seriously people.

[Pajarita]

The biggest problem with rescues is that the birds there don't have a 'personal' human. They might (or not) get better food but they are usually not kept at a solar schedule, allowed much time out of cage and they cannot establish a one-on-one relationship with anybody so although it is a unavoidable thing because parrots do get given up all the time, it's only a step in the right direction if they happen to get adopted soon and end up in a good home (and that is also quite iffy as there are lots and lots of places that call themselves rescues but are nothing but flippers who sell the bird to whoever has the money without doing any medical work, rehabilitation, background checking, etc). The best place for a given up bird is actually a sanctuary although grays don't do very well in them...

[Chantilly]

The best place for a given up bird is actually a sanctuary although grays don't do very well in them...

Eccies dont seem to either. And if a bird thinks it is a human too much and is let in with the other birds it can be attacked and badly injured. This recently happened to a cockatiel where i work. They had been working up to release (slowly introducing it into the aivery, in its cage, then a bigger cage, then the sanctuary), but it wasnt a bird it was a person. But I do agree that birds are better of in a sanctuary, so long as they are able to adapt from a cage life.

[Wolf]

I have to wonder what birds were in the aviary that the cockatiel was placed in and why no one was watching to prevent this attack and the resulting death. This is not a thing that would be likely to have happened if it had been placed with other cockatiels. Most other parrots are far to aggressive for a cockatiel which can't defend itself from the other parrots as its beak is not strong enough. Even budgies can and will bully a cockatiel.

[liz]

I have to wonder what birds were in the aviary that the cockatiel was placed in and why no one was watching to prevent this attack and the resulting death. This is not a thing that would be likely to have happened if it had been placed with other cockatiels. Most other parrots are far to aggressive for a cockatiel which can't defend itself from the other parrots as its beak is not strong enough. Even budgies can and will bully a cockatiel.

Wolf, that is the first thing I thought of while reading that last post. If one Love Bird can scare four Cockatiels into a corner of a flight cage they can be bullied by any thing. What else was in that cage?

At the NC Zoo they had a female Cardinal, a male BlueJay and another bird in a cage. The Cardinal had been illegally kept by humans and could not be released. She was constantly begging for attention. One day the BlueJays aggression put a stop to her begging.

Pajarita, I have a couple of birds from rescues. Only one had been socialized. They were in dirty cages and needed fresh water. I know that the socialized one was used to much better treatment and it was a hardship on her to be there. Who knows what hell the others had been through and what their lives would be if they had not been put in the rescue. There are many horror stories.

Most Rescues are just a step above breeders. If you love your birdies be very careful where you let them go. If you can't rehome or find a sanctuary please do your best to care for them or hopefully even find a foster until you find a good home. There are people who would love to have a bird for a while but don't want a life long commitment. One who comes to mind is the 70+ lady who wanted a bird but her daughter said she would not care for it once she was gone. I don't know why I did not think of her to foster.

I was contacted by a rescue about Gimpy. She said the other Cockatiels were picking on him because he was different. He is missing a leg. I knew there was something wrong because Cockatiels will care for the weak instead of attack them. He was in the bottom of a flight cage full of Cockatiels but he was on the bottom near the food and water. With me he is in his own cage without a door in case he wants to come out. Phoenix seems to identify with him and visits him a lot. Tommy perches in there at times as if to try to teach him to perch. I have seen others join him at meal time to share his instead of the tray of food. It is like they are "doing lunch". They all give him the respect of an equal.

There must have been a different bird in that cage.

While working in the VFW I had business cards made for when I found a veteran who needed help. It was a lot easier than finding a piece of paper to write the info about the post. I have been considering cards with information about this forum. So many abuse or neglect their birds when they no longer want them but don't know there are places who help. There are new bird humans who believe that the pet store people are educated in pet care and do what they are told about food and care. Dearly loved birds need their humans educated too. I came across an elderly man who was buying parrot seed in the grocery store. He had his bird for many years and did not know to give him more than seed. He also did not know that his bird was calling to him instead of just screeching. I told him theparrotforum.com but who knows if he remembered. I have met people who have friends or relatives with birds and thought the bird was not getting enough. I give them the info on theparrotforum.com and hope they are telling me the truth about wanting to help the bird and pass on the info or educate themselves.

My son works with Ball Pythons. When he started he went to a forum for info and education. Now he is also a teacher and is contacted quite often for help. KoldThumb@yahoo.com names his snakes and knows each personality. They do have personalities. They are like the Cockatiels of the snake world.

[Pajarita]

Indeed they do, Liz! I always remember the story of this man whose snake would fall asleep curled up around him and he would stay in his recliner for hours and hours without moving just so she could nap on him

I also always tell people to join this forum but, in my personal experience, most people don't really want to learn that much about parrots husbandry. They want either the pat on the back (Oh, you are such a good mommy/daddy to your parrots!), to belong to the mutual admiration society (Oh, your bird is SOOOOO beautiful!) or the easy answer to a complex problem (Feed them pellets and keep the TV on when you leave). I think that most people who look into this forum never actually post because they know they won't like the answer - and that's why I think that every single member here is either a real good parrot keeper or on his/her way of becoming one!

[Chantilly]

I have to wonder what birds were in the aviary that the cockatiel was placed in and why no one was watching to prevent this attack and the resulting death. This is not a thing that would be likely to have happened if it had been placed with other cockatiels. Most other parrots are far to aggressive for a cockatiel which can't defend itself from the other parrots as its beak is not strong enough. Even budgies can and will bully a cockatiel.

It is a large free flight aivery with hundreds of other cockatiels, lories, sun conures, irns, pidgeons, finches, king parrots and other parrots of similar size. Also 1 female eccie (They just havnt got a male who copes in with the other birds) and 4 lovely and very friendly alexandrines.
Their are 10 feeding stations where they get fruit veg and seed, plenty for all, and nectar for the lories, Their are also aiveries for other species in specific such as (and morphs) (and morphs) , , , , alexandrines, and corellas, galahs, major mitchels and so on and so on. note that these birds in the single aiveries are kept in huge, huge cages(they are really big in comparison to the birds. one lorie will be kept in a cage big enough for a white cockatoo, and a white cockatoo in a cage big enough for two white cockatoos ect:) and that some of the birds are kept in their very own aivery(white cockies, some corellas and major mitchels). As soon as fighting occurs, the bird gets its own cage or aivery. (But the birds is the main aivery are no bigger than an eccie and are parrots not cockatoos)

[Wolf]

I still think that if you are going to put a new bird in an aviary then someone should be watching to make sure the new bird is accepted. Without knowing details about what and how things were done, this is all that I can say, something went wrong and no one caught it when they could have intervened.

[Pajarita]

A large flight aviary with "hundreds of other cockatiels, lories, sun conures, irns, pigeons, finches, king parrots and 1 female ekkie"? How large was this aviary? Two miles by two miles? Because that's a HUGE number of birds of all different species, some of them aggressive and some completely defenseless... no wonder this poor bird ended up hurt (or was it dead?)!

[seagoatdeb]

This just is so terrible to put diffent species who cant all be equal together no matter how large the aviary is. It is not a "sanctuary" if the parrots are not protected, it is an unescapable danger zone.

[Chantilly]

A large flight aviary with "hundreds of other cockatiels, lories, sun conures, irns, pigeons, finches, king parrots and 1 female ekkie"? How large was this aviary? Two miles by two miles? Because that's a HUGE number of birds of all different species, some of them aggressive and some completely defenseless... no wonder this poor bird ended up hurt (or was it dead?)!

Not sure how big it is, but its big. The birds mostly get along, and they have formed several flocks.
Each flock has its own little territory, and all the other birds respect that, this new cokatiel would not have known who is where, and gotten attacked for coming to close to somebodies area.
And it was breeding season when the cocatiel was released, so it wasnt the best timing. I dont think it is a bad place, the people are lovely, and they have devoted their lives to the parrots.
But in general, the parrots live in peace, but this cockatiel was somebodies pet, and it still thought it was, which was a problem, and instead of finding the other cockatiels, who's flock it should of asked to join, it probably panicked over having such a big space to be in, and flew straight to the lories or sunconures.
The owners are old and have had the park for a long time now, its a struggle, but they love the birds they have dedicated their live to and really are doing best they can
And no Pajarita, it was alive, the owners of the park straight away after getting the bird drove all the way to their vet 4hours away. But I really dont think it is a bad place, or I would not volonteer there.