Rhode Island Parrot Rescue

[Navre]

Budgies and 'teils are "free," although that's not really advertised as such. They just ask for whatever donation you'd like to give. We do have some toys, perches, and stuff like that that is for sale, and that helps when someone takes a budgie or tiel.


We did have someone show up a few weeks ago thinking he could just take a couple of cocktails with him. He wanted them right then. That's not going to happen. It's not a pet store. I respect that he tried to "buy" some birds from the rescue other than just going to petco and buying them, but we still have to have some screening process.

This is one reason we are not technically open to the public, I think.

[Navre]

If Buddy likes to ride people's shoulders, he has a chance. The problem is when they can't 'connect' to humans or birds... Linus is like that, I think. He is not afraid of humans, he is not aggressive at all and even likes a good head scratch and would, often (not always) step up for you but that's it - he would rather be on his own than be with you and that's not good for a too.

Buddy likes people. I think he has a chance. He just looks so scared.

Someone thought it was weird when I was encouraged that a blue crown conure came over to bite me rather than just run to the other side of the cage. Biting is an interaction, and that can be built on. If she just wants to run away, I don't know where to go from there.

[Wolf]

Bribery and high pitched baby talk is the most helpful if they avoid the contact, but it still may not work right away, the rescue is still after all a new environment and just like when they come home with you they require an adjustment period.

[shiraartain]

I hope Buddy can settle in and adjust! I hope to have Fajr and his future mate around at least until I'm as old as my parents, but would like to take in a too someday if/when I have enough time.

Glad to hear that Splash was adopted! Parjarita, I understand that rescues need to offset costs, but...$100??? Maybe for a tiel, but just a tad too much for a budgie, considering the supply and demand for them.

[Pajarita]

Bribery and high pitched baby talk is the most helpful if they avoid the contact, but it still may not work right away, the rescue is still after all a new environment and just like when they come home with you they require an adjustment period.

No, no, of course it doesn't work right away! It's just a way of endearing yourself to the bird, to let it know that your intentions are good and loving, to start off on the right foot, so to speak... then you build from there.

[Pajarita]

Parjarita, I understand that rescues need to offset costs, but...$100??? Maybe for a tiel, but just a tad too much for a budgie, considering the supply and demand for them.

I KNOW, right?!

[Navre]

If someone told me that they were offered this bird, but the rescue wanted $300 for him, I would advise you to pay it.

Skylar is as sweet and hand tame as any large bird, has at least as much personality, is a great talker/whistler/singer, and for someone who may not have the room or the living arrangements to take a larger, noisier bird, he really is the perfect solution. Plus, have you ever seen a more beautiful budgie?

Skylar is the most amazing budgie I have ever encountered. He was adopted a few months ago. When you think about how inexpensive he is to feed, cage, and buy toys for, paying $500 for Sky would have been a bargain!

[Wolf]

I have been lucky in many ways in that I have not paid for any of my birds, they were in need and I was able to help. I do have about $500 tied up in transportation cost to bring two parrotlets to my home, so even though I did not pay for them I did not get off the hook as far as their cost, but the issue of cost had nothing to do with my getting them. From the very beginning I had never wanted birds in the house and still I have 7 birds that I live with daily because they were in need.
I really don't know what to think about how much these birds cost regardless of where it comes from. I know that rescues often operate on much less money than they need to do what they do, especially with the fees charged by vets for their services. But, regardless of what I think they are actually worth, I think that just due to the huge numbers of these birds that are in rescues that these birds are greatly under priced as their humans find it cheaper and easier to dump them instead of learning about them and how to properly care for them. You would not find me complaining about it if all budgies sold for $1ooo or more. Make the cost high enough to eliminate the impulse buying of the beautiful creatures, as well as the indiscriminate dumping of them because it is the easiest thing to do.

[Navre]

Luckily, the woman who dropped off "Splash" also left a donation to cover his initial vet visit. She had also bought a cage for him.

She tried to keep him but she had a dog that kept knocking the cage over. I'm sure she could have managed somehow if she had to, but she didn't have to.

[Navre]

The good thing that Budgies have going for them is their relatively short life spans. We seem to have a ton of birds who were well-loved, but came to us when they owner died or went into assisted living/nursing home, etc.

At 50, I have to accept that I should never be considering a bird who has more than 20 years of life expected. Some days I feel like I shouldn't adopt a fruit fly, or buy green bananas.