More budgies!!!

We currently have scores of budgies looking for new homes. Most of these are currently non-tame cage pets; however, with some work, they could become delightful companions. Or, with a buddy and large cage set-up, they can provide happy chirps to any house!

We've had several surrenders of large budgie flocks. This usually starts with a pair of budgies and uncontrolled breeding.

As we've mentioned so many times, budgies are truly underappreciated in the avian community. They are delightful little companions with wonderful personalities. Compared to larger parrots, they are relatively easy-care.
If you're interested in adding a budgie or two (same sex, of course) to your house, please stop by. We have many to choose from! Once you live with one of these little jewels, it's hard to imagine being without one. Their zest for life can brighten any day!

Niko is a wild-caught senegal that was released to our Center last weekend. We know that he is at least 17 years old. His owners in his previous home were chain smokers, which we suspect played a role in his feather destructive behaviors. He was kept in a budgie-sized cage and never let out or handled.
When he came to us, we gave him a bath, as it had been years since he'd had one and we wanted to get rid of his smoky smell. After a drenching bath, we towel-dried him, only to realize that both he and the towel STILL smelled of smoke. Taking a cue from wildlife rehabilitation, we gave him a bath in Dawn to help remove the residue. It worked! After his bath in Dawn, we thoroughly rinsed him with plain water and towel-dried him with a new towel. The smoke smell was mostly gone.

In this video, he is stomping around in the bubbles. Note that plain water is usually best for bathing parrots. In this case, extra ammunition was needed, and he was closely supervised for the duration of his bath.

Niko is not currently up for adoption, as he still has some rehabilitation to do. He had a full vet workup earlier in the week, and we await some test results; however, he seemed healthy upon examination. He currently has some balance issues as he has destroyed most of his wing and tail feathers. We hope that his feathering will improve on a better diet and removal from his smoke-filled environment.

Second-hand cigarette smoke is very detrimental to parrots. The adage of "canary in a coal mine" in apt. They have very sensitive respiratory systems. In addition, since most parrots use their feet to bring food to their beaks, if they are perched on a smoker's hand, they are likely to ingest nicotine or any of the other carcinogens that are present.

Niko's life was likely shortened by his time spent in the presence of so much smoke. Once his health has improved, we are looking for a wonderful home for him that will allow him to live out the rest of his days in smoke-free happiness.

Friends

Millie is completely recovered from his surgery last month. Here he is, along with his friend Cleo, hanging out in a box that was provided to them that morning. Neither one of these birds desires physical human interaction, so it's great that they've found each other. They are both males, so we're not worried about nesting at all by giving them this box. Some parrots can't handle having boxes -- it gets them too hormonal. We don't have to worry about that with them; although, if any problems surfaced, we would remove the box.

Reminder of upcoming events

As a reminder, CARE will be appearing at the AWARE pet expo on Saturday, Feb. 2 (this weekend!). Lori will be speaking -- probably at 11; but that's always subject to change. This is a great event if you're thinking about adding any new pet to your household. Many exhibitors will be on hand, with organizations showcasing animals up for adoption. CARE will have bird toys and food for sale. See their website for more information!

CARE also will be at Bird Fest at Wehr Nature Center on Saturday, Feb. 2. The Wehr Nature Center is a fantastic county park and puts on many educational events throughout the year. There will be plenty of things to do, especially for kids!

It's been a busy year so far for us. On our homepage, we keep a running total of birds surrendered to us. So far, we are averaging more than one bird per day. We have many birds of all sizes up for adoption. Whether you're looking for a finch, amazon, cockatoo, or macaw, stop by and see if your next companion might be waiting for you!

Regular readers of this blog or visitors to the Center are familiar with Mango, a female Ducorps cockatoo that was surrendered to us last summer. Here is the entry when she was surrendered, this one is two days later, and this one is about a month after that.

Mango, the day she was surrendered:


We are happy to report that she has made amazing progress since being entrusted to CARE. As you can see from the picture below, her wound has completely healed, and she is almost fully feathered.

Mango, yesterday:

Mango is not yet up for adoption, as we want to wait a few more months to make sure that she will not relapse. Additionally, we need to make sure that whoever adopts her is fully aware of the issues involved when dealing with a former mutilator, as we are concerned that if she goes into a stressful environment, she may mutilate again.

Mango is yet another testament to the resiliancy of parrots. Sometimes it's hard to remember that parrots are wild animals; only a few generations removed from the wild. They have behaviors that make them unsuited to living in most homes: they're messy, they're loud, they bite, etc. As a result, they get shuttered in garages, basements, outdoors. Denied the interaction that they require. We have seen hundreds of neglected and abused parrots come through our facility. It truly is amazing to see how proper care and patience can transform a formerly broken bird into one with a new zest for life.

If you are considering adding another bird to your household, please consider a second-hand (or more!) bird. We can work with you to find the right companion for your household. Many of the most successful human-parrot bonds we've seen are those that started when the parrot was older. They have lots of love to give and are looking for that chance!

Millie, the mitred conure seen at left, recently was found to have a large mass on his neck. We rushed him in to have surgery, where it was successfully removed.

Surgery on birds is particularly risky due to their reaction to anesthesia. But Millie was a fantastic patient.

He is currently sporting a collar so that neither he nor his cagemate Cleo can pick at the site.

Cleo is a white-eyed conure. These two boys met at the center and became fast friends. Cleo has been very protective of Millie, and we are so happy that Millie has someone to help him through his recovery!

Once Millie has completed his recovery, they will be up for adoption. Although they like to observe people, they aren't happy about being handled. They will be looking for a home that will provide them with a huge cage, lots of toys, plenty of time outside of their cage, and a great diet. A home that will accept them for who they are and enjoy their antics without putting pressure on them to conform to any expectations.

CARE has a couple of events coming up in the near future, so mark your calendars!

• AWARE pet expo on Saturday, Feb. 2. Lori will be speaking -- probably at 11; but that's always subject to change. This is a great event if you're thinking about adding any new pet to your household. Many exhibitors will be on hand, with organizations showcasing animals up for adoption. CARE will have bird toys and food for sale. See their website for more information!
• Bird Fest at Wehr Nature Center also on Saturday, Feb. 2. The Wehr Nature Center is a fantastic county park and puts on many educational events throughout the year. There will be plenty of things to do, especially for kids!
• Oshkosh Pet Expo on March 15 & 16. More information to follow!

In doing these events, CARE hopes to spread an educational message about companion parrots. We want to let people know about the pros and cons about adding a bird to their household so that people can make an informed decision about whether this is something that they want to do. Also, we want to let people know about the birds that we have up for adoption, looking for their second (or more!) chance for a loving family.