January is Adopt a Rescued Bird Month, so to help celebrate and spread the word about these amazing animals – my friends at Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary wrote a special guest blog post with some fun facts about these great birds and ways you can help them too! Please be sure to check them out online at: http://greyhaven.bc.ca/ and don’t forget to say hello to them at the Pet Lover Show February 27, 28 & March 1 too!
Adopt a Rescued Bird Month
By Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary
Birds are the third most popular pet in North America but before you bring home a new feathered friend, make sure you do your research. Birds can be wonderful companions but with the intelligence of a three year old toddler, long life span and special environmental needs they can be challenging for the uneducated guardian.
10 things to Know about living with a bird
1. Parrots live a very long time. Caring for a bird is a lifelong responsibility and you must plan for your parrot’s future in the event that it outlives you.
2. Parrots can be messy! In the wild, a parrot would spend much of it’s day foraging for food and dropping bits of food to the ground and this is something they do even when living in captivity.
3. Parrots can be loud! Social communication is a very important part of a flock. Chirping, whistling, calling and sometimes outright screaming are a normal part of parrot vocalization
4. Parrots are very social, intelligent creatures having the learning ability of a 3 year old child. They need plenty of toys and mental stimulation to enrich their lives in captivity. Failure to provide them with stimulation can result in plucking, screaming and other destructive behaviors.
5. Parrots are active, energetic creatures and should not be confined to a cage every day, all day. Safe areas like parrot play gyms and cage tops with supervised play time are important to both the physical and mental well-being of any bird.
6. Parrots need to have time with you. In the wild, they would live with a mate or a flock, in captivity, humans must fulfill that role. Spending time with your bird whether watching TV or folding laundry is important to the well-being and happiness of your bird.
7. Parrots need a varied diet that includes pellets, fruit, vegetables, grains and legumes. Seed should only be fed very sparingly as an occasional treat.
8. Air quality can be life or death to a parrot. Parrots should not be exposed to smoke, strong scented cleaning products, scented candles, nail polish and many hair products. Teflon and other non-stick products are known to be deadly to parrots
9. Birds need their own vet! With their special anatomy, an avian vet will provide the best healthcare to your feathered friend.
10. Birds need 10 – 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night
Can’t adopt? Here are 10 things you can do to help a parrot rescue
1. Volunteer your time. There are many volunteer opportunities. Cleaning cages, community events, photography, web design and accounting are just a few of the volunteer roles available.
2. Foster a bird
3. Cash donations are always needed to help cover the cost of food and medical care.
4. Donate gift cards for bird supply or grocery stores
5. Donate new, unused toys or food. Ask the rescue if they have a wish list of needed items
6. Donate towels or sheets
7. Host a toy making party. All parrot rescues use hundreds of toys each year
8. Host a fundraiser! Car washes, bottle drives and pub nights are easy to organize and can raise hundreds of dollars in just a few hours
9. Follow your favorite rescues on Facebook or Twitter and share their stories. Social media is one of the strongest tools a rescue has for getting the word out about birds available for adoption
10. Be an advocate! If you see a parrot in trouble, tell someone! Contact your local SPCA or Humane Society.
Top 10 Reasons to Adopt a Rescue
1. So many parrots need a home! When you buy a bird from a pet store or a breeder you are simply adding to the pool of birds out there who may eventually need to be re-homed. Despite all your efforts, good intentions, doing your homework, etc. your bird may need a new home some day. You’re going to be hoping that there is someone out there for him at that point.
2. A parrot in a sanctuary may be an unknown quantity in many respects, since often the bird’s history is unknown. But he will have been observed by the volunteers, had an opportunity to interact with them, and have been seen by an avian veterinarian if necessary. So you will have some idea of how he is before you bring him home.
3. Adoption is just another word for falling in love! When you are planning to adopt a parrot you probably have an idea of what type of bird you want, or even the particular bird if you have checked out the rescue’s website. But the birds at the sanctuary might have other ideas! You head over to the sanctuary to meet your intended and another bird decides that you are the best thing in the world. Who can argue with that?
4. Despite bans on the importation of parrots they continue to be bought and sold on the black market. For every parrot who survives this horror story there are about 90 others who die en route. By adopting a bird who is already here you are contributing to cutting off the demand for these poor creatures.
5. Parrots are incredible. But the joy of having one in your life is magnified when you know you are giving your friend a second – or third, or fourth, or fifth, or sixth, etc. – chance at having a special life. Nothing can compare to this sense of satisfaction, and joy.
6. You can bring a parrot into your life who “fits.” For example, if you are a senior citizen getting a young parrot is not the best plan, unless you can guarantee that you have someone in the wings who also loves your bird and will be able and willing to care for her after you are gone. But if you choose the rescue route you can specifically look for an older bird who just needs someone to love her, cuddle her, and perhaps care for her special geriatric needs. That’s you!
7. If you have young people in your life adopting a rescue teaches them a valuable lesson in compassion and caring. Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote that “’Men have forgotten this truth’ said the fox. ‘But you must not forget it. You are responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.’” Too many DO forget this truth; you can honour it.
8. While many rescued birds have “issues” – poor health, behaviour problems – most are in their position through absolutely no fault of their own. Guardians pass away, develop allergies, move, and in many cases they acquire a feathered companion without doing their homework first. The bird is the loser. So if you’re up to the challenge of a parrot with issues, that should be possible, but the majority of these little guys are simply missing the love and stability of a forever home. 9. Why adopt? Just check out Greyhaven’s website, at http://www.greyhaven.bc.ca. There are many, many little feathered reasons!
10. You will instantly become a ROCK STAR! Seriously! Anyone who adopts is special.
A huge thank you to my wonderful friends at Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary for this wonderful guest blog post and for all the great work they do to help these wonderful birds!
Featured in the photographs is Cicero whom I photographed during the OWL Spring Open House in 2013 – be sure to check out his happy tail here:
Paws & Tails Pet Photography 