Rhode Island Parrot Rescue

[Wolf]

Yes the pinning of the eyes, while it might indicate possible aggression, it may also signify interest or just focus and by itself there is not enough to know. The same goes for the fanning of the tail, in that it may indicate aggression but not always and not all by itself. This is where humans get into trouble with body language, you must look at the entire body to gain enough information to begin to understand what is meant.
I agree with Pajarita that she was trying to get you to move away from the other party and she couldn't reach the other person so she elected to make you move.

[liz]

For a long time Rambo did not like men. He learned my son's name and called him but would then flog him. I don't know what was in his past to make him that way. Once he was on my shoulder when a man walked up to me. Rambo could not reach him so he bit me.

[ParrotsForLife]

Thats a great story Pajarita if somebody else took Rio he would probably be sold again because of his beak and just be passed around.

[Navre]

This is Tanya. She is a Hispaniolan Amazon in her late 20's. She has a bad foot and can't perch. That means you have to clean her bottom off quite often. They are working on her foot, but they're not sure she will ever be able to perch again.

[Navre]

She also has fatty liver disease. The result of nothing but seeds for her whole life.

She is in foster care. I'm hoping to go visit her this week.

[Pajarita]

Ouch! Poor thing, there seems to be a lot wrong with her...

[Navre]

Ouch! Poor thing, there seems to be a lot wrong with her...

They say she is the sweetest bird. She gets carted around like she's one of Paris Hilton's dogs.

The major component of some of my family members' fear of birds is the flying. I'm looking at some of our special needs birds who cannot fly. I have to get out to the foster house to meet Tanya.

We also have a Blue and Gold named Ed. At some point in his life he must have had a broken wing that was never set right. He cannot fly, but a Macaw is just too big for the spaces I have. Plus, since I volunteer on the same day as his favorite person, he spends most of the day holding up his good wing to try to hide her from my view.

[Pajarita]

Navre, this bird has a lot of medical issues -and I do mean A LOT!- it's not only the bumble foot and the fatty liver. It would require somebody with a lot of experience in taking care of birds like her as well as somebody who is home all the time because she could start having seizures. Love goes a long way but it doesn't really cure anything so think about this very carefully because, in my personal opinion, you would do much better fostering a bird with a handicap like the macaw.

[Wolf]

So your family has now agreed to your getting or fostering another bird? I ask because I believe that they said no to a Grey recently.
This bird would require round the clock monitoring and care, just for pooping that is checking her every 20 minutes just to keep her butt clean. You don't realize how much that is until you attempt it. This is more than even the bird that must be on you all day because this one needs you to pick it up and carry it around with you all of the time. I am not saying not to do it, but do think about it carefully.

[Navre]

I went and saw her today. The woman fostering her says she only has to wipe her butt a few times a day.

She has a few exercise routines such as wing flapping, and some therapy on her foot each day. Also, the bird will scoot along the floor, using her beak and her good foot. They encourage this as she needs the exercise.

She has some supplements, and a special low-fat diet. That all seems pretty manageable. She will sit and eat all day, so her portions have to be controlled carefully. Her strength and energy levels have improved greatly since June, when she was taken in by the rescue.

She was surgically sexed at some point and has the tattoo on her wing indicating that she's a female. This probably means they she was a breeder at some point. She was in her previous home for 20 years, so if you add time as a breeder before that, she may be pretty old.

The bird is left alone sometimes. She lives with a peach front conure and a mitered conure. I asked if they thought I could leave the bird alone for several hours, and she said that it really wasn't any different than any other bird. She enjoys company of both people and birds, but she seemed to be okay when left with just the other birds.

Part of my concern is that there has been no interest in this bird at all. She is old, disabled, and sick. Vet bills are going to be higher as she is going to need blood work often. The girl currently fostering her cant keep her and this bird doesn't really belong at the rescue.

I don't know how long she has left, but she is getting better, not worse. She seems to be very loving and I think she needs me more than one of the birds for whom we literally get dozens of inquires weekly.

I'm still not sure if I can take her, but meeting her was the first step.