropped her tiny fuzzy head onto my cheek, resting her warm beak on my nose! My eyes looked down and saw her little twinkling eyes looking back at me. It appeared that she was giving me a hug.

Turns out, that's exactly what she was doing! She had crossed the threshold of Trust and rewarded me with the patience and love I had given to her during her adjustment from leaving her friends behind and moving to a new environment.

I was timid and scared, I admit, never before having a beak so close to my eyes. But I decided to Trust her, since she had exhibited such bravery -- after all, I was a million times bigger than her and if she could do it, why shouldn't I? So I very slowly raised my finger up and gently touched her head. She allowed me to pet her. In fact, she loved it and wanted more and more. She began turning her little orange cheeks from one side to another as I petted and rubbed the little thing. I was in awe. She was so tiny and fragile, and yet she had no problem letting me know what she wanted.

That day was awe inspiring and proved to be the beginning of the millions of special moments I have experienced receiving love from pet birds.

After that, Harmony and I progressed slowly and gradually to her getting on my finger, and being with me at home, nearly all of the time. We developed a deep bond that I didn't know was possible with an animal with a brain the size or a marble.

Harmony live a long life and had some amazing adventures of her own, like when she flew away, outside, while on my boyfriend's shoulder (this is another lense in progress).

Harmony marked the beginning of a lifelong love for feathered friends of the parrot family, especially cockatiels.

I WAS A NOVICE bird owner when I purchased Harmony from a pet store. Now I know better. My passion of being a bird lover hopes to help more birds and owners be the lucky ones ... as I am ... but not by chance or luck, but by knowing all the available facts and entering into the relationship with wholehearted commitment.

The Joy and Challenges of Bird Ownership

Are you a Bird Person, or Not?

Birds in the parrot family exhibit the most amazing intelligence, love and humorous antics. For 25 years I have brought in, and rescued, abused birds ranging from cockatiels, cockatoos, amazons, conures and macaws, just because ... someone else didn't want them. Many were neglected and abused.

Many people are like I was in the beginning ... NOVICES. There is absolutely nothing wrong with starting at the beginning. However, when someone is not informed, it's a 'crapshoot' as to whether the bird will end up in a happy home, or not. I got lucky ... I happened to fall in love with Harmony. But if I hadn't, oh what sadness I had the power to bestow on my little innocent friend.

I am very opinionated about birds being caged as pets. I do not believe they should be 'jailed for life' in a cage, or even in a home. Having said that, my family of birds has ranged from 2 to 12 at one time, through the many years of helping these precious beings. I currently have five little ones now who are my babies for life -- 4 cockatiels and a green-cheek conure. They are definitely NOT in jail! They have a sanctuary, and freedom, with their own aviary no matter where I live. (I'll introduce you to them in my Lenses because they are marvelous little teachers of life -- and they do 'own' me!)

But for now, understand my intention is to share some great stories about life living with feathered friends -- it's ups and downs; it's inconveniences; it's massive joy; its unique challenges ... but more than anything in the world, the incredible awakening of how such a tiny little marble sized brain, can contribute more love than many animals - including the likes of cats and dogs. yes, it's true.

Birds NEVER forget . . .The good; and the bad . . . their memories are amazing.

So although I have certain beliefs about keeping birds as pets, once you rescue them, it's up to you to give them the best life filled with love, fun and great nutrition. Come back for more lenses I'm adding of stories . . . some funny, some heartwarming and others - simply miraculous.

My disclaimer for owning birds is: They are NOT novelty "things to add color to your living room". I do not believe in the promotion of birds as pets in homes who must endure a lifetime of being caged or poorly taken care of and I do not condone anyone getting a pet bird who hasn't spent time around someone who has one, or who hasn't researched to learn what major responsibility they are.

Amazing Demonstration of Parrot Wisdom

If you ever doubted how smart a bird is, play this video!
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Best Way for a Feathered Friend to Find You?

Know where to look; then LET THE BIRD PICK YOU!

Many people purchase a bird on impulse before knowing enough about what the needs of the animal are. Harmony was my first introduction to a whole new world of these amazing, intelligent, loving and sensitive friends.

I believe people have the best of intentions when buying a bird from a pet store, or otherwise. Unfortunately, this only perpetuates the bird trade when there are millions of needy birds who are available by other means. Where are they, you ask? Well that is why I'm making this Lens, to try to help people with birds whose hearts really aren't in it, to connect with people who would adore your companion pet.

Since I have rescued many birds from homes where the owners had shut them away in a cage with little or no human contact, and often times with dirty dishes and cages, and almost always a seed only diet with no pellets, fresh fruits or vegetables. Think of what this means for these "social" animals:

A LIFE SENTENCE IN JAIL, for a crime they didn't commit!

IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.

After adding to my flock by rescuing other birds from bad situations, or being lost outside, I learned that there is no reason to perpetuate the bird trade, especially importation, when there are hundreds of thousands of birds in homes where they are receiving anything but acceptable care, let alone awareness for their happiness.

Many people out there want to get rid of a bird they purchased or were given because they are messy, loud, demanding, expensive, or become a nuisance. Believe me this is true. Often they will want to "sell" the bird and cage apparatus. However, I promise there are many people who are happy to get rid of the animal to a good home if the situation changed for them.

If you are considering getting a bird, please see some of my links below where you can get a bird from an Avian Rescue Sanctuary first, or from someone who no longer wants to care for theirs, before running off to the pet store. After spending the last 25+ years researching and saving birds, it's unfortunately true that the bird trade consists of abuse equally as serious as puppy mills, if not even more cruel.

If you are a person with one or more birds you don't want, please do not try to demand a high price to someone for your mistake. If it means losing some of your original money to give the animal a chance to live a long, happy life, you'll feel good by doing a good deed and finding an actual "Bird Lover". Millions of us are out there and you can find us on the web in many places.

Check out some of the links below who can help you to find a good home, and also where you can adopt a needy companion bird. There are some awesome Lenses on Squidoo to learn more about birds and I am recommending some that fill in the blanks so I am not redundant. Please comment and become a friend! I'd love to visit your Lens as well.

TAKE A VOTE ON BIRD OWNERSHIP

Question #1

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Help to Find A New Home for your Pet Bird and Pet Adoption Resources

Although it may not be easy to give up a pet, finding a new home for a bird, especially a larger parrot, brings more challenges than that of a cat or dog. Opportunities are rarer, so those of us in the bird community need to do what we can to help. Although I have yet to visit all the sanctuaries below, and I'd love to, these people offer guidance and assistance.
AMERICAN SANCTUARY ASSOCIATION - A Great Organization
ASA recognizes that there are countless abandoned, abused and neglected animals in the world today. The ASA exists to assure the humane and compassionate care for these animals by setting standards for their care, accrediting sanctuaries that meet these standards, networking with member sanctuaries, assisting in the rescue and placement of homeless animals, supporting legislation that protects animals, educating the public, and reaching out to other segments of the rescue community.

Founding Philosophy

Nationally, there are hundreds of animal sanctuaries and rehabilitation centers that assist, rescue, and provide refuge and humane care for animals. Offering an alternative to euthanasia, or a lifetime of suffering, all these groups have one thing in common: They are all struggling each year to accept into their sanctuary thousands of homeless native and non-native wild animals and domestic animals with no place to go. Yet there is no effective information center organized to identify, evaluate, accredit and network these organizations into a working coalition.

Organized to provide a more efficient means in which to find and identify quality facilities in which to place homeless, abused or abandoned animals, facilitate the exchange of information among animal caregivers, and to create public awareness of this national tragedy, American Sanctuary Association (ASA) was formed.
BIRD HOTLINE -- WORLD WIDE BIRD LOST AND FOUND
I included this organization to help awareness should you ever be in the unfortunate position of losing your feathered friend. World Wide Lost and Found Bird HotLine free on the net. Plus bird questions answered and Vet Talk. Plus Heartwarming bird stories (including yours). Together we will bring all those little lost frightened birds home.
PARROT ADOPTION -- From One of Our Own Squidoo-ers!
I Love this Lens and think they are doing a wonderful service. Their Lens says: "We're all about parrot rescue and adoption. We take in birds who can no longer live with their companions and we find them a forever home. We all live for parrots and are owned by them! Information regarding adoption or relinquishment."
THE OASIS SANCTUARY
I love the work of this organization: The Oasis Sanctuary is a life-care facility for captive Exotic birds. They are a refuge for parrots, cockatoos, macaws and other Psittacine birds (predominantly CITES I and II endangered birds), although we do accept Passerines (finches and canaries), Columbiformes (doves and "fancy" or racing pigeons), and other captive avian species. We offer birds a stable and loving home for the duration of their natural lives.

As a true sanctuary, we do not offer birds for adoption, however we work with and refer birds requiring re-homing to bona fide adoption programs around the country.

Many of The Oasis birds come from other rehabilitation and/or adoption programs where qualified personnel have determined that it is not in the bird's best interests to be placed in private homes. Some of our birds have "special needs", are physically handicapped or challenged requiring unique living or feeding situations. Others have been bounced from home to home, often being physically and/or emotionally abused and have simply become too fearful of people to be companions to people any longer.
LUCKYPARROT -- For those "Unlucky" Birds
Parrots are fantastic, incredible, charming creatures, endowed with strong emotions, and superior intelligence. They are the feathered equivalents of Chimpanzees and Dolphins. Parrots are also the most demanding and misunderstood of all companion animals. People don't understand what they are getting themselves into when they first purchase a parrot. The anticipated wonderful experience, often turns into something very different, and very sad, for both people and parrots; because of normal human events, illness, death, or something as simple as a new boy friend, a marriage, a new baby, a divorce, a move to a new home, and the poor bird must go. Sold to the next home, where history repeats itself, until 4 or 5 homes later, we, the sanctuaries, take in some of these rejected birds.
"The Lucky Parrots"

AMAZON BOOKS

25 Years of Experience Brings you these choices

My Absolute Top Picks of Must Have Information on Parrots of all Kinds
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  • jcramer1 Feb 12, 2009 @ 7:19 pm | delete
    I love this lens! I think birdies are the cutest, sweetest little things. Thanks for your helpful information. I am running out to get the books you recommended. Keep up the great work!
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KateWilder

Hello world, you can think of me first as "BirdGirl", or "Chick-a-dee Magnet", since my life has been filled with the love and rescue of our feathered... more »

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