If you visit our website and check out the birds up for adoption, you have noticed a different look!

Instead of having our web person spend time maintaining a separate list of available birds, we decided to streamline things and use our Petfinder page, just like many other rescues and shelters.

Petfinder.com is a national registry of pets up for adoption. You can go on petfinder.com, fill out your search requirements, and find pets available all over the country. Thousands of people look at the petfinder.com website everyday.

We're very excited about this because instead of duplicating our time updating two lists of birds, our website volunteer can focus his time on other issues. We are working on getting better pictures of our toys on our website, along with our food for sale. We also want to showcase some of our success stories and incorporate additional bird-related information.

CARE is run entirely by volunteers and, like all organizations, is constrained by limited time and resources. We made this easy switch to free up some additional time, with the end result being a better, easier-to-navigate website (currently in progress!). We hope this will result in more web orders, which means we'll have more resources to help the several hundred birds that come through our doors every year.

We hope this explains to you why we made the change, and we hope you continue to support us in our mission to find good homes for the birds that come into our Center. We have so many wonderful, adoptable birds right now that are looking for their perfect home!

Some of our longer-term adoptables found homes over the past weekend, including the lories Aussie and Ruby and parrotlets Tina and Tiny! Although we're always a bit sad to see some of our favorite birds leave, we're overwhelmingly happy that they can start their new lives!

We still have tons of adoptable birds, and we'd love for you to stop by and pay us a visit!

CARE currently has quite a few tame, friendly, beautiful cockatiels up for adoption. We love the picture above because he looks so quizzical!

Cockatiels can make great family pets! Here is a link to the National Cockatiel Society website.

Stop by if you'd like to meet our 'tiels -- we may just have the perfect friend for you!

This picture was taken last Saturday of some finches that were surrendered to the Center. Finches move so quickly -- this wasn't the picture we'd intended on taking, but it was pretty fun to see! The 2 female finches have found their new homes, but we still have 2 male zebra finches that are up for adoption. If you'd like to meet them, please stop by the Center!

Robin is a lovebird that is up for adoption. We caught her perched on one of her toys, and it kind of looked like she was wearing the bell as a hat! Robin is handleable and getting more tame by the day! She is looking for a person with whom to bond. Small children make her nervous, so she would do best in an adult-only home, or in a home with older children/teenagers. Stop by if you'd like to meet Robin or any of the other birds up for adoption!

Here are a few fun pictures for the weekend! Hope everyone enjoys it -- it's supposed to be a fantastic weekend!

All of the birds pictured are birds that currently are or formerly have been up for adoption.

If you are considering adding a canine to your family, please consider adopting an older dog from a shelter or rescue. Here are pictures of Amy and Ernie, 2 chihuahua mixes that often spend time at the Center.

Here is a link to more information on puppy mills, and a pledge that you can sign promising not to shop at pet stores that sell puppies and kittens.

More on bird-related stuff tomorrow!

Tomorrow, Thursday June 21, CARE will be at Desert Night at the Domes. Here is a link to the page with more information -- you need to scroll down a bit to find it. The information is copied below:

June 21, 6-9:30 p.m.Desert NightCelebrate the summer solstice with a tour of the Arid Dome and learn about the cultures that have called the desert their home. See exhibits showcasing the arts of these cultures, and how they used plants for their healing properties. To volunteer, call (414) 649-8375. Volunteers are admitted free with a special pass.

Special Event Fee: Children 5 & under, free Age 6-17 $4, Age 18 & up $6

Lori will be there, along with some volunteers and some birds. We hope to see you there!

Here is a link to an interesting web site about feral quakers that have taken up residence in New York!

Pictured above are Kelly and Missy, both quakers that are currently up for adoption at the Center. Quakers are illegal in some states because they are considered to be agricultural pests. There are feral colonies of quakers is many states -- the flock in Chicago is probably the closest one to the Center.

Quakers are extremely intelligent and can make great companions. However, because they are so intelligent, they require lots of enriching interactions, like trick and speech training. Also, there is an unfortunate affliction of Quaker Mutilation Syndrome that can be devastating to these parrots and those that love them.

If you are interested in adopting a quaker, please complete a Bird Wanted Questionnaire and stop by the Center to meet them!

Here is a funny article about amazons. We currently have three amazons for adoption, including Oscar, at left.

As it states in the article, amazons can be incredible pets. They are very intelligent, and usually enjoy showing off. They take easily to trick training and usually will talk/perform in front of strangers. As the article states, amazons are not problem-free, but they do tend to be rather expressive and once you get a handle on their body language, you can have a fantastic relationship with them!

If you are interested in adopting any bird from the shelter, please fill out a Bird Wanted Questionnaire from our website. Please note that we do not ship our birds.

Juicing For Parrots!

Here is a link to an article that discusses juicing for parrots and the health benefits that can come from that.

One of our volunteers has been juicing for his parrots for the past year or so. They all get excited when they hear the juicer start up! They sip it right out of a cup and bite the edge of the cup once they've had enough.

Enjoy!

Kelly is an approximately 9 month old quaker parakeet that is currently up for adoption. Her new owners will have to buy a cage with a different kind of lock as she has figured this one out! Quakers are extremely intelligent and require lots of interaction. They also need tons of mental stimulation to help them adapt to living in a captive environment -- foraging, trick training, etc.

We have tons of adoptable birds at the Center right now. Whether you're looking to add a small friend, like a cockatiel or lovebird, a medium-sized friend, like a senegal or quaker, a large friend like an amazon or mini macaw, or an extra-large friend like a cockatoo or macaw, we might be able to help you find your perfect match! You can stop by the Center during our open hours to meet the birds. The process will move more quickly if you've been preapproved -- this process starts by filling out a Bird Wanted Questionnaire that can be found at our website.

Mikey is a female mustache parakeet that found her permanent home through our Center about a year ago. She is a very sweet and loving bird. Although she has everything she could possibly want, she continues to pull out her chest feathers, leaving the down feathers exposed. Since mustache parakeets are rather rare, it is strange for those of us who know Mikey to see one with the normal chest feathers!

We love it when she pays us a visit because she is such a delight to have around! Her personality has really blossomed in her new home, and she is one happy and lucky lady!

Here is a small photo montage of Drew, a severe macaw that arrived at the Center over the weekend. We can't wait to see the improvement in her feather quality after she gets on an improved diet and gets regular showers. Right now, Drew is still settling in at the Center, so we don't know what her true personality is like. Severe macaws tend to be very difficult birds, bonding strongly to one person. They are also very intelligent and funny.

This is a website, showing the destruction that birds can inflict on your house. I am always amazed at what these guys can do in a short time period!

Destruction is something that seems to go hand-in-hand with parrots, and it's one reason why it's so important to give them lots of destructible toys in their cages. Although, if you've visited us at the Center and have seen our door jams, you know that even having lots of destructible toys is not a cure-all!

Anyone who has lived with pets knows how important watching body language is! This article lists some common parrot postures and what they may mean. As the article states, there are some species-specific and individual-specific body language that you need to watch out for -- no list could possibly be all-inclusive and apply to every parrot in every situation.

Parrots are very expressive. These wild animals do the best they can to adapt to living in our homes, but we need to be aware of what they are trying to tell us, even when they don't speak. Being aware of what your parrot is trying to communicate to you through his body language will result in a closer relationship for you and your bird, and may help you avoid getting bit! Through working with parrots at the Center, we've found that most parrots give warning before resorting to biting. By paying attention to your bird's body language, you can pick up on those cues and have a more harmonious life with your companion parrot!

Charlie Brown is a Meyer's parrot that came to the Center a few weeks ago. He is very sweet -- if he likes you! Meyer's parrots tend to be one person birds, and this one tends to prefer women. He is looking for a home with a special woman that he can claim as his own!

Poicephalus parrots are becoming more common in captivity, but are still rather rare when compared to quakers, conures, etc.

Please stop by the Center if you'd like to meet Charlie!

Tiki, a young Illiger's macaw, was recently surrendered to the Center.

He needs to find an experienced parrot-owning home as mini macaws are difficult parrots to own. In Tiki's first home, he was spoiled and learned to nip and bite to communicate. In his second home, he learned more appropriate methods of communication, but expressed himself in his natural call, which is loud and shrill.

Tiki needs someone that will work with him on learning how to play independently. Ideally, that person would clicker train him to use his intelligence and charm towards positive methods. Tiki does not like being alone, and would probably do best in a home where he was part of a flock -- other macaws, aratinga conures, and/or amazons would probably work well. He is not appropriate for apartments, as he does have a shrill call that can carry.

If you'd like to meet Tiki, please stop by the Center!

Bingo is a red-lored amazon that had been living in a nursing home for about 20 of his 25 years. We can tell that he was very loved at some point in his life, but more recently had been not handled very much. He is a little cage-aggressive, but once out of the cage, he loves attention!

Bingo picked up some inappropriate language, and we are working on changing that into more acceptable words -- and it's been working! But still, Bingo should not be adopted by a person with delicate sensibilities or a family with young, impressionable children.

Bingo would love to stop by and meet you -- he's even more beautiful in person!