So, You Want a Parrot?

Gigi the Gymnast
I am very much in favor of adopting rescue birds before "buying" a parrot. That really goes for almost any pet. It's not that I'm against breeding cats and dogs; I'm against animal abuse, neglect and over-population. The unwanted pets -loving homes equation is simply too imbalanced, and rescues are overflowing with animals - cats, birds, bunnies, reptiles and parrots - as a result.

But there are factors that make parrots more prone to rescue than a cat or dog. Just a few are:

• much longer life span
• behavioral problems that are frustrating and confusing for most people to solve - screaming, feather to furniture destruction, self-mutilation, biting, hormones and more
• greater expense; greater care demands
• the reality that parrots are not domesticated; even parrots bred to be companions are only one generation removed from the wild and, therefore, require more education, even skill, to handle
• impatience
  

Unlike a cat or dog, parrots' natural behaviors don't really suit homeo sapien home life. They're built and programmed to fly, not sit in a cage, even perch on a play gym all day. So I'm not really sure parrots should be bred (unless to prevent extinction and in a very conscientious fashion). I'm quite certain they, and other animals, shouldn't be mass produced for people to purchase on a whim.
A parrot, even a canary or cockatiel, should be a very considered addition to anyone's life. I can unequivocally say parrots should never be acquired on impulse. Never.

Ok, so never say never, and knock me off my soap box, I did that very thing with my first parrot Gigi. Adopted her clueless. But the two things I know I do have is an incredible compassion and patience for animals and insatiable curiosity, both favorable attributes for parrot living.

How did Gigi's arrival come about?

I was working for a local land trust and a colleague announced one day she needed to find a home for her family parrot, a 3 1/2 year old Nanday conure. (A what? I'd never heard of a conure, or a Nanday) She had bought the bird for her son and daughter who were now teenagers who had become disinterested, an all too common situation. The little parrot lived in the laundry room (ugh).

I don't know what made me say it, but "I'll take her" came out. I had never had a parrot, never even thought about having a parrot. I knew nothing. It marked the beginning of what is becoming a lifestyle - parrot living.
After a compatibility visit - it was love at first site for Gigi and me - and three weeks of intense preparation and research, including purchasing every parrot book I could lay my hands on and visiting every web site I could find on the subject, I brought her home for good. Three years later, she remains the light of my life. She is a perfect bird save for a persistent and heartbreaking medical problem I'll cover in another post.

Each of my nine parrots are rescues, each were relinquished for different reasons, and it all started with this peach, this sweetheart, this exceptional creature, Gigi.

I am indebted to my colleague and my Gigi forever for introducing me to the wonderful world of parrot living.

Birdie Byte
Gigi recommends research and rescue if you want to befriend a bird, great or small.

Rescues that take in birds and find them loving homes:
Feathered Sanctuary, my local rescue in Holtwood, Pa., where I adopted all of my birds, volunteer and serve on the board.
Best Friends
Gabriel Foundation
The Lily Sanctuary
Phoenix Landing


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