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.
Jackie is a Congo African grey parrot, and he is assumed to be male (though he has not been DNA sexed). He is about 20-25 years old, and came to us as an owner surrender. His previous caregiver had a super busy lifestyle and realized Jackie just wasn’t getting the time or attention he deserved. He had rarely been handled, and we were told that if he was exposed to a lot of activity or stimulation, he will start plucking. He was towel trained to move him from cage to cage or for nail trims.
In his new foster home, Jackie’s cage was placed in the formal dining room, so he is on the fringe of the main action of the house but not right in the middle of it. Jackie has begun to thrive at his foster’s house. He has learned that people aren’t so scary and is working on stepping up when asked. Jackie also now politely lifts up his foot asking to step up which is a huge trust exercise for him. He takes treats very nicely from anyone that visits his foster’s house to include older children (10 and above).
One of Jackie’s favorite activities is to simply hang out on top of his cage and vocalize his wide range of sounds he has picked up/learned. He makes the android phone noise, a high-pitched squeal/whistle (his favorite and most annoying noise), he cracks open a pop top, he says Hello and do what in a deep man’s voice, water gurgling noises, wolf whistle, low battery beep for a smoke detector, creaky door opening/closing noises, a guinea pig squeak and is learning new noises in his foster home. As an example, he has now mastered the daughter’s excited scream when she’s playing a game online with her friends and he mimics her cat’s meows!
The foster home Jackie is in has dogs, cats, a cockatoo and other small birds. Jackie appears unphased by them but, as always, will need constant supervision if he is around other animals or birds. Thank goodness he has not picked up the screams of the cockatoo...yet!
Jackie just recently started climbing down off his cage to join his foster in her kitchen. He’s also been practicing his wing flaps to strengthen his flying muscles and can now do a downward glide almost out to his foster’s living room. He’s learning to use his wings to bank…after realizing that it’s hard to stop and turn. He’s had many small crashes into walls but it hasn’t stopped him from trying.
Jackie’s foster was told he does bite people, but so far, in his foster’s home, he has yet to bite someone. He loves to have his beak rubbed by his foster with some side face scritches. When he is done, he will politely put his beak on your finger without biting to ask you to stop. He’s even put his head down for his foster one time to get some whole head scritches & rubs. Recently, when his foster reached into his cage to get his dishes, he actually climbed on her shoulder from his cage door, so he’s really starting to enjoy human interaction. As with most parrots, this can not be forced, and patience is key – Jackie gets to decide how quickly he feels comfortable.
Sadly, Jackie did come with an old injury to his left foot, and he has a broken back toe that faces to the front. It doesn’t seem to bother him, but it does make it difficult for him to grip and perch. So if he trusts you enough to step up, you will have to realize he doesn’t have the best grip to hold on and stay. He will also need lots of different types of perches throughout his cage to help with his injury. Not long ago, he got a rope swing that he absolutely loves and it’s his new place to sleep at night. Jackie’s new owners will need to commit to visiting the avian vet with him at least once a year, and whenever he seems to be dealing with more pain than usual.
Jackie is on the diet that he entered the rescue with: a mix of ZuPreem Sensible Seed, ZuPreem Fruit Pellets, and Roudybush pellets. While grey parrots can be difficult to diet convert, Jackie’s new owners will need to eliminate the seed from his daily diet in order to improve his health and wellness. While seeds can be offered as a treat (as a tool for bonding or training), their nutritional value is not good for parrots.
Along with providing necessary avian vet care and a nutritious diet, Jackie’s new family will need to provide a suitable cage for him (he is currently being housed in one of the foster’s cages); the minimum cage size for an African grey is 36” wide by 28” deep, or 48” wide by 36” deep, with ¾-1” bar spacing (we go by the recommendation from the Association of Avian Veterinarians). Because a lot of activity is very distressing to Jackie, his new adoptive household should not have children under the age of 10; a good understanding of parrot body language (and specifically that of African greys) is preferred.
All of the birds that we work with at HARP are very dear to our hearts, but as of now, there is only one Angel. He would like to say hello!
Angel is a 23-year old male (assumed) blue and gold macaw (also known as blue and yellow macaw). Macaws are amazing parrots, but there are many things that also make them difficult to own. Like many parrots, forming close social bonds is a priority for the blue and gold macaw, but because many B&G’s live into their 70’s and beyond, they often end up living in many different households – and that can have a great impact on their emotional and physical health.
So what are you doing with the next 50 years? Angel definitely is showing signs that he wants to build social attachments, but he is very, very cautious. Interacting with different people in his foster home in different ways is helping him learn to trust, little by little. His new owner will need to be extremely patient with this process, and understand that the bonds will be formed on Angel’s timeline, and no one else’s. His first owners got him from a breeder when he was very young, and finished hand feeding him. When they were unable to continue caring for him, Angel went to live with their now-adult son and his family. Even though Angel had lived with this person, and they tried to maintain a similar routine and handling practices, Angel began plucking and barbering his feathers upon joining their household. His foster has not seen him pluck or barber specifically, and has not found any feathers that appear plucked, but this is a possibility in the future. As of now, he is molting some old feathers, and new ones are coming in (it looks like there are follicles that are not destroyed); we are hopeful that he will allow them to grow in fully.
Angel’s diet was converted to the BirdTricks seasonal feeding system (a set of unique recipes of fresh veggies, legumes and grains that changes seasonally), and pellets, and he is an enthusiastic eater! He also gets a very small amount of nuts, which his foster uses as training rewards and as a way to bond (brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and cashews are all favorites!). Angel is maintaining a healthy weight, with the help of lots of daily exercise!
Angel’s previous owner advised us that when he was about 10 years old, they suspect that Angel fell in his cage one night, because one of his wings was damaged and being held in a strange way. He has not been able to fly – yet! But someday, he may be able to at least glide or fly short distances.
Perhaps because he can’t fly, Angel is a bit of an acrobatic parrot, climbing and stretching, using his feet and his beak in feats of amazing strength and agility! He does have a playstand that he uses several times a day, but pretty much, when he is out of his cage, if there is a place he wants to be, he will figure out a way to get there. His foster has had to remove baskets that housed dog toys and blankets, because Angel sees them as potential nests, which raises his hormone levels. He has tried to climb into the backs of bookshelves, where it is nice and dark and hidden – another place that always looks a little bit nest-y! His new owner will need to understand the right (and wrong) ways to handle a parrot to mitigate hormones and avoid possible bites.
Angel has seen our avian vet a couple of different times, and has always come away with a good bill of health! He was disease tested, and all tests came back negative – yay! He is in a very large cage in his foster’s home (80”x40”), but these dimensions are still the minimum that he needs. A similar large cage or walk-in indoor aviary will be required in Angel’s new home, so if you are interested in adopting him, understand he will need a lot of space.
One important thing that Angel’s foster is continuing to work with him on is bathing. He is very frightened (unsure? Nervous about?) of any kind of bathing. His previous owners reported that they were able to take him into their shower, but when the foster tried to take him just into the bathroom while they showered, he became very heightened and upset. Spray bottles are also extremely scary, and he shows no interest in shallow dishes of water or the water in the sink. It will be very important that his new home is willing to continue this work, as bathing will be crucial for his health and improving his feathers and skin.
There were young children in Angel’s previous home, and he did display some aggression toward them. Any kids in Angel’s new home will be required to first meet him, and must be over the age of 12. We will require that all members of Angel’s new household are open and interested in interacting with him – this will help ensure that he does not fixate on one person and see anyone else as a threat.
In his previous life, Angel was an “only bird”, but is now part of a small flock in his foster home. None of the parrots are allowed out of their individual cages unsupervised, but Angel does show some healthy flock behaviors, including eating once all of the birds have their breakfast, or getting ready for the end of the day together.
Adopting a parrot like Angel is an enormous commitment, from financial and emotional responsibilities to time and space needs. The payoff is a lifetime companion and a bond with a very intelligent bird.
Once categorized as a subspecies of Psittacus erithacus, or Congo African grey parrot, the Timneh parrot was reclassified in recent years, based on research published in 2007 (Psittacus timneh). Coco knows she is a special girl, regardless of her scientific name, and we are looking for her forever landing spot, where her new family will let her shine.
Coco is an assumed female (she has not been DNA tested, nor has she laid any eggs that we are aware of), and is about 15 years old, we think. Like many parrots, especially grey parrots from Africa, Coco could be called “high maintenance” – her name itself tells us that! Her two previous homes had to surrender her for this exact reason: they did not have the time to spend with her, to get to know her body language and subtle cues, and so she spent more and more time in her cage. This, in turn, caused her to be somewhat cage aggressive and difficult to interact with.
Today, her foster family reports that she is usually a pretty friendly bird, though she still tries to bite fingers that make it onto or into her cage. Once outside of her cage, Coco has not bitten anyone while in foster, but she will occasionally lunge when someone does not respect her boundaries. Coco will need a home with people who know Timneh body language, or are willing to patiently observe and learn from her. Of course, some body language is all her own: Coco’s foster reports that she often bounces her head when she is aggravated by something – though she will do a very similar bounce when she is happy, too.
Within a fairly short period of time, Coco’s foster has been able to turn some of her behavior concerns around, and so we believe that with additional time and patience in a new home, she will make a very nice companion. She seems to interact well with both men and women, though it is the female in the foster household who does most of her caretaking, and Coco does seem to be more comfortable with her. In previous homes and in her foster home, Coco has been around children and other pets; she does not appear to mind the energy or presence of kids, but is, again, very cage aggressive and has tried to bite children when they put their hands on or near her cage. She is also very frightened by loud noises, and prefers a more calm environment most of the time. For these reasons, she will need to be adopted by a family without children younger than 10. Her foster home does have other pets, and as long as she is safely in her own cage while they are around, she does not have any problems.
Coco does know how to “step up”, but her foster reports she does not always want to. This is very important to be mindful of: the best relationships between parrots and people are built on mutual respect, and as the caretakers, we must allow our birds to sometimes say “no”. It can be difficult to encourage Coco to return to her cage once she is out and about; she would really rather be exploring on the floor. Coco is flighted, and she does fly; we do not believe in clipping a bird’s wings unless there are serious extenuating circumstances, and it should only be done by a vet and as a last resort. These are things that Coco’s new family should continue working on: making her cage a fun place to return to and figuring out the best way to help her believe that it is her choice every time, and encouraging her to fly daily for exercise and to improve her mental health.
Our foster family has learned that when Coco puts her head down and comes closer, that is her way of requesting some head scratches. She also enjoys dancing to music with her foster, playing with toys and foraging activities. These are all wonderful signs of a healthy parrot – many birds need to be taught how to play with toys or engage with their caregivers, but Coco only needs someone to put in the time to give these things to her. She really likes toys she can destroy and toys she can use to forage, but she does go through them quickly, so her new family will need a pretty decent budget for toys! Occasionally a new toy will be a little more scary to Coco, so introducing them slowly (like leaving them on a table where she can see it, and then hanging it on the outside of the cage) is important. Coco has “relaxed” quite a bit from when she first came in to our foster program, and while the first days and weeks in her forever home will take some adjustment, she only needs loving support to get through it.
For many people, the speaking ability of a parrot is a highly desired attribute, but counting on a bird to perform in this way is not kind. In her foster home, Coco does offer speech fairly regularly and learns new words and sounds easily (especially from their resident Timneh parrot on the other side of the house). There are some parrots who will “talk” in one environment and not another, so whatever she brings with her to her new home is just a little bonus, we think! Her foster reports that she does speak in sentences or full thoughts, though it is not always understandable. She will say, “”Coco bird”, “good morning”, “what you doing”, “are you okay”, and whistles for the family dog when the door opens to let him in. She is not known to be excessively loud, and she does “ramble” when she thinks she is mostly alone. Still, her ability to make noise means that she will need a home with no shared walls (like an apartment or condo).
Coco’s previous home fed her pellets, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables every morning, but they reported that she never ate the fresh foods. Today, her foster says that while she can be picky about some foods, she is still eating her pellets, along with fresh oats, veggies and fruits – though her new owners will want to be mindful of only feeding fresh fruit as an occasional treat (and never dried fruit, as it is basically just a sugar cube!). Treats should also be kept to a minimum, but they do come in useful when training or just making friends and associating yourself with something good happening; nutriberries, apple slices, bits of grapes, crackers and almonds are all favorites. Cooked beans and pulses (like lentils and chickpeas) are also very good for Timneh parrots, and can be introduced as part of a fresh veggie chop.
She will come with her own cage, but it is important to note that Coco has been known to pull out her food and water dishes. There are a few different ways to try and prevent this (you can buy stainless steel dishes that twist in to the holder, for example), but a smart bird like Coco is probably going to figure it out sooner rather than later. Coco does enjoy bathing, both in her water dish and when her foster gives her a water misting bath. This is important, and can be done daily if she likes, because Timnehs do produce a powder down (though many owners say it is less powder than a Congo African grey or a cockatoo).
If you are interested in learning more about this sweet girl, please fill out an adoption application today!
WANTED: ISO home for young male: he is gregarious, playful, intelligent, inquisitive, keeps a healthy diet, enjoys being part of a family or social group, can be fearful, and is fully feathered and (almost!) ready to fly!
Some parrots tell us pretty clearly that they are looking for a home that is a little more restrained, a little lower-energy, but others are looking for something completely opposite, and Clyde fits into this second category for sure. Clyde is a 5 year old, male (DNA), green cheek conure – he’s a whole lot of big parrot energy in a compact, colorful body! From the moment we met him and throughout his time with our foster family, Clyde has been friendly, chatty (he does know several words), and playful (he has a few different “sounds” that he also mimics well). He is not necessarily a noisy bird during most of the day, but he can (and does!) raise his voice if he thinks the house is TOO quiet for his liking.
There are a couple of somewhat unique details that we are looking for when it comes to finding Clyde’s forever home. First, Clyde has displayed a pretty specific preference for men. His previous (and only) owner was a young male, and he is currently living with a family with an older male; in both places, the women of the home have had more difficulty working with Clyde, but he seems smitten with men! Sometimes, birds like Clyde will meet and really click with someone we do not expect them to, and that is certainly a possibility, but his new home needs to have a male person who is interested in being Clyde’s main person.
The second somewhat unique thing about Clyde is that his previous owner followed BirdTricks pretty closely in terms of their diet and training philosophies, and we would like to find someone who will continue that work. Clyde’s diet is healthy, and he won’t need to be diet converted, which is a big plus! He eats a healthy breakfast of the BirdTrick’s seasonal feeding system (they offer a cookbook with the recipes that can be made ahead of time in bulk and then frozen into daily portions, or you might choose to utilize their freeze dried seasonal feeding diet where you only have to add a bit of water to a small portion each day), and either BirdTricks or TOPS pellets for his afternoon meal. Currently, Clyde’s preferred treat for training rewards are pine nuts, but he reserves the right to change his mind at any time!
If you are not familiar with BirdTricks, their name might be a bit misleading. Rather than training birds to entertain their owners, the true reason for training is to build a common language between human and parrot. Unlike our cats and dogs that are domesticated and have been bred for generations to be companions for humans, our parrots are still wild animals, no matter if they were living in the wild or born in captivity. It is important to understand this in order to work with any parrot effectively, and Clyde is the kind of bird who pretty much needs to feel like anything he does was his own idea first. He can be a bit nippy, and this was a primary concern his previous owner was working on through daily training sessions. Unfortunately, other commitments put that training on hold in recent months. Clyde will need someone in his new home who can work on training sessions daily (short sessions are best, and even one five minute training period a day can lead to meaningful change and building a great bond with Clyde).
Clyde is flighted, and we advise against clipping a bird’s wings unless medically necessary. This is another training opportunity, as his flight muscles have not been well developed, but recall training or indoor flight training is a great way to provide exercise and socialization time for Clyde.
Parrots like Clyde need several different kinds of enrichment on a daily basis, and flight is just one of them. According to his foster, Clyde enjoys toys that he can take apart, different items other than perches that he can climb on, and foraging toys (where a few pieces of nuts, pellets or veggies can be hidden and found). He also enjoys different kinds of music, as long as it isn’t TOO loud! Clyde will bathe on his own, in his water dish, regularly, so fresh water may need to be replenished more than once a day. Clyde does come with a fairly new cage, of an appropriate size for conures like him.
In his foster home, Clyde does enjoy “talking” back and forth with the resident conure, though they do not show signs of significant bonding or obsession. Parrots can form a flock and participate in flock behaviors even with birds of other species, and it does offer social enrichment. Any introductions to existing birds in the home should be done only after a thorough vet visit and at least a 30 day quarantine, and care must be taken if either bird has out of cage time to ensure there are is no aggression between parrots.
Clyde’s propensity for social interaction with people does extend down to children, and he has enjoyed the attention of our foster family’s younger family members. Because he can still be nippy, any kids in the home must be kept a good distance from the cage, as little fingers poking in between cage bars may look like good things to bite, at least to Clyde. So long as he can be at the center of the action, Clyde is a pretty happy, and very loveable (our foster family added that!) bird.