AUGUST 20, 2007 We find that Sammi Quaker and Tanji sun conure have been wanting to be closer, so they are sharing a cage now, and we expect that when we place them they'll go together. This is in line with the policy mentioned below in Bird Companions for Birds. Bob macaw has apparently selected an adoptive home. When the person entered the room Bob immediately yelled "I love you!" and climbed on to preen and purr. The adoption is pending some events at the adoptive home. We won't be taking any visits this week so we can do some needed maintainence. |
AUGUST 13, 2007 Over the past year, we have been astonished at how many people follow our web site and keep tabs on birds who come and go, or who get attached to a particular bird that has come through our doors and want ongoing updates on the birds after they have gone to their new home. This page will keep you updated on comings and goings, trials and tribulations, revelations, and general thoughts from the birds on the prairie. |
ARRIVALS and DEPARTURES In the past week or so, we added 5 birds to the crew, and sent 2 others off to new homes. The new kids are Turk macaw, Tanji sun conure, Sammi quaker, and Perry and Stormy budgies. Blue the ringneck and Movado the sun conure went to live with new families, and we're very happy for both of them. We've had two updates on Movado who seesm to be adapting nicely to his new home. BIRD COMPANIONS for BIRDS Many birds come to the rescue because they have bonded so closely to their human that they want to defend that person from any who approach their beloved...bird or human. This can cause havoc in a family when spouses find themselves under attack and can be a serious danger to children. This same behaviour can also result in constant screaming when the beloved is not in sight. The really sad thing is that the bird is just doing what nature intends for it to do: bond to a mate, establish territory, and protect both from any interlopers. Having seen this behaviour and its tragic consequences, we have often thought how much better it would be for each bird to have a non-breeding bird companion to share its life with, who could stay with it when their human can no longer care for them, (face it, most of our birds will outlive us) and who could provide the emotional and social interactions that birds need and avoid the total dependency on their human caretaker. We have had several successes in pairing unhappy birds: Chester and Arthur, the crazed male amazons, were an early success. More recently, Gracie and Louie, plucked Blue and Gold Macaws, have become buddies. And, many of you know about the large group of Indian Ringnecks that we kept in their sibling groups and were enchanted by their complex and active social behaviour. It was a revelation to us to be able to see birds relatively unaffected by human interaction allowed to follow their instincts. these birds were adopted in groups and we continue to follow their progress and hope to learn much from their current caretakers. |
POLLY and TURK Our latest experiment in pairing birds is Polly and Turk. Turk is a 32 year old female Blue and Gold macaw. She is very shy, doesn't play much, somewhat fearful....more reluctant with men than women. She lived with an older woman who finally had to give her up when she could no longer care for her at age 92. She has lived 4 years with an experienced bird person who got her on a good diet but could no longer keep her because of changing family demands. Turk is pretty depressed at this point. She is passive, spending most of the day sitting on the tree perch, moving occasionally to eat. When she gets really excited she will hang sideways from the other side of the perch but that's about it. She has a lot of low key fear postures...holding her beak slightly open making ah ah noises when approached, holding her wings somewhat hunched and opened as if ready to launch herself screaming into the air. She got a clean bill of health from the vet when she got her beak trim last Friday, but we are concerned that she continues to hold one wing slightly lower and more hunched than the other and will continue to watch her. |
Since Polly really dislikes men, Turk and Polly seemed to be a good match in terms of a potential adopter...both seem to prefer older quiet women. Polly has lived with a lot of commotion and really dislikes noise and activity. Her most common words are "quiet", "shut up", "knock it off", "that hurts" and worse. She hates the noises the smaller birds make, especially in the morning when she likes to sleep and during the afternoon flock calls. We have been leaving them together on the tree stand during the day. They share the food and water dishes with no problem and they like to sit at the same level facing the same way. A positive sign is that when someone approaches they move closer together. So we will continue to watch and see if a friendship develops. |
AUGUST 20, 2007 We find that Sammi Quaker and Tanji sun conure have been wanting to be closer, so they are sharing a cage now, and we expect that when we place them they'll go together. This is in line with the policy mentioned below in Bird Companions for Birds. Bob macaw has apparently selected an adoptive home. When the person entered the room Bob immediately yelled "I love you!" and climbed on to preen and purr. The adoption is pending some events at the adoptive home. We won't be taking any visits this week so we can do some needed maintainence. |
AUGUST 27, 2007 BOB the BLUE AND GOLD MACAW has gone to his new home...it's always bittersweet when a bird leaves...like sending your kid off to school. But Bob has chosen. When Ann and Paul came to visit, Bob was ready to go, perching happily on Paul's knee. We have had an update from Ann. Bob had new feather fluffy fuzz and new spikes on his shoulders, but, as is not unusual, even with a good change, Bob started plucking that new growth. We are hoping that once he settles and feels comfortable in his new home, new feathers will appear again. One of the pleasures of sending off a bird to a new home is the human connection. We learn so much from the observations of the people who become the new parronts. Basil and Chester, the resident crazy macaw boys, are happy to see Bob go, because they get to have that big playstand now. Polly Quaker and the budgie-boys Perry and Stormy went to new homes today also... we're pretty happy for them...birds need their own homes. RING NECK UPDATE: Robin, who took a group of the wild ring necks, has been reporting in. As the birds in the group mature they are defending their chosen friend and, as is often the case, there is the odd one out. In this case, the left out Blue ring neck really prefers to be near the tiels who are not sure they return the interest. Robin is setting up multiple cages with bridges to allow the birds to choose their location. We have never tried to maintain a flock grouping before, so this is a learning experience for all of us. We are so pleased that Robin is willing to go into this uncharted territory with us and to document her careful observations. POLLY AND TURK: BLUE AND GOLD MACAWS: Polly and Turk continue to share the play tree in the living room. They are such shy birds and are just now starting to move around the tree and play. Turk stays to the front and like to do the beak hang: "LOOK MA! NO HANDS!" Polly, more vocal, but actually more retiring, stays to the back under her long strings of rope toys. She is getting more playful and at nap time will sometimes crawl up under her toy so that the blocks and ropes cover her back. sometimes she holds a strand of rope in her beak as she drifts off. I keep trying to get a picture, but she always wakes up and drops the toy. As most of you know, it's hard to sneak up on a bird, even a sleeping bird. to watch these two, but to watch them you wouldn't think that they paid any attention to each other at all. But they now get upset when one has to be taken from the area for weighing or hands on petting. They have separate sleep cages, but the cages are next to each other. For the first time, the two birds are sleeping on perches near each other rather than an opposite sides of their cages. Polly is more inclined to approach Turk and want to eat from tthe food dish that Turk has claimed rather than from her own dish. Turk isn't quite sure she is ready for that, but Polly keeps trying. Sometime last week Polly and Turk both started wing and head head twitching. If you were to see this, it would look like they were being bothered by gnats. Just a quick twitch of the head and jerk of the shoulders, except that there are no bugs and the behaviour repeats for hours. I had only heard of this behaviour in Eclectus parrots who were suffering from nutritional imbalances, but Polly and Turk are the fourth BGs that we have come across to do this. The twitching in all cases would start in the early evening and then start earlier in the day as time went on. My suspcion is some sort of food sensitivity and we have removed all dyed foods from their diet. In the case of Gracie, our other twitching BG, we removed all dyed and wheat products and that seems to control the problem. Polly and Turk have been on undyued pellets for 5 days now and the twtiching seems to have stopped. Dr. Jo, our vet, advises us that it can take 8 weeks for their system to get clear of anything in their diet they might be reacting to. The other possibility might be that they were stressed and overtired from a week of constant thunderstorms, especially at night, and long dark windy days with only artificial light. We have recently switched to CFLs so long days under flourescent light might be a contributing factor. Once I am sure the twitching has stopped I can offer them dyed pellets again to make sure that is not a factor. If this is a behaviour you have seen in any of your birds, we would like to hear from you. Sammi and Tanji are still sharing, and like to sit near each other. Sammi has been cranky again the last couple days, and we are waiting to see if she wants to lay a new clutch of eggs. Micheal had to go through the "go ahead and bite me and then we'll get petted" work this morning with her. Quakers are known for territoriality and defensive behaviour, so this isn't any major surprise. |
SEPTEMBER 2, 2007 Twitching Solved....we think. After watching Polly and Turk twitch, it occurred to me that it was similar to the twitching that birds do to arrange their feathers when settlinge for the evening, except that it was happening during the day and didn't stop. On a whim, I moved the birds to the foyer where the sun was coming directly in the front door and windows. The twitching stopped. With a week of bright sunny days, no twitching. Apparently even full spectrum lights can't compensate for even a few minutes of sunshine. Turk's weight was up to 920 grams last night. Polly has stopped losing weight and is holding steady. They are getting more nuts and fresh foods and are eating enthusiasitically in the mornings. Both bird are recovering from the shock of losing their homes. Turk is moving around more on her play perch and is actively begging for food. We are hearing less "Shut Up" and more "Polly want a cracker!" from Polly. She is still very shy and spends a lot of time hiding behind her rope toy. Bonding is progressing. Though both birds have their own food dish, Polly is coming to the front more often to eat from Turk's dish and Turk is less likely to defend it. Polly will sometimes come to to the front and sit on the same branch as Turk but on the opposite side of the food bowl. The birds have separate sleeping cages, but are now sleeping on perches that are close to each other and if we take one bird out of the room, the other is visibly anxious. Good progress. |
Polly in her safe corner peering out at the world. |
ADOPTIONS PENDING: Polly and Turk will be going to a new home soon...they are waiting for their new cage to arrive. They will be the only birds in their new home and it will be such a relief for them to be away from all the noise and commotion of the rescue. Tanji and Sammy the companion Sun Conure and Quaker will also be going to a new home...as soon as the new sun room is finished and ready for them. It will be so good to see these birds go to homes where they will be cared for and appreciated and we look forward to many years of updates. |
NEW PAGE: we are adding a page that will list household dangers to our birds with a link to the source page at Land of Vos. While this site is dedicated to the care of eclectus parrots, much of the information applies to all parrots and is wonderfully organized. Bless Carolyn Swicegood for creating and magaging it for us. |
FEATHER FAIR IN DES MOINES: Mike had a very fine trip to the Feather Fair in Des Moines last week. We had some nice donations and got to visit with a lot of excellent bird people there. The Mid-America Cage Bird Society does this fair, and it's well worth everyone's time. Dave and John and the whole gang always make us feel at home, and the whole MACBS gang have been supportive of Iowa Parrot rescue right from the start. We're grateful to them, and all of the people who donated. |
SEPTEMBER 11, 2007 BIRDS ON CRAIG'S LIST Last Friday we were contacted by a person in Minneapolis about 6 pairs of breeder macaws and cockatoos in an abandoned house outside Minneapolis. She had originally posted on Craig's List calling for a rescue willing to accept the birds. According to her, these birds needed to be moved quickly because nights are getting chilly in MN. We cleared our schedule for the weekend, set up quarantine and vet checks at Riverside clinic, and waited for the call that was supposed to come at 4 PM when she got to the site and picked up the birds. We never got a call and she never returned our calls or emails. If she was able to find good situations for the birds locally, that's all to the good. The less disruption for the birds, the better for everyone. We can only wonder what happened to the birds and hope that they are not back in a breeding life. This is the third contact we have had in the past two weeks about birds on Craig's list that needed adoption. In one case, we know that the bird ended up being sold for $600.00. It makes you wonder if Craig's list is turning into a huge buy and sell of exotic birds, in spite of their $50.00 limit. You can only feel pity for the birds. On the upside, we were pleased at how quickly we were able to put together emergency transportation, quarantine and health checks and organize a support network for the birds on short notice. A dry run never hurts. Thanks to all who stepped up to help. |
FLOWN THE NEST Turk and Polly, the BGs, and Sammi and Tanji, the Quaker and Sun Conure, have gone to their separate homes in Nebraska and are settling in happily. Turk loves everyone and Polly is coming around. Sammi had a slight spell on the way home which we think may have been car sickness, but seems to be fine now and they are both settling in. We'll post updates. |
MATILDA Matilda Congo Grey is still waiting for her right people to show up. We've had a number of people interview with her, but she rejected all of them...she's SO picky! ZIGGY Ziggy TAG is our last remaining refugee from Hurricane Katrina. He is still quite fearful, and prone to unpredictable behaviours, but is happier and more playful lately. He likes to hide under the papers at the bottom of the cage and pretend he's not there, then makes noises so people will look for him. LEO AND LACY These two macaws continue to make progress. Leo is now flying all over the big-bird room visiting other cages and stands when they're unoccupied. His strength and agility are wonderful on a bird who until January hadn't been outside a cage in 25 years. It makes us happy to see the confidence he's gained, and his willingness to leave Lacy's side, if only briefly. He also is showing a few new feathers on his head and face, and we hope that as Lacy becomes less anxious she'll let them stay there. We're hoping that we can find a place for these guys that has the space and experience to work with them over the long term and give them a real family home. |
COSMO AND ARTHUR All the Amazons fall in love with Cosmo and Arthur is no exception. In the past she would grab the presents they brought and then scream and bite their toes. However, she and Arthur have been hanging out in the tree stand on opposite sides of the food dish. Arthur calls "Pretty bird, Hello Hello" which she ignores but stays nearby. Last night when Micheal tried to pick up Arthur to take him home to his cage for sleeping Cosmo got between them shrieking and carrying on the way only conures can do: definitely defending Arthur against interlopers. we will set up a third cage neutral cage night time but have separate daytime cages when they are not together on the tree stand and we'll see what develops. |
<< Polly was a bit put out with me this morning; I overslept and didn't have time to play before church. When I told her 'good-bye' she kept insisting 'right back' right back' which is what I tell her when I'm just leaving the room for a bit. She did say "Good-bye," but didn't seem happy about it. Then I had a meeting after, so it was later when I got home. We did have a couple of long playtimes this afternoon, and when it was bedtime, she hardly moved around getting settled. She must have fallen asleep almost instantly. I heard a couple of sleepy "Nite-nite" calls and that was it. When I ask her if she is sleepy, she whispers, sleeeepy'. She is such a smart and uplifting little being....I absolutely delight in her company. Once in awhile I get a surprise when she says something that I didn't realize she knew. One day I was combing my hair where she could see me and she said,"Where are you going?" I replied that I was going to the store, then realized I was being held accountable by a bird. It floored me. The only negative thing that I've heard from her was one day I was telling her "Shhhhhhh, be quiet" and she began saying "Stop it! Stop it!" in a rather unfriendly way. Someone must have yelled at her for being noisy, but I know it wasn't here. Anyway, I only got that response one time. Once, when I was talking about something (to my son) she realized I was sad, and began telling me, "It's o.k., it's o.k. . Another time I bumped my elbow, which was already badly bruised from a fall a while back, and she said, "I'm sorry. Sorry." She still says a couple of things that I have not been smart enough to figure out, but maybe in time I will. >> |
SEPTEMBER 17, 2007 |
Ho Hum, pretty quiet around here. With Turk and Polly Macaws and Sammi Quaker and Tanji Sun Conure gone, it really is quiet. We have a new Quaker named Smoochie who really is a smoochie bird and can't even begin to duplicate the noise made by two macaws and a Sun. Trish sent us a Polly Quaker update that I had to share. This is the best part of being a rescue: |
Polly Quaker |
And I can't think of anything to add to that, so I won't. |
SEPTEMBER 30, 2007 The big news is that for the first time in nearly three years, we have NO birds awaiting adoption! This is a great thing, because it means we are finding plenty of great homes for the birds who come here. Smoochie quaker went off to a great new home this week...he'll be spoiled, as is every bird's right. We also had a nice young Senegal named Tigger, who came in and was adopted in the same day...he's a lucky boy! Matilda Congo has anoounced in no uncertain terms that "this girl ain't goin' nowehere!" She's made it clear that she has no intention of trasferring any affection from Abi to any adopters. I guess we have to bow to that decision...she'll just have to keep Ziggy TAG company. Micheal had the opportunity to attend the seminar held by the Northern Illinois Parrot Society in Lincoln Park this Saturday. Dr. Branson Ritchie of U GA spoke, and was great as always. We got a lot of good information about infectious diseases and the prospects for progress in understanding PDD. Abi hosted a group of people on Saturday who were volunteering to organize some records. This will let us more easily do our follow-ups on adoptions. The volunteers are people who adopted groupos of ringnecks from that big crew last year, so they had a lot of information to share about that as well. |
OCTOBER 10, 2007 HUGE NEWS!!! Two weeks ago we were informed that a couple here in Iowa (who wish to remain anonymous) had decided to donate substantially to the rescue, so we could inprove our facility. Today, the money arrived in the rescue's bank account!!! Woohoo! The majority of the money will be used for a new building just for the birds. It'll have a work and meeting area, a specialized quarantine area, spaces where the birds can live uncaged, and outdoor flight areas attached directly to the permanent living areas. It'll have a hard-wired generator so we never have to worry about power failures again, and highly efficient construction. In fact, we'll be building in the meadow south of the house, and since that slopes to the south, we can make a partly earth-sheltered structure. We hope to start construction early in the spring of 2008 and be in by late fall if all goes well. At the request of the donors, some of the money will also be used for restoring natural wildlife habitat in the acreage behind the rescue. There'll be new fences, removal of non-native plants, and a wonderful mix of prairie, woodland, and wetland. |
OCTOBER 20, 2007 A busy busy 10 days for us...seven new birds joined us! Mac the Scarlet macaw came in first. He's in quarantine. When he comes out we'll see if he wants to pair up with any of the present single macaws. We're also watching his weight carefully...he was quite emaciated when he arrived, but is gaining slowly. Then Charro the BG arrived from Indiana...he's very fearful, and will take some time to be ready for a new home. Then, today, 5 birds showed up in one afternoon. We have E.T. the BG, a lady of 18 years who will need a lot of socialization and help. She hadn't been out of her cage or handled in eight years, but is clinging to Micheal like a vine. We received Verdi, a very fine young Senegal boy, and Ruby, a sweet little Red-Belly lady. We also have Scarlett, a lady Vos Ecelectus with some plucking issues and Sadie (or Shady), a young Blue Front Amazon of undetermined sex. S/he may be the pal that our BFA boy Arthur has been looking for...they spent the afternoon hanging out together. We continue to gather information and plan for the new facility...discussions with contractors and lawyers are ongoing and we hope to be able to start construction in the spring. Meantime, some new double macaw cages have arrived, and the bonded couples will soon have new spaces...these cages are enormous, the biggest we've found, at 80x40x74 inches. We can't wait to get them moved upstairs and assembled. As fall turns into winter, many of the birds are starting to move into nesting/breeding seasons. We're gathering lots of chewy wood for the macaws to turn into splinters, and keeping an eye on the male amazons, who will soon become little velociraptors again. As the mornings become later, the macaws are wanting to sleep in, and resent the conures who are up and cheerful at daybreak. Having these little guys always keeps us aware of the seasonal cycles of life. |
NOVEMBER 11, 2007 Another busy couple of weeks, and we apologize for the absence of updates. A lot of stuff, both good and bad, has passed. ET the BG suffered a broken wing in a very minor fall on the sofa...poor girl just has no balance or co-ordination, and didn't know what to do with herself when she stumbled. The break was a bad one, and we had to take her to Chicago for surgery to repair it. She's mending well, and we hope to remove the pin that's holding the bone together in about a month. Mac the Scarlet macaw came out of quarantine, and has moved to his new home with a guy that he just fell totally in love with on sight. Verdi the Senegal and Scarlett the Eclectus also found homes, and Ruby the red-belly will be moving when her new family is able to come get her. Charro macaw is doing nicely, and showing some signs of being more ready to be around people. Sadie and Arthur amazons are not going to get along, and will have to be placed separately. Another BF amazon came in recently also...Sam is a young guy in poor condition, but we hope to get him looking better. He hasn't been handled much, and is shy; but he has a pal, a quaker named Dave (remember the old R&B duo, Sam and Dave?) They're learning their manners a little and getting over being scared to be touched. I hope to have them ready for a home in a couple of weeks. We received two huge cages, and the paired macaws (Leo/Lacy and Louie/Gracie) have moved into them...they're 80"x40"x74", and very nice and strong...lots of room to move and flap when they can't come out to play. We've been talking with people in California and Florida, both of whom have older amazons that need new homes, either temporarily or permanently. We've also been alerted to another BG macaw due in any day from a local family. Busy busy busy! |
NOVEMBER 24, 2007 We continue to do our research for the new building project, and to search for the right contractors to do the work. The planned building will allow much higher quality of life for the birds here, and make our work somewhat easier as well. Ruby Redbelly and Charro Macaw have left for new homes, and we continue to hope for nice homes for the amazons...Sadie, Arthur, and Sam, plus Sam's pal dave the quaker. We hope all these amazons can find their new homes soon, so they can feel secure as nesting season approaches. ET Macaw is mending extremelty well thus far...all of her weekly checkups have been fine, and she's not fussing with her bandages or being a difficult patient in any way. Dr Jo Drahos is very pleased with her progress. She's gained back a little of her lost weight, and is starting to learn to play a little bit with some basic toys. Pirate Macaw's lab work is back, and he looks like being very healthy. No results so far on the DNA. Dr Jo says there's follicle damage, so he'll likely be showing bare skin all his life. He' is a sweety, though, and especially likes women. |
AUGUST-NOVEMBER 2007 |
