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     Many readers are by now aware of the vast numbers of unwanted birds currently in existence in the United States.  I now have sixteen parrots, most of whom needed rescuing and who had serious behavior problems when they came to me. Anyone, including most breeders, known for their ability to work well with parrots will admit that they have birds offered to them all the time, birds that are losing their homes due to different reasons.

    Rescue facilities, adoption programs and sanctuaries in the United States are full and many have long waiting lists. New organizations and programs attempting to deal with the problem are cropping up all the time. Programs, such as that given at the most recent Pet Bird Convention by Sybil Erden of The Oasis, are presented more and more often in order to bring the issue to the attention of the bird owning public. There is literally nowhere for these unwanted birds to go, and the situation is reaching such crisis proportions that it is generally agreed that within a year or two we will begin seeing large scale euthanasia of unwanted birds, as we do with cats and dogs.

    The problem of unwanted parrots who need new homes is one in which I have become very interested, not just because of their plight, but because often our methods of working with such parrots must be tailored specifically for each individual if we are to be successful with them.  When taking in a parrot who has come from a previous home, it is important to have some idea of what you might reasonably expect, as well as methods for successfully dealing with them and the challenges they can present.

Pre-requisites

     There are many well-meaning bird owners willing and ready to take in a second-hand bird.  However, without realistic expectations and some knowledge of how to deal with behavioral problems, as well as a readiness to do so…no matter where that leads…this can lead to disappointment. I do not agree with the concept of taking in second-hand parrots on a conditional basis.  This is unrealistic, and therein presents the real challenge in taking in such a bird – making a commitment to an “unknown.”  However, this is leap of faith will actually go furthest in insuring a successful outcome to such a commitment.  Any problems a parrot has will only be made worse by the stress of first being given up and having to leave it’s home, adapting to conditions in his new home and starting to form new bonds…only to be taken back to the first place where he wasn’t wanted either.  This simply isn’t fair. 

    I readily urge bird owners to take in second-hand parrots, but only if they have been successful first with one or two young parrots, understand the behavioral differences between a sexually mature parrot and a baby, are willing to seek out assistance from professionals when this is needed, and have a deep sense of commitment that will carry them through the very difficult times.

Committing to the Unknown

    When you contemplate taking in a second-hand parrot, there is really no way to know for sure whether or not the bird has behavior problems.  Unfortunately, the majority of parrot owners are those who never do get the information they need to be successful with a bird, but who remain forever impressed with the initial financial outlay that was required for what has become a most disappointing pet.  You see the ads in every newspaper, placed by such individuals who hope to recoup some of their financial “loss.”  They are not about to admit that the reasons they are giving up their beloved Amazon are because the bird screams non-stop during the evening hours and the wife is just now healing from the ten stitches she required in order to reattach her ear.  Many owners wishing to unload a parrot are not 100% honest about their reasons for giving their bird up. 

    Second, there are many parrots who certainly did have behavior problems in their last homes, but whose problems resolve when placed in a more benevolent, parrot-friendly environment. These birds, who have such a poor track record, often become exceptional companions if given the chance.

    Third, when a bird changes homes, there is usually a “honeymoon period,” during which they are very well behaved.  This lasts about two weeks.  Being a prey animal, any parrot will automatically be more careful about his behavior when in a new and unfamiliar living situation. Thus, it can take some time to understand the new parrot’s problems, which will only manifest once again when the parrot has settled in and begins to feel safe in his new surroundings.

Some Bring No Problems…

    Lastly, some parrots have no behavior problems and lose their homes for no reason other than lack of commitment on the part of the original owner. My seventeen-year-old Timneh Grey, Wanda, is a good example of the latter situation.  He was left in a pet store in New York City for boarding.  His owners never returned for him, and he eventually made his way to me after staying in two other homes.  Wanda has been with us for over a year, and as far as I can tell…has no behavior problems at all.  He’s an even-tempered, affectionate parrot, but is not perhaps as glamorous a companion as his owners might have hoped.  He talks only a little, and is rather reserved. His charms are of the subtle variety.

Some Bring Resolved Problems…

    As indicated above, other parrots who had behavioral problems in their last homes only had the problems because they were fed a poor diet, or were provided with an inadequate environment, or did not get enough attention. Many of these never exhibit the problems that made them lose their last home when they are placed in a more benevolent environment. 

    Topper, our Goffin’s Cockatoo, is a good example. We were his seventh home in his nine years when we took him in two years ago. Topper, like any cockatoo, can be a noisy bird.  However, with enough stimulation – and not too much – and a good diet and lots of things to do, he is quite a manageable bird.  I can’t say I’ve really even worked with Topper to overcome any behavior problems, other than the fact that I had to find the best location for his cage.  Many cockatoos think of themselves as sentinel birds, and Topper is one of these.  I first placed his cage next to a window, but this was a mistake.  Every time a butterfly flew by, he had to alert me to the danger.  When we moved his cage away from that window he became a much quieter bird.

    Topper does tend to bite when he is hormonal.  Sexual maturity is a time in a parrot’s life when they often lose their homes, because their owners don’t understand that some aggression is normal during these years.  So, we have all taken our share of bites from Topper, but these occur sporadically and we don’t consider them a problem.  The fact is that adolescent parrots will become more aggressive and moody during certain periods of the year and this is not a behavior problem.  This falls under the category headed with the words, “Undomesticated Behavior.”  Any parrot is a wild creature, and will act like it at times.  My job is to avoid the bites by becoming more informed and careful around him, and to understand that he will outgrow this phase. This is behavior that simply needs to be managed and the trick is to accommodate ourselves to the parrot during these years, not expect things to be the other way around.

And Then There are Others…

    Then there are the parrots who obviously were tremendous problems in their past homes, and you only find this out after the initial two weeks in your home. Golding is a good illustration of this type of situation.  My son won Golding, our Blue and Gold Macaw, at a bird mart raffle he had entered with ten dollars.   

    For the first two weeks, he was a delight, and we congratulated ourselves on our good fortune.  However, once the first few weeks were over, we got to see the “true” Goldie.  If he wasn’t screaming, he was biting someone.  He would scream and scream and scream, and then tell himself to “shut up” in an angry man’s voice.  He bit hard and unexpectedly and was very unpredictable.  He said things like, “Hey, bring me a cigarette!”  Further, it was clear that he did not recognize fruits and vegetables as food, but preferred burritos and crackers, soda and beer. 

    We realized that we had a real problem on our hands that we had not bargained for. A friend who owns a bird store offered a valuable piece of advice. She reported that half of her staff could handle her Blue and Gold and half of them couldn’t, and the difference lay only in their level of confidence.  We realized that we had grown afraid of Goldie’s bite and he sensed our uncertainty when we tried to handle him.  Once we had worked on ourselves to become more confident and asserted ourselves with him, he began to be much more compliant.  We also worked to improve his diet, and as we did so his screaming decreased as well.  Many behavior problems have poor nutrition as a partial cause, and this can be especially true with large macaws.  It is not at all uncommon for them to react to different foods, and this reaction often creates more aggressive and louder behavior.

Screaming Patterns to Break

    We did have to work hard to break the pattern of his screaming, however.  It was crucial that he got no rewards for this, because it had become clear that most of the time, he was screaming for attention only. We would ignore his screaming until he stopped, then go to him immediately and give him some attention.  Gradually, he learned that he got the attention he wanted when he was quiet.  We also provided him with a lot of focused attention by teaching him tricks.

    Trick training can be a valuable place to begin with a bird like Goldie and is not as difficult as a novice might anticipate.  Parrots need to feel confident and successful in the domestic environment.  For this, they need positive reinforcement and attention when they do the things we want them to do.  In the beginning, Golding was so terrible that it was hard to find anything to give him positive attention for.  The solution lay in starting to teach him some tricks.  He learned quickly, loving the direct attention, and learning that he could do things that earned him praise and our love.  As things improved, we found other things to teach him.  Most recently, it has been stair climbing, which is a wonderful way to exercise parrots.  We also provided him with a large outdoor aviary, in which he could work off his anxiety and nervous energy.  It took about two years before I felt that he was a fully rehabilitated parrot.  This is not an unusual time frame when behavior problems are deeply entrenched.

    Thus, you can expect that certain problems might arise in a second-hand bird’s behavior once they get used to their new surroundings.  I advise clients of two important things.  First, try to obtain as much information as possible from the last owner about the bird’s history, sex, diet, caging, favorite toys, whether it was covered at night, and so on.  The experiences a parrot has in its first three years will leave an indelible mark on him. Often, you can use the knowledge gained from previous owners to help make the new parrot feel more secure. Further, this information will allow you to better understand its needs and behavior.

Assessing the Older Parrot

    Second, I believe it important when you take in an older parrot, to “step back” emotionally and objectively assess several factors:

1.  What are the parrot’s fear levels?

2.  Does he have any physical disabilities that were not immediately obvious?

3.  Do we see any signs of behavior problems?

4.  Do we see any signs of food anxiety, or strange eating patterns, that might indicate too early weaning?

5.  Does the parrot appear to want a bond with a person, or does he seem to prefer other birds?

6.  What skills does the parrot have for living in captivity?

The First Two Weeks

    Assessing both fear levels and evident disabilities should be done during the first two to three weeks after the parrot enters his new home.  Having such knowledge is imperative to working effectively with him.  Many parrots who have been given up have good reason to be afraid of people.  I have always found that I can not be a good teacher of a human being until I have first established a rapport with that person.  The same holds true of parrots.  Thus, if you have a fearful bird on your hands, you must first begin by meeting that parrot “where he’s at” emotionally and working from there.  This can require some ingenuity.

    Our experience with Gracie is a good example.  Gracie came to us with brain damage from physical abuse. She was quite fearful. When I first got her home, it was clear that her feet had lost their coordination, and she was either unable or too afraid to step onto my hand or arm.

Working with Fearful Parrots

    There is much behavioral advice that warns against allowing a parrot to perch above your eye level, since this can encourage aggression.  However, I have learned that it can benefit a fearful parrot in the beginning to provide them with the greatest feeling of physical safety and this means begin up high.  Thus, I made sure that Gracie’s first cage in our home was up as high as was practical; I used a temporary cage set up on top of a table.

    Today, Gracie is a different bird. Eating a healthy diet has afforded her shiny, gorgeous plumage. She has recovered many behaviors she must once have demonstrated. Since Gracie evidenced brain damage, I was careful to supplement her diet with an essential fatty acid oil blend that I got from the health food store.  Having sufficient EFA’s in the diet is essential to normal brain function, and I believe that having these added to her diet helped her to learn new things.  She now acts volitionally, climbs in and out of her cage, engages in social interactions, will step onto an arm, occasionally talks and even sings.

    And, she has formed a bond with my husband that is very sweet.  He is flattered that finally one of the parrots likes him, and she obviously adores him and greets him with great enthusiasm when he comes into the room.  Recently, she even walked back into the bedroom to find him and enjoyed some time watching television with him.  She has taught me about the incredible resiliency of these creatures.

    Sammy was another fearful bird when he came to me.  Greys are interesting parrots to rehabilitate, because they can be so inscrutable.  Sammy was a biter, and he had a most undesirable habit of swinging up unexpectedly to bite you in the face.  I observed Sammy for a long time before I came to my conclusions about his problems.  When working with a second-hand Grey, it’s advisable to take your time anyway.  Depending upon their past experiences with people, it can take between one and two years to earn the full trust of an African Grey, and this is a fairly predictable timetable for rehabilitation.

    In observing Sammy, it was clear that he was quite an anxious, fearful bird.  He manifested a lot of nail biting and would sit nervously on top of his cage, biting the nail on one foot and then the other, continually switching back and forth.  He bit his nails and watched me… and I went about my work and watched him.  Eventually, he made his first overture toward me in the form of a loud burp.  I laughed out loud at the unexpected rude noise and that was the beginning of our friendship.

    Over time, it became clear that Sammy is not a mean bird, and I suspect that his face biting is probably a result of being teased or abused with someone’s face close to his.  It is very noticeable that his nervousness increases when a face is close to his.  I am still working to de-sensitize him to his, by holding him up close to my face, with my hand over his head so that he can not bite me.  I speak softly to him…mostly a lot of nonsense about my desire to “hugger-mugger” him.  He has learned to enjoy this, showing it by delivering to me a loud kissing noise. 

Most recently, I can take my hand away and he remains calm.

    In Sammy’s case, I have made the decision to keep him as a flighted bird, and it was not until I did this that he completely stopped biting his nails.  Allowing a bird to become flighted, even if for just a certain period, can really pay off, but this should not be attempted without the guidance of someone who has done it.  Not only do you not want to lose the bird, you don't want him to get injured.  Some older birds, if they have never flown, can have a lot of difficulty at first and need careful handling.  However, allowing flight in some cases can be a powerful behavioral tool.

Dealing with Disabilities

    Some birds do have physical disabilities; some are immediately obvious but others are not and observation should be made carefully to discover them. Alex, our little Meyer’s Parrot is amazing because of his eternal good nature.  He is, without a doubt, one of the sweetest birds I have ever met.  He lives life with enthusiasm and is free with his affections.

    He doesn’t seem to even be aware of the fact that he doesn’t have any feet.  In accommodating avian disabilities, the owner must use his own imagination and creativity.  There isn’t much information available about this subject.  In these cases, common sense provides the best guidelines.  In Alex’ cage, we have flat perches for him, and we have removed the playtop so that he can get around on top when he’s supervised.

    Blindness is not an uncommon disability to find in older birds.  Sterling was obviously a very old Grey when he came to us, although it was impossible to determine how old. If you have a blind parrot, it is important to keep everything in the cage in the same place at all times.  Toys should still be provided, especially those with texture or that make noise, but they should not be rotated.  This is another example of the need often when working with older parrots from previous homes to throw out “conventional wisdom” and replace it with common sense.

Providing a blind parrot with exercise can also be a challenge.  In Sterling’s case, I used to allow him to play on the floor with me, under close supervision.

    While assessing a bird’s fear levels and the presence of physical disabilities (the two things most likely to hamper progress), it is important to establish a rapport with the bird as he continues to settle in and become comfortable with his surroundings. Any real behavioral work should wait until trust has been established.

As Problems Become Evident

    During this initial period, any pre-existing behavior problems will become evident. As I have already discussed, Goldie was a parrot who carried a few surprises, in terms of behavior problems.  When I speak of behavior problems, I am referring specifically to repeated biting, screaming, feather picking or phobic behaviors.  The length of time that the parrot has become patterned to display these behaviors is important.  A screaming problem can take anywhere from four months to two years to resolve, depending upon the previous circumstances in which the bird lived.  This is one reason why it’s important to gather as many facts about the bird you are taking in as possible.  An owner might not tell you that the bird has a screaming problem, but if you know that the owner has had the bird for eight years, and he does turn out to have a screaming problem, you can assume he’s been screaming for about six or seven of those eight years.  This will enable you to have more realistic expectations about the length of time that it will take him to get past them with consistent patterning on the part of the human.

    If you ever do take in a second-hand parrot that has serious problems, I would encourage you to talk to an avian behavior consultant for assistance, unless you have dealt with the same problem in the same species successfully in the past. Techniques that work on screaming in macaws will not necessarily work with screaming in cockatoos.

    Of the most difficult problems to solve is feather picking, because there are so many reasons for this behavior.  It used to be thought that most picking was “behavioral,” but the more progressive vets are now seriously investigating the possible physical causes.  In addition, poor nutrition, allergic reactions and environmental factors can play a part.  Therefore, anyone taking in a feather-picking parrot had better be prepared for a long haul…in terms of determining the reason and effecting a solution. Even if the parrot was previously neglected, it is best not to assume that the bird is solely picking from “stress.”

    Three of our rescued parrots have feather picked and all for different reasons.  Today, they are fully feathered.  Ruby, our Senegal, chewed her feathers because she did not appreciate her status as a breeding bird.  She had been hand-raised and had her own ideas about what she wanted.  Taking her inside to live as a companion and improving her diet allowed her to become fully feathered once again.

No Easy Solutions

    Ruby illustrates a good point.  Many parrots are given away to breeders when their owners no longer want them.  In some cases, this may be a wise solution.  However, I find a few problems that exist with this too-easy solution.  For one, as Ruby’s case illustrates, compatibility is often an issue.  Parrots can have their own ideas about things, and although putting a bird in a breeding situation might seem like an easy answer, it often is not…at least for the bird.

    Second, a certain percentage of parrots are less successful in the domestic environment and this can be a purely genetic difference.  For example, I have two African Grey sisters right now that are about a year old.  They were the only two birds in a clutch, and happened to hatch on the same day.  They spent exactly the same number of days with their parents in the nestbox, and have been raised with identical methods.  One is a very bold, inquisitive, assertive parrot.  Her sister is an extremely nervous, anxious bird who has already started chewing on her flight feathers.  Which bird would I want to breed?  The choice would be an obvious one, if I were so inclined. The now-common practice of placing unsuccessful companions into breeding situations could very well serve to create a less-desirable gene pool.  Do we really want to be using the parrots who have been least successful in captivity as our breeding stock?

Resolving Residual Food Anxieties

    As we are assessing the presence and severity of behavior problems, we also want to look for signs of food anxiety. These usually include begging behaviors, repetitive calling, and signs of anxiety around the food dish, even when food is plentiful. Often it is necessary to “regression wean” a parrot.  In others, it can just be very helpful.  Parrots are instinctive creatures, and when a parrot is fed by hand or spoon it can help to trigger bonding behavior, as well as provide reassurance to the parrot on a very profound level.

    Professor, our Umbrella Cockatoo, illustrates this point. He is an exceptionally nervous, poorly socialized parrot that spent some years in a breeding situation, and was unsuccessful at that. Cockatoos can be rather rigid creatures in some ways and although Professor did make progress in eating a more healthful diet, he remained what I would term “socially retarded.”  Although his first home had been a pet situation, he obviously did not develop a good bond with any human while there.  The only way I have been able to make progress with him is to feed him warm oatmeal from a spoon at night.  It took several months before he would eat off the spoon.  I would offer it to him, he would draw back, and I would reassure him verbally that he would eat it someday. I would place a little dab on one of his perches, knowing that he would come over and at least taste it once I had left.

    Today, Professor gulps warm oatmeal off of a spoon each evening, making little baby sounds as he does.  This practice has led to much greater trust levels between the two of us, and this in turn has allowed me to make more behavioral progress with him.

It’s a Parrot’s Choice

    We also want to determine the strength of a parrot’s bond with his previous owners.  Some parrots do not really want a bond with a human, usually due to their experiences in their first few years. Max is a good example.  He is a little White-capped Pionus that was given up because of his extreme aggression.  His first owners, out of ignorance, did all of the wrong things with him.  They purchased him at a young age and caged him with another parrot, which patterned him to enjoy a bond with another parrot to the exclusion of any human. To this day, he prefers the company of other birds, although he can be handled. Such a preference can have a bearing on the decisions we make regarding the future of an individual parrot, as well as the expectations we might hold regarding his behavior.

Assessing Living Skills

    Lastly, we must assess living skills.  By living skills, I mean the following:

1.  Will the parrot eat a healthy diet containing a large variety of fresh foods, a little seed, and some pellets?

2.  Will the parrot enjoy a drenching shower in the bathroom?

3.  Can I take the parrot for rides in the car?  To the vet’s office?

4.  Can he entertain himself by himself by chewing or playing with toys?

5.  Will he go to other people if I hand him over to them?

6.  Does he know how to exercise in order to maintain his fitness and health?

    I believe that we start out owing a debt to unwanted parrots when we take them in, even though it was not us that incurred the debt.  The simple truth is that, if a parrot does not possess these simple skills, he is unlikely to live out his lifetime happily in captivity.  Thus, it falls on the shoulders of the new owner to assess these skills and begin the process of broadening the parrot’s living skills base.

    When Cyrano, a Moluccan Cockatoo, came to me it soon became obvious that he would eat only seed (despite claims from his owner otherwise). He was relatively unfamiliar with having a shower. He had not had much experience being outside of a house, had little experience with toys, and was terrified of men. He also did not know how to step up and could not be handled.  He epitomized the parrot who has no living skills.

    The fact that Cyrano was a wild-caught parrot was a distinct advantage during his rehabilitation. Raised by his parents, he had a solid sense of himself as a bird and emotional resources that allowed him to weather the first twenty years of his life in captivity quite well, despite abuse and neglect.

 Cyrano responded extremely well and quite quickly to finding himself in better circumstances. It took three months of concerted work to be able to easily handle him and six months to convert him to a diet of 80% fresh foods. He now steps up fairly readily, takes showers with me, and frequently greets me with his only word, “Hi.” I find him to be a most remarkable parrot and his presence in our home has been a gift.

    Today, one of Cyrano’s favorite activities is sitting in our plum tree, ripping branches to shreds as he regains a measure of exuberance to his personality.  He is, of course, well clipped and closely supervised.  I regard the decision to afford him this experience as a minute way of making amends to him for the fact that he was plucked from the wild and then used by humans so sorely.

A Debt of Gratitude

    Although a long article, this has really only been a brief overview of a complex topic.  However, I hope it served to illustrate that taking in a second-hand bird is not only a worthwhile thing to do, but also a very “do-able” one.  Each one of us can be an answer to one parrot’s need for a home.  If we have a deep sense of commitment, a willingness to keep the bird “no matter what” and to get the knowledge and assistance needed to do so, we can be most successful. Often, the gifts we receive and the skills we ourselves learn in the process are greater than those delivered to us by the rearing of a baby parrot. Any one of us who takes delight in our own companion parrot owes a debt of gratitude to all parrots.  A most wonderful way to act on this is to adopt an unwanted parrot…making him wanted once again.  

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