Amongst all the emails Kirsten gets, some have a silver lining.
A friend of ours down south has done some amazing work in rescuing abused and neglected parrots. She not only provides a stable home to birds in need, but she has also successfully reunited many lost parrots to their grateful owners. Her work is nothing short of amazing.
Recently Kirsten was contacted by her with a story of her most recent rescue – George. George had 3 previous owners and apparently his first owner had been horribly abusive to the poor little man. George had part of his left wing cut off and when his first owner decided he wasn’t wanted anymore – actually tried to starve him to death.
This brutal treatment fostered some aggressive behaviour in George as you can imagine. Coupled with the fact that he had 2 separate homes after his first “home” – he was highly distrustful of people. When our friend saw him advertised online, she didn’t hesitate to buy him with the hopes of finally giving this little guy a good home. $1000 later, she had a completely plucked and distrustful Eclectus male.
Knowing that he would require a great deal of rehabilitation, she committed herself to helping him no matter what. Now, months later George is on the amazing road to recovery! He has stopped plucking himself although he is still very bare from having plucked for many years. The diet she put him on has added much needed weight to the little man helping his behaviour improve in the process. Our friend now reports that he has become quite chatty and even has a companion of his own!
While there is still work to do to help him in his recovery, the progress she has made has been amazing.
Can you help a parrot in need?
Having been in the breeding business for over a decade – the focus for Kirsten has always been to find the perfect match for her baby Eclectus to start with so that there aren’t so many stories like George. However there is also a great need out there to provide abused or neglected parrots with a good permanent home and George reminds us in a very personal way how much of a need there is.
Rehabilitating parrots is not something that everyone can do and that is understandable. Before taking on any parrot – Kirsten has always tried to provide as much information as possible so that the prospective owner is well equipped to care for our babies.
When committing to care for a bird in need, the birds needs are different and the skill set required to successfully rehabilitate them are different
It takes a great deal of patience. You have to be strong and willing to accept the many bites from a distrustful parrot. You have to be committed to see them through their rehabilitation and not give up on them. If they have had many prior homes, this process can take a great deal longer.
It also may require visits to an avian vet so there is a financial aspect to consider too. Our friend spent $500 in vet bills to help treat George’s medical conditions.
It’s not all bad however
Watching the personality of an abused parrot blossom can be the most rewarding experience. Another close friend of ours who is a regular on our forum helped to rehabilitate her Eckie hen and love that these kids give in return is amazing. When they do finally ‘accept’ that you truly care about them and are not going to abandon them like everyone else in their lives has, the love they give you is very precious.
Rehabilitated parrots are often the most loving companions you could ask for. It may take a lot of work to get to that stage, but if you are serious about helping them, then it will happen
If you are in a position to help, then try contacting your local parrot rescue centre. Most countries have centres dedicated to parrots for just these cases. Here in Australia, our own Parrot Rescue Centre helps to re-home many birds with varying pasts.
If you know a first-hand case of a parrot who is neglected, then take action. The sooner a parrot in need gets the help they desperately need the better. If you can provide a permanent home to a parrot in need, then you would be doing one of the most loving acts toward these beautiful birds.
Red on the other hand showed a great deal of interest in where ‘Mum & Dad’ lived and soon began lifting her foot up and looking up at the house when we would visit with the kids. We brought her a travel carrier which she stepped into quite happily and we brought her inside with us. Ever since then she has been an amazing pet. She helps Kirsten cook meals, prepare the fruit and veg that we feed the kids every day and she quite happily perches next to us when we work inside. She showers regularly with us and her vocabulary has grown amazingly!
Kirsten has tried very hard over the years to balance her breeding technique with an insight into what the parrots experience. Being empathic is a good way to live not just when it comes to human relationships. While her method may be non-traditional from a breeding standpoint, the results speak for themselves. We both have the most amazing companion parrot in part due to the way Kirsten has raised and cared for her all these years.