Available Birds
Please note: if the adoption requirements include providing a cage, do not purchase one until an adoption counselor has approved the adoption. Having an appropriate cage does not ensure your application will be approved. Also, we do not adopt to households outside of our operating area (the metro areas of Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, Iowa). For more information, please read through the “Requirements” page under “Adoption”.
Over the past 2 years or so, HARP has worked with a wide variety of parrots, including budgies, cockatiels, conures, quakers, ringneck parrots, african greys, cockatoos, and macaws – oh my! Today, we want to introduce you to a parrot of another species, and this sweet girl is named Missy.
Missy is an eclectus parrot, and she is 10 years old. There are many unique things about eclectuses (yes, spellcheck, this is the correct spelling and term), one of them being that they are sexually dimorphic. Most parrots do not reveal their gender in any visual way, except for the eclectus. No, she is not just dressing up for the July Fourth holiday: male eclectus are mostly bright green, while females are a combination of red with blue and purple. There are five species of eclectus, and Missy is a Papuan (or Solomon) eclectus. (The Oceanic Eclectus is extinct, but its scientific name is Eclectus infectus!)
A stunningly beautiful bird, Missy’s first owners were likely unprepared for the reality of keeping an eclectus like her healthy and content. When she was 5, Missy was rehomed, and lived with a family who did extensive research on the appropriate ways to provide care and enrichment for her. When she showed signs of illness, they took her to see an experienced avian vet; sadly, her primary caregiver’s own health was in decline at the same time. They made the difficult decision to surrender Missy to our organization in order to give her a more stable life.
Missy was previously hospitalized for an upper respiratory infection, and her foster home continued her treatment after intake. While she can still have more labored or raspy-sounding breathing at rest, her veterinarian believes this is likely residual from that original illness, possibly due to scarring, rather than repeated pneumonia. Her lungs currently sound clear. Missy’s forever home should still stay on top of her medical care with regular checkups from an avian veterinarian and should learn what symptoms would warrant a follow-up appointment.
The digestive system of the eclectus parrot is slightly different from other parrots, in that it is a little slower. Some experts believe this is due to a longer digestive tract, but whatever the reason, it is important to understand that whatever food is consumed will be in the body for a longer period of time. This gives the eclectus the ability to absorb more nutrients from its food; at the same time, if it is consuming lots of sugar, fat, food contaminated with heavy metals, or an imbalance of minerals and vitamins, those things are also more likely to be absorbed and cause issues with the bird’s health. Her foster is currently serving her chop with ground flax seed (ingredients will be shared, along with guidelines on what to include and what to stay away from) and Harrison’s Lifetime Coarse pellets.
Female eclectus, in particular, are not generally known to be “velcro” birds, and Missy is not either. While some people seek out parrots that will want to be with them all the time, the reality of this is more complicated: a velcro bird will act out whenever its owner (or preferred human) is not in physical contact with them. This kind of behavior leads to things like constant vocalizations or contact calls (sounds like screaming), aggression, destruction of cages or other items in the home, plucking or even self-mutilation, to name a few consequences. Fortunately, Missy is not a cuddly bird and does not enjoy being pet, which is very normal for an eclectus. Her affection looks different: she wants to sit on or near her person, be part of the room, and keep you company while you work. Her foster describes her as the perfect work companion. She may seem aloof at first, but she does seek out human interaction when people respect her space and let her choose the pace.
Once Missy is comfortable with someone, she will approach, take treats, and step up. She does seem to prefer a clothed arm to bare skin, which may simply give her a better grip. She often climbs from the arm to the shoulder, and while she has never tried to bite from this vantage point, she will chew on whatever is nearby — the couch, your sweatshirt, etc. Once she is settled in a new home, Missy enjoys spending time outside her cage. She often sits on the back of a chair, a standalone perch, the top of her cage, and of course, on her person. She enjoys playing with and chewing on toys, especially if cardboard/paper products are involved!
Missy is not much of a talker, but she has been adding to her sound library since living with her foster. She makes kissing noises, especially around bedtime, has learned to wolf whistle, and occasionally says, “What are you doing?” Most of the day, she is relatively quiet. When she does sound off, though, it is very loud. Her alert call can sound a bit like a fire alarm, especially when she is startled, in a new place, or seeing unfamiliar faces. This is not constant, but it is loud enough that Missy will need a detached home with no shared walls.
Aside from making kissy noises (and maybe “hi”?), Missy is not much of a talker. Most of the day, she is relatively quiet, but when she does sound off, it is very loud – her foster says she is maybe the loudest bird she has cared for! Typically, she will holler because something distressing is happening: she sees another bird, people she does not know enter the room or who try to care for her, etc. For this reason, Missy will need a detached home with no shared walls.
Missy’s relationship with other birds is a little more nuanced than we originally thought. She does not appear to be generally aggressive toward all birds or other animals in the home, but she does seem to have a specific feud with one neighboring bird in her foster home. When that bird is nearby, Missy may posture, vocalize, or attempt to strike, even through cage bars. Her new home should still be cautious if they have other birds and should plan for slow, careful management. Missy may do best as an only bird, but a home with other birds may be possible if her space, out-of-cage time, and interactions are managed thoughtfully.
We never trim a bird’s wings, and we strongly advise against it 99% of the time (it truly should only be done out of medical necessity and by a qualified avian vet). Missy can fly, but not well; typically she only takes off when she is spooked or when she wants to go back to her cage. Flight is a great exercise for Missy (and parrots in general), so encouraging her to practice would be a great way to offer that!
Missy’s foster has noted that she can be fearful, particularly of new or unfamiliar things (such as a new perch). The foster has been working on desensitizing new items by offering a nut (a positive reward) for sitting on the perch (something she would not otherwise try). It does help if, for example, when she sits on this new perch, she gets to hang out with the people in the household (which is another positive reward for Missy!).
Missy is a smart, funny, food-motivated eclectus who wants connection without being smothered. She needs a home that will respect her boundaries, keep up with her avian veterinary care, offer a healthy diet, and appreciate that her affection may look like quietly sitting beside you while you work.
If you are interested in learning more about Missy and possibly adopting her, please fill out an application today!
This is Jon – we think he’s the prettiest little green cheek conure* we have seen! (*along with all the other conures we have worked with or are working with or will work with) His name is Jon, but honestly, we don’t know for sure whether Jon is a male or female. Prior to joining HARP, Jon was kept with two other conures, and his owner noted that while there would occasionally be eggs in the bottom of the cage, they were unsure exactly which bird had laid them.
HARP is very careful not to separate bonded pairs or groups of birds, but Jon and his friends had not yet developed that type of relationship. Jon is about 2 years old, we think, and while his foster has been working with him, he is still somewhat wary of hands. When his foster needs to move him from place to place, they do use a towel, which Jon has somewhat become accustomed to. This is how his nails are trimmed; he will also accept pets and some preening of pin feathers on his head in a towel!
Jon is fully flighted, and needs out of cage time daily to exercise and socialize. He does tend to follow his foster from room to room as they go about their day, so clearly, he is interested in interacting. His new home should be ready to continue working with him on trust in a slow and respectful way.
Jon’s foster family has experience with conures, and noted that he is probably “average” in terms of how much noise a conure can make. His foster told us, “He does let you know he is present, however he is not a constant screamer. He is typically quiet in the evenings and more vocal in the mornings.” Jon does seem to enjoy music and will “dance and sing” with his human flock. He does enjoy whistling, and sometimes it sounds like Jon is trying to say some words, but at this point, they are not clear enough to understand.
Currently, Jon eats Zupreem natural pellets in the medium size; his foster has tried giving him some of the smaller pellets, but he leaves them behind in his dish. He is a pellet dunker, meaning that he will dip his pellets in his water before eating them, so his new home may need to change his water multiple times a day. A quality pellet diet is important, but parrots also need to eat fresh veggies, legumes, and grains daily. His foster has offered Jon both fresh and dried veggies, but suspects he is not eating much of them (if any). This is something that his new home should continue working on with him; we can help with some ideas for diet conversion as needed.
In his foster home, Jon’s cage is situated near a window, and he seems to enjoy observing what is going on outside. If he happens to see a person from his “flock” pass by, he will call to them! Jon’s foster has provided a swing for Jon in his current cage, and he seems to enjoy swinging on it. While he also has several different types of toys in his cage, his foster has not yet seen him “playing” with any of them, and upon inspection, reports that they look untouched. Some birds need to be taught how to play with toys, and Jon may fall into this category. We can offer support in this area also, as needed. Additionally, Jon does not appear to be bathing himself in any of the water sources made available to him; because bathing is an important ritual for birds, his new home should be ready to work with him on this as well.
So far, Jon has not shown a preference for the company of men or women; while the fosters have several parrots of their own, it is otherwise a fairly low-key home, and it is unknown how tolerant he may be of children. Jon has been friendly with the foster’s mini macaw; they have not allowed him to mix with their conures as they can be fairly territorial. Jon and the Illinger’s have shared a perch stand without any issues. If there are no other birds in his adoptive home, the new owner should be willing to spend a lot of time with Jon. He has seemed somewhat lonely, being away from his friends for the first time, but he seems to be slowly adjusting.
Jon’s foster has also noted that since arriving at their house, Jon has relaxed quite a bit and become friendlier. In terms of what Jon might need to be successful in a new home, his foster noted, “I feel he would do best in a home where he is let out daily to exercise and fly. A play stand would be nice as he has perched on mine while outside his cage. He is not afraid of larger birds so I feel he would need supervision if around them so he doesn't get hurt.” Jon will need consistent, confident, and plentiful interaction with his new human flock to become more trusting of people. If you have the time, Jon is ready to charm you with his sweet little face.
NOTE: Jon does not come with a cage of his own, so his adoptive family will need to supply one that is clean and of an appropriate size for conures (32” wide x 23” deep, with ½” to ¾” bar spacing). Please do not purchase a cage before you are approved to adopt Jon; we list the minimum size in order for you to get an idea of how much you may need to invest in a cage.
Attention! Is there anything more fitting than a military macaw named General? A few times a day, General will have something VERY LOUD to say, but otherwise the the similarities stop there. We believe General to be about 25 years old, and while we are saying “he/him” we don’t really know if he is male or female. At one point in his life, General had been dearly loved and carefully cared for, but through no fault of his own, he came to us after being neglected for some time when his owner began experiencing health and aging difficulties. Military macaws sometimes have a bad reputation for being a difficult or aggressive species, but General’s foster family has found him to be the complete opposite!
General is very gentle, and has been consistently stepping up (for adults) onto the wrist. Like many macaws, General will blush when given lots of individual attention and praise! His favorite activities seem to be watching the family goings-on (there are kids in the home) and having out of cage time to observe just a little closer. General has been good with the kids in his foster home, but all interactions need to be closely supervised, simply because of his enormous beak. He has been known to bite when overstimulated, so understanding macaw body language will be very important in his new home. Parrots largely use their beaks to understand their world, and his foster tells us that General does like to (gently) explore their hands while out of the cage. General’s foster believes that a busier home would be better for him than one that is very quiet and calm.
Like many companion parrots, General tends to know when he will be put back in his cage, and will do everything he can to avoid it. We can help with ideas on how to make it easier and more rewarding for General to be in his cage, but it will be important to continue providing quality out of cage time. His foster suggests that a playstand or climbing apparatus would be important to have for a bird like General. While we believe General might have the ability to fly (his wings are not clipped), and sometimes he acts like he would like to fly, he has not yet; we suspect his flight muscles have atrophied some over the years, which will happen when a bird is cage bound.
Inside his cage, General can often be found hanging near the top. He is not much of a toy destroyer (meaning, his toys usually last a little longer than for most birds his size) but he does like to chew on wood and shred paper and cardboard pieces.
In addition to his daily screeching (about three times a day), General also grunts and seems to babble word-like sounds. In the places where military macaws fly free, they are often in a social group with between 50 and 100 birds, so their calls have to travel miles, sometimes. Of course, it isn’t quite so appreciated in our homes, but this is part of having a macaw as a companion. Because of the noise factor, General will need an adopter with a stand-alone house (and patient neighbors, depending on how thick the walls are!).
General came to us on a seed diet, which today we know is harmful for our companion birds. He started eating Zupreem pellets (large size) easily in his foster home, and also gets a veggie-based chop mixture every morning. His foster does hide a few seeds in different places in his cage for him to find while foraging, which also gives him a healthy thing to focus on while people are away at work and school. His new home will need to continue feeding General a healthy pellet and chop mixture – he seems to enjoy it!
Another important part of a parrot’s life is bathing, and fortunately, General seems to enjoy it! He isn’t into a “tub” bath, so to speak, but quite enjoys a spray or misting shower regularly, which can help to keep his feathers and skin healthy. It is important to use only water (it can be mixed with a tiny amount of pure aloe) when helping birds bathe.
Some parrots have preferences for men or women (though they reserve the right to change their mind at any time!), but right now, General seems to pick the lady of the home over other people. General is not a fan of the other animals in the home, however; he is very wary of them. If he is put in a position where he is near the resident parrot, General will try to move away from them first, and if he is stuck, will posture and lunge (a very macaw thing to do!) to keep them at bay.
General did see our avian vet for a general check up, and nothing remarkable was found, aside from some damage to his feathers. We suspect he barbers (overpreens) them, but lowering stress levels by spending time with him and allowing him more time out of his cage does help. When our coordinators first met General, he had no tail feathers at all, so he is doing much better!
The family who is fostering General has quickly fallen in love with him, and goodbye’s will be difficult. Finding the right forever home and family will help ease the transition, so if you think you might be up for the task, please apply today!
If you are looking for a challenge, or a “project bird”, we have the perfect parrot for you: Kiwi! You might think she looks as sweet as a little kiwi (and we agree!), but she also has a lot of qualities in common with a lit firecracker.
Kiwi is a quaker (also known as a monk parakeet), about 3 years old, and while we say “her” we don’t know whether she is male or female. Previously, she belonged to a young girl, and unfortunately, learned to communicate her needs in a not-so-sweet way.
First, a few basics. Kiwi came to us on a seed diet, but her foster was able to convert her easily to eating Zupreem fruit blend pellets and a fresh veggie and grain chop. She still gets a couple of seeds a day, but they are given by hand and used as tools for bonding and training. As a big treat, she enjoys a Nutriberry, but sunflower seeds seem to be a hit for training especially.
When we first met Kiwi, we wondered if some of her “explosiveness” might be due to pain or discomfort: Kiwi does stand and perch in a sort of splay-legged position, and will occasionally fall in her cage. She did see our avian vet, and they advised us that her knees (or that joint anyway) were turned outward, but the exact cause was unclear. They suggested it might be an issue with her hips, but in order to properly diagnose (and possibly fix) the problem, she would need further x-rays and tests, and even then, it might turn out to be something that cannot be fixed. While birds are with us at HARP, we want to ensure that they are not in any current pain and address any health problems that come up, but we also take the medical advice of our avian veterinary team very seriously. While the vet was working with Kiwi, they said that she did not seem to be in pain even when they were manipulating the joints, but they sent an anti-inflammatory home with the foster to see if it would change anything for Kiwi. After a week of the meds, it did not seem as if they did much to help her, and so her foster stopped using it. This is all good information for Kiwi’s new family to have, if they decide to pursue a “fix” or find that her posture begins to deteriorate at some point in the future. For now, her foster has added some padding to the bottom of her cage to lessen the risk of injury should she happen to fall.
Kiwi will need an appropriate cage when she goes to her forever home; the cage she arrived in was far too small for a bird her size. The Association of Avian Veterinarians recommends that quakers (also known as monk parakeets) need a cage that is at least 27” wide by 24” deep, with no more than ½” bar spacing. If you can find a larger cage with ½” bar spacing, even better: while her new family works on training and developing a trusting relationship, a lot of that can be done while she is inside a cage and will limit her ability to bite at hands. (Do not purchase a cage until you have been notified that your adoption has been approved by HARP.)
Let’s go back to the comparison to a firecracker, and rate her on a scale of * (it’s not an issue one way or another!) to ***** (something she is very good at, for better or worse).
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE (SPEECH): *****
One way that Kiwi uses to get attention is her ability to mimic human speech – and she is pretty good at it! She can do all the “viral” hits, like Bacon Pancakes and Cookie Cookie. She also says things like, Here kitty kitty, whatcha doin, and peekaboo. She enjoys doing a sort of “rap” version of pretty bird; she barks and wolf whistles, and has a whole bunch of other garbled words and phrases that she is still working on! Not all birds will mimic speech, and their interest in doing so will vary depending on the reinforcement they receive, but we understand that Kiwi did talk in her last home, so chances are good she will talk for you.
NOISE: *****
If Kiwi can not get your attention with her speech, she will scream. A lot. Very loudly. Often, the pitch is similar to the screech of a young girl. Parrots do tend to make noise at sunrise and sunset, as this is the time of day when birds naturally flock call. However, when the screaming is reinforced through attention or even treats (aka, bribes, because you can’t scream while you are eating), it becomes a difficult loop to get out of. Time spent reinforcing CALM or quiet (even if it is a little seed when she stops to take a breath!) will be important in Kiwi’s new home. Another way to calm an overly excited bird is to introduce bath time. Her foster has not seen her bathe in her cage, however, and has not worked with her on this particular issue, but if you can successfully introduce a shower by using a spray bottle, and she enjoys doing it, it can be a great tool. It should never be used as a punishment, but if a bird will stop to bathe, their whole mindset gets a chance to reset – kind of like a warm bubble bath. But no bubbles for birds. Because Kiwi has the ability (and for now, the inclination) to be very, very loud, she will need a family with an unattached, single house.
FUN AND FRIENDLINESS: **
Kiwi loves to be around people, and attention from humans is a big reward for her. Again, however, she has learned that things like biting (see next) and screaming will get a reaction from people, and whether that’s a good or a bad reaction, she does not care. Any and all attention is fun and entertainment for her. Kiwi does need out of cage time to be able to climb and explore (and work off some of that pent up energy!), and she will try to climb up arms to get to shoulders to bite heads and faces. (Again, big reaction = lots of fun for Kiwi!) Her new family will need to understand that her bites are not personal – she doesn’t hate you, but rather, wants your attention! Kiwi just doesn’t know any other way to tell you that. She does not understand the request to step up – so again, lots of things to teach her! For someone who has the patience and time to work with her, she should be an easy bird to train and Kiwi has the potential to be a very cool friend.
DANGER (BITING AND AGGRESSION): *****
Public PSA: don’t give a lit firecracker to a young child. They may not come away with injuries requiring a hospital visit, but it’s a chance you really don’t want to take. Same thing with Kiwi. Most days, if you asked her foster, little Kiwi will choose violence. If you’ve read this far, you know why! But it bears repeating, that at this point: Kiwi bites. Often. Very hard. And she will continue doing so until she learns another way to communicate. Like many quakers, Kiwi can be cage aggressive, so even under the best circumstances, do not reach inside her cage. It’s not respectful, and she will come after you. By attaching a perch to the door, you are creating a bit of a neutral zone when you open it to give her out of cage time. Her foster still uses a towel to gently pick her up and move her to a safe place to hang out. Kiwi can not fly at this time: her young owner clipped her wings very, very short (another reason she may have trouble balancing), and it will take time for them to molt and all grow in again. She acts like she wants to fly, though, and truthfully, some of her aggression may be due to the fact that she can not perform this very instinctive bird activity. While flightless birds can exercise and be active by climbing and walking, wing clipping often leads to very serious mental health issues for birds, which is why we discourage it unless it is medically required by an avian vet.
EXPENSE (AKA, TOY AND VET BUDGET): ***
Kiwi loves to destroy toys – which is great news, because that means she will spend less time trying to destroy your home! She particularly enjoys toys made of cardboard and soft woods (sola, balsa) that she can easily rip up. Kiwi’s foster has found that she will snip the cords to toys hung from the top of her cage before she can actually play with them, but she usually does better when they are hung from the side of the cage. She goes through toys quickly, but the materials can be easy to source and with a little research you can make your own, though toys for her size of bird are usually more affordable than those required by larger birds. Predicting vet costs is somewhat more difficult, but like any companion animal, Kiwi will need to see an avian vet at least annually, and as she gets older, she may need to go more frequently. Unforeseen emergencies do happen, and they can be costly, but preventative care goes a long way as well. As a rescue we have had emergency care bills range from $150 to more than a couple thousand, so regularly putting cash aside for a “parrot emergency fund” is often a good idea.
If you are up for the challenges and rewards that Kiwi comes with, we want to meet you! Please fill out an adoption application today!
In recent months, you may have noticed we have had several African grey parrots surrendered to our rescue, and observing them flourish and reveal all their unique attributes has been quite an honor! While the species as a whole share some basic characteristics (they are highly intelligent and have the ability to mimic a wide array of sounds and voices, they are exceeding social and require hours of interaction daily, they can be prone to hypocalcaemia or low levels of calcium in the blood), each of the individuals who are or have been up for adoption also have unique needs and qualities.
Zazoo is a 25 year old male Congo African parrot (DNA-verified). He has lived in a few different households over his life so far, but we are looking for his forever perch! Zazoo is relatively curious and inquisitive, but he also enjoys time simply observing what is going on around him. He will come with his own cage, but it is important to note that he can be somewhat cage territorial. If you are patient and unthreatening, Zazoo will approach people at the front of his cage for head scratches through the bars. Typically, Zazoo will not step up from his cage, though he does enjoy time out of the cage, and will often sit on the top of his door for “observation” time.
Does this bio sound familiar? It might be: Zazoo was up for adoption with us about a year ago or so! We found him a loving home, but unfortunately his new family had a major change in life events, and we welcomed Zazoo back with open arms. We decided to place him in a different foster home, to give us a better idea of how he interacts with different people and a different household energy. Zazoo has already lost one adoptive home, so we will be extra particular in rehoming him again. He is a parrot who is true to his species: highly intelligent, sometimes fickle (particularly because he has not been able to settle in any one home), and occasionally moody. He will need a home who is experienced in extreme patience, where everyone in the household is invested in helping him become a successful and respected member of the family.
Zazoo is still in his original cage, and while he can be a bit territorial of it, it is one constant that we have been able to provide for him. He still enjoys a variety of toys, though he now shows a preference for things he can shred and destroy (as opposed to the puzzle toys he seemed to like quite a bit). Specifically, undoing knots and chewing up cardboard are high up on his “toy requirements” list! He has not shown any fear or uneasiness around new toys, though as always, Zazoo has the right to change his mind at any given moment and often for no reason (that is obvious to us) at all. He quite enjoys the opportunity to hang out on top of his cage and observe the household goings-on, which is something that has remained true from his previous foster home.
While he was amenable to head scratches in his previous foster home, this time around he has not yet warmed up to physical touch of any kind. His current foster continues to work with him on this, but it will need to be continued by his forever family as well. For now, he can be moved from place to place with a gentle hand holding a perch, and usually steps up without a fuss. When he first came to HARP, Zazoo was able to interact with school age children in the household (under close parental supervision) safely, but more recently, he did manage to bite a child through the bars of his cage when they got too close. He has also bitten his foster a couple of times, so the ideal adopter will be able to read the subtleties of African grey parrot body language. (It can be challenging! The author of this bio has not been able to do this herself!)
Zazoo can mimic a few words when he feels like it, but what he continues to excel at is mimicking other sounds and whistles. The first few times, you will be fascinated by how accurate he sounds (to things like microwave beeps or a truck backing up), but when you put it on repeat, it can become a bit more… well, a test of your patience. He is not necessarily a loud bird, but when he wants your attention, he is not afraid to be more vocal. Zazoo’s next home can not have any shared walls, ceilings or floors with neighbors for this reason.
Currently, Zazoo is living with a couple who have grown children (and grandchildren!), and so a typical day is rather quiet and calm. They do note that when they have guests (and children in particular), Zazoo seems a bit more uncomfortable. For this older bird, being able to keep a routine so he knows what to expect is more important to his mental health (other parrots can cope easier with novelty).
A good parrot diet consists of both pellets and a variety of fresh and uncooked veggies, grains, and cooked legumes. Nuts and seeds can be added in as bonding or training treats, but should not be part of their daily diet. Any fruit that is offered should also be fresh (not dried), and preferably have a lower sugar content (like raspberries) as opposed to a higher amount (like grapes). Zazoo is eating Zupreem Natural pellets, and some of his favorite fresh foods include carrots and blueberries, with pine nuts, almonds and cashews as special treats.
African grey parrots produce a powder down, which is used during preening (like a dry shampoo) and for water-proofing their feathers. The effect that owners see is a fine dust that can be just sticky enough to make cleaning their environment difficult. One way to reduce this dust is to offer baths – and Zazoo, fortunately, really enjoys them! He will bathe in his water bowl, sometimes in a larger kitchen bowl placed at the bottom of his cage, and also by a continuous spray mister. Some birds have a preference of taking a daily bath, but being sure Zazoo takes at least one or two weekly will show an improvement in dust levels.
Zazoo seems to be unfazed by seeing cats or dogs in the home, but extreme caution should always be taken any time a predator and prey species are in the same room (even if one of them is caged). He also does not seem bothered by the smaller birds in his current foster home; previously, his foster had a resident african grey parrot who was female, and it was often hard to keep Zazoo away from her (even though there was an attraction, the constraints of captivity can make a pairing much more dangerous, and birds have been known to kill each other).
If you have experience, endless patience for parrots, and oodles of time to dedicate to a bird, you might be the perfect match for Zazoo!
Our friend Bubba would like to say “hello”, but he is a little nervous around new people. Fortunately, he can’t hide his big-bird-antics-packed-in-a-little-bird-body for long!
Bubba is a cockatiel, believed to be male and about 7-8 years old. He came to us when his previous owner’s health was in decline, and the cage he had been confined to for many years was too small for a cockatiel, so prospective adopters should keep in mind that he will need a cage. The cage that was sourced for him by HARP is a larger size for him, and his fosters report that he does appreciate the additional space (we will share details about cage size requirements, including bar spacing, during the home visit phase of our process). At night, his previous owner covered his cage, which can create a sense of comfort for some parrots.
Upon placement in his temporary home, Bubba’s fosters encouraged him to leave his cage and interact with them, and he was extremely outgoing and seemed happy to explore the world outside of his cage. This foster home does have dogs and a cat, so while Bubba is used to them (smaller dogs and cats in particular), his cage is never open while the other animals are out. Bubba’s wings do not appear to have been clipped, but he is a somewhat clumsy flier. For parrots that were hand-raised and cage bound, this is not unusual; while the wild instinct is there to fly, parrot babies fledge from their nest with guidance and lessons from their parents; if this is not allowed to happen, a bird can learn on their own, but caretakers will need to be especially watchful and provide spaces with soft surroundings to guard against injuries.
Like many birds, Bubba will usually seek out the highest places to perch, whether he is inside or outside of his cage. Many people will tell you this is because they are trying to assert dominance, but parrots, being prey animals, are not concerned with dominance. Instead, a high place to perch allows them safety, as they will be able to see danger coming in time to react appropriately. Fortunately, Bubba will return to his cage easily, as he still sees it as a place of comfort.
More recently, Bubba has not been interested in leaving his cage, even when the door is open. If his foster asks for a step up when the cage is open, he will only oblige if he is ready to have some out and about time. Otherwise, he will hiss – birds give plenty of warning before they resort to biting, and Bubba is no different!
Regardless of whether he is inside or outside of his cage, Bubba has some serious FOMO (fear of missing out)! His (sturdy) cage should be in a high-traffic area of the home, preferably where someone is almost always hanging out. If he can hear his preferred foster parent but not see them, he will flock-call to them with a special tune, and expects to hear that sound returned to him – this tells him, I am here, I will be back in eyesight soon, don’t worry! Parrots are very social creatures, and most species (including cockatiels) are very rarely ever alone in their natural surroundings. If necessary, and usually only around 9am, Bubba will alarm call pretty loudly, but otherwise his foster reports he is typically a pretty quiet bird. He loves whistling, and tries to mock whatever tune or whistle his human friends test him on. When the resident dogs are barking, Bubba will squawk along with them just to be part of the noise. While he will need to have his cage to himself, his foster believes that he might like to have another similar sized friend to whistle back and forth with when the people of the home cannot be present.
We did mention Bubba’s “preferred foster parent”, and that is another thing to be mindful of: while Bubba will likely engage with almost anyone willing to give him some attention, he does tend to pick out one person and pine after them. He will also, however, change who that person may be without any warning or apparent cause – and Bubba says he reserves the right to do so! It’s not personal, and chances are, he will change his mind again after some period of time.
Although Bubba’s foster family has introduced several different kinds of toys, he has really only played with one so far. He does love playing with it, they report, and they are working with him to see if they can find more that will capture his attention, but his adoptive home will also need to work on this. His current preferences seem to be sitting on a rope perch, playing with that one toy, paying attention to the TV when the family is gathered around, observing the dishes being done, and whistling back and forth with his human companions. His foster family also moves his cage around the room now and then, so he has a different view and for them to monitor what space he seems to prefer.
Initially, when Bubba would come out of his cage, he would occasionally dip under a running faucet and take a quick little shower. Within his cage, his foster does offer misting sprays, and he has a bathing dish in his cage. Cockatiels are a dusty species as a rule, but providing opportunities for bathing a few times a week will cut down on this dramatically.
Bubba came to us on a seed diet, which is not the ideal source for most of a bird’s nutrition. Happily, Bubba transitioned to Zupreem pellets with millet as a treat (using it for bonding or training is a great way to offer it!). Like many parrots, Bubba does seem to like eating socially, and if he is out of the cage he may try to steal food off your plate! While there are many foods that birds should never have access to (chocolate, avocado, xylitol and caffeine are just a few that are toxic to parrots), things like a bite of plain pasta a couple times a week or undressed lettuce salads are great foods to share with your bird!
We rely on our volunteer foster families to help us find the best families for each of our birds! Bubba’s foster notes that he will need a home that is patient and okay with a bird who may not want to fully interact with them. They should be willing to take time to work with him daily, especially in regards to leaving his cage, as that is all he has known for so many years. With some dedication, Bubba could be an excellent bird for a first-time parrot caregiver! If you think you could offer Bubba a happy place to perch for life, please fill out an application today!
You may remember Angel, the blue and gold macaw we had last year, and lost when she was not able to recover from the anesthesia after a critical surgery. It seemed a little serendipitous when, earlier this year, we took in another blue and gold macaw named Pennie.
Pennie is a female macaw (verified through egg laying) and about 18 years old. She was surrendered after her owner, who loved her for 15 years, began travelling more extensively for work and Pennie was uninterested in working with other members of his family. It is always difficult for parrots to be uprooted from the people and places they know, but Pennie has done remarkably well in a household with someone who is familiar with macaws where she is being fostered.
While her foster wishes she had a little more of an appetite sometimes, Pennie seems to try new foods with great interest; if she gets the same fresh foods for several days in a row, however, she is less enthusiastic. In the mornings, Pennie joins her foster to make breakfast for all the birds, and often enjoys one frozen blueberry and a tiny lick of all natural applesauce. In her cage (which is in decent condition and will last her probably another 5-10 years), she gets a mix of fresh veggies, grains, and cooked legumes. Around lunchtime, the fresh food is exchanged for Harrison’s High Potency pellets — recommended by our avian vet, as Pennie tends to be a little under weight (but she does eat the pellets well). Depending on what veggies her foster family is preparing each day, she also enjoys a chunk of something else now and then: raw carrots, cucumbers, and beets, and cooked sweet potatoes and whole grain pasta have been favorites in the past. This diet should be continued with her new adoptive family.
Pennie’s former owner cautioned that she only likes men, but we usually take that with a grain of salt. Some birds really do have preferences, while others just need someone they connect with easily or who can read parrot body language and is respectful of boundaries. We can confidently say now that Pennie really prefers men/male energy. Her primary caretaker in foster is the woman of the household, and Pennie will work with her (particularly for a piece of nut or other treat), but she will not seek her out or allow her to give head scratches. The foster has been patient with Pennie, learning her body language and motivations, and can usually get her to step up (particularly if it is for out of cage time or for a bit of a nut). Pennie understands target training, can say “hello” on command, and will raise one foot at a time – all for rewards (nuts), but reliably does so. One thing to note is that Pennie will not step up to a hand – she will easily go to your forearm, and she has not used that opportunity to climb higher to a shoulder.
Still, Pennie is ga-ga for the guys. She will climb (and even hop-fly) to reach the man of the house, and gets very excited when she has a vet visit (she has only seen male vets so far) – it is almost embarrassing! She does display hormonal behavior in the presence of men, which is why her foster has been careful to curtail her interactions (lest she become aggressive or try to lay eggs). This does not mean that Pennie’s primary owner should be a man or a woman, necessarily. In fact, her ideal home is probably a male and female couple, where both individuals work with her regularly and include her in their daily lives. To maintain a good balance, in that situation, the female should have the first and most positive interactions with Pennie (offer treats, let her out of her cage, bring her fresh food and toys, etc), while the male can even things out by being the “bad” guy (returning her to her cage, removing old toys, etc). No worries, though, because Pennie will forgive him!
We have taken Pennie to our avian vet a couple of times (she had one beak trim and one nail trim), and the basic health tests they ran came back fine. Even though she had been on a poor quality seed and dried fruit diet, the veterinarian said that she is really in remarkably good health (aside from being a little underweight at times).
Pennie will need a home where she can spend at least an hour (and on most days, quite a bit more) outside her cage. In her foster home, Pennie is not a landshark – meaning that at all costs, she avoids walking on the floor (which helps with the safety of your toes). She can fly, though she does not like to; the times she has flown have been when she is startled by a loud noise or a fast movement near her. Pennie has not had a lot of practice flying (her foster thinks this is where some training from a masculine person might help encourage her), but she tries to land above the floor. This has led to some interesting situations, where Pennie has clung to blinds and bookshelves, according to her foster. The only time that Pennie seems reluctant to return to her cage is when she has settled in for the night on her playstand and does not care to move. In these cases, her foster uses a long perch and Pennie easily steps up and goes back in her cage without a fuss. She will come with a small playstand from her previous home, but her foster notes that she would probably love a larger, and more stable, tree stand.
Initially, Pennie was pretty vocal in her foster home. We advise our caregivers, and new adopters, to keep a parrot new to the household away from other birds for at least 30 days to monitor for any signs of health problems, and this was a bit torturous for poor Pennie. She wants to be in the middle of the action! Her foster family now has her, either in her cage or on her playstand, in their open family room/kitchen space, near two of their resident parrots, though she and her cage return to the attached dining room at night for bedtime. Pennie still yells, usually if the other birds are noisy or if the foster’s dogs are barking, and typically around dinnertime/sundown. She is also known to loudly complain if she is bored or needs to come out of her cage. For these reasons her adoptive home must be a detached house, rather than a home with any shared walls.
Many folks ask if we have any “talking” birds, but we really can’t answer that in a straight forward manner. Most parrots, from budgies to macaws, have the ability to “speak”. Whether they do or not (and whether it is easy to understand them or not) comes down to the individual bird. Some birds never speak, and sometimes, some birds never stop talking! But most parrots do have at least one or two words, though the environment they are in dictates whether they will talk or not. Another thing to keep in mind is that human speech only occurs with a parrot when they are in a heightened, or excited, state. Often, this energy can lead to bites and aggression if the people nearby are not careful, so speech is not always a good quality in a parrot. Having said that, Pennie does have a few words: she will say “hello” if she hears a phone ringing or sees someone outside the front door or window or if there are no people that she can see but needs attention (or on cue as noted above); she will will say “goodbye” occasionally but particularly when the man of the house leaves the room; she also often says “step up?” to the man of the house when she would like his attention.
We think Pennie enjoys bathing, but it is something that her new family will need to work on as well. Pennie can be very cautious with her trust, and she has only allowed her female foster to mist her thoroughly with a spray bottle so far. She does show a bathing response (meaning she will lean over and spread her wings so that water lands everywhere), but occasionally if the session has gone on longer that she prefers, Pennie will lunge and try to bite at the bottle. Her previous owner noted that he would take her into the shower on her playstand and turn on the water, but so far, Pennie has been fearful of even entering the bathroom, let alone the shower.
Pennie’s new family should expect to spend a good bit of money on toys for Pennie every month. Her favorite toys have a nut or other little treat hidden inside (foraging toys like cardboard cubes or wood boxes she has to manipulate have been quite enjoyed). These toys are high value to Pennie, though she does go through them in minutes. She will chew toys with thin pine planks, and lately she has been enjoying snapping wood beads off of toy cords. Other forms of enrichment and foraging that Pennie has enjoyed include wrapping both her pellets and a couple of nuts in clean brown paper and putting them in her food dish, being encouraged to walk across new surfaces (like the kitchen counter) by placing a nut some distance away, and playing different kinds of music for her (she will “dance” if a male is present). Making some of her toys can help defray the cost (using clean cardboard, strips of acid- and lignin-free paper, and unused paper straws and coffee filters, for example). Pennie also loves to destroy birdie bagels (look them up, they are real!).
Pennie is generally a cautious bird, even after several months. Her foster family thinks she would do well in a household with medium to low energy; middle school aged children and older will not likely bother Pennie, but the quick movements of younger kids make her nervous. Pennie’s foster says she is the least aggressive macaw she has met to date: while Pennie is not overly friendly and outgoing (well, at least with women), she will give you the space that she expects in return. She is very good with her body language and because she gives every warning before she feels threatened enough to bite, she has not done so in her foster home.
Do you think your home might be a good fit for Pennie? Fill out an application today!
Gizmo and Gadget are siblings and pair bonded budgies – meaning that for their mental and physical health, they must be adopted, housed, and kept together, as a pair. They are fairly young, only about two years old; with good care (clean cage, fresh water, diet of pellets/seeds/fresh foods, regular exposure to sunlight and fresh air, annual vet care), budgies can live to be between 15-20 years old!
A bonded pair of birds like Gadget (blue male) and Gizmo (green and yellow female) come with some unique benefits and normal challenges. As noted above, they are siblings, but that does not mean they may not attempt to mate; any offspring allowed to hatch are likely to have health problems at best, and our adoption contract specifies that the birds not be used for breeding. We will walk through how to humanely dispose of any eggs that may come from this pair with potential adopters ahead of time.
We strongly advise against wing trimming, and fortunately Gadget and Gizmo are fully flighted. In their previous home, they were allowed time out of their cage to fly and exercise daily, and we hope that can continue in their new home. While they are not necessarily hand-tame, they are not afraid of people and truly enjoy being in the center of the home, where they can observe activity around them. They prefer to interact with each other, chattering and exploring different toys and perches inside their cage (which will come with them). Gadget and Gizmo can tolerate their humans being gone for several hours a day (as in, working outside the home), so long as their people can also spend time making sure their needs are met and providing a little attention from afar.
While we normally think of budgies as seed eaters, it is much more healthy for them to have appropriately sized pellets and fresh veggies and grains being the bulk of their diet. Gadget and Gizmo do eat pellets and some seeds in their foster home; while they were interested initially in the fresh veggie mix their foster provided, they are becoming a bit more picky. Offering a variety of veggies and cooked grains, presenting them in different ways (chopped finely or chunky, on a plate or on a hanging kabob, at different times of day) may help entice them to start eating the good stuff again in their new home.
If Gadget and Gizmo sound like they might be a good fit for your home, please fill out an application today!
This bonded pair of elderly male cockatiels came into the rescue when their owner was moving out of the country and couldn’t take them. She originally rescued them from various situations, so we are unsure of their exact age, but they were with their previous home for over 10 years. We estimate they are at least 15 years old.
These boys are so sweet and love to interact with people. They get all excited when their foster gets home and flock calls to her to come join them. They love to come to the side of the cage where their foster is to talk to her and whistle their little song to her.
In their previous home they had free run of a flight room and weren’t handled much. They have now adjusted to a large flight cage and are learning to step up nicely. They love, love, love a sea grass bridge their foster put across the cage to hang out on and chew up. Once the adoption is approved, Catcher and Phoenix’s new family will need to provide a large cage for the two of them live in (we will advise on size and suggest places to find one).
At their fosters home they have a java tree to hang out on and enjoy some millet treats. They also step up very nicely from the tree to go back in their cages. On weekends their foster lets them out to fly around, hang out on the tree and just enjoy life while she works on her computer. Catcher has started flying to be near her and to hang out with her. Phoenix isn’t quite that brave yet, but Catcher will hang out on the top of her monitor to sing to her while she works.
These two boys are very bonded and dedicated to each other, so they must stay together. If one decides to get adventurous and flies too far, the other will start calling for him very loudly. When two parrots get along well, like Catcher and Phoenix, it can make time apart from their human companions a little more tolerable. Parrots are very social, and in the wild, cockatiels spend all of their time as part of a larger flock.
They were on a seed diet for all of their lives; their foster had tried to switch them to pellets but they aren’t taking to it. Currently they have pellets to munch on as they want and get a little bit of seed each day. They do eat some of the pellets, but they will not eat them at all and will scream/refuse to eat unless they get seed. At their age, they deserve to enjoy life. They get so excited they will jump all over their fosters arm to get their food and are addicted to millet.
If you want a pair of sweet boys who will talk to you, want to hang out with you and just enrich your life, look no further!
Ruby is our most mysterious cockatiel to date! Initially surrendered to a local humane society, it was clear she was not in any shape to go to a new home right away, and so one of our fosters took her in for some TLC. Slowly, but surely, she has made enormous strides from the terrified ball of feathers to a bird who is now beginning to trust people and even enjoys their company!
When Ruby came to HARP, she was on an all-seed diet, and petrified of people. Even a slow hand toward her cage had her fluttering in fear, making even the most basic care (like giving her fresh food and water) a little nightmarish for her. Every day, her foster worried she was going to hurt herself for as much as she flung herself about the cage. Fortunately, she started eating the pellets that were offered to her, along with a bit of seed so she has a more balanced (and healthy) diet.
The cage Ruby was surrendered in was not even large enough for her to turn around in, so we have supplied her with a larger one (though eventually we would encourage her new family to find an even more spacious cage eventually). Her foster worked diligently with Ruby, using teeny tiny baby steps: first she stopped panicking, then she would come to the front of the cage, and now she seems to crave attention (still hands off, but we think that will come if her new family continues to work with her!). We think she is a younger bird, maybe only 2 or 3, but it is difficult to tell for sure.
We don’t know if Ruby was ever kept in a home with other birds, but at her foster’s house, she appears to be interested in them and enjoys their company. She often hangs out in a front corner of her cage to get the best view of everything (and everyone!) around her. Ruby does not seem to be focused on toys, but she will chew on softer things like cardboard and sola wood. Occasionally, Ruby likes to be a little more discreet and will seek out a back corner of her cage; we recommend hanging a bigger toy in front of that perch, which will give her more of a place to hide that is not fully enclosed (more enclosed spaces often encourage egg laying, unfortunately).
One thing that Ruby’s new family will want to work with her on is bathing. Cockatiels, being a part of the cockatoo family, can be dusty, and bathing regularly will keep that in check. We can offer support in terms of different bathing options to give her, steps to finding a method that she will enjoy, and what it looks like when a bird has a good time in a bath (rather than just tolerating it, when the water simply beads up and does not get in between the feathers and into the skin).
Ruby is ready to meet her forever family – could it be yours? Apply online today!