No 'forever home'

[Pajarita]

This article is about this 'parrot specialist' who tries to help people keep their parrot instead of rehoming it and, although I don't agree with her 'title' and a couple of her statements, the gist of it is correct: in truth, a forever home for parrots is so very rare that one could say it's the exception to the rule! Personally, I think this is something that anybody who decides to buy a parrot needs to take into consideration because the bird will, most likely, be rehomed and it will, most likely, suffer when it happens. Having said that, I don't think that people should think of rehoming as a terrible thing... sometimes, loving them means rehoming them because love for them is not enough to keep them happy and healthy.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the- ... -1.3808612

[liz]

Rachel and I went to the Animal Shelter yesterday because the bird in the news paper looked like on we had lost. There were two parrots. One of which was a BF Amazons who had been seized. Rachel spent time with him and got a response that the workers had never seen before. We learned that they were both being held for a woman who called in and said she would take both sight unseen and both of them. Our fear was that she was a Flipper. They had never heard of Flippers and we had to tell them about them. We became so emotional about this so Rachel put her name on the list in case the woman did not show up on time. We do not need another Amazon but then I never needed the ones I have except to save them.

[Pajarita]

Well, she might not be a flipper. I have taken all my birds sight-unseen so, maybe, she is like you and me: she loves birds and doesn't care what they look like or what their condition is...

[liz]

That is true but we are rare people. My concern was that she was taking in 2 different species at the same time. I have not done that but then I am holding myself to just 2 species. Any more I think would overwhelm me and not be good for my birds. It is all about the birds.

[Navre]

I'd also think that perhaps she was making a straw purchase for the person from whom the birds had been seized.

[Pajarita]

Who knows... The woman could be on the level or not, we can't really tell by what we know. But, in any case, Liz, three birds of the same species or, as in this case, a genus where the species are so similar and prone to bond with one another as amazons are, is not a good idea for any one person to keep. In my personal experience, odd numbers are fine if you have more than 6 birds and an close to even number of males versus females (like 3 of one and 4 of the other) but never less than that... Think about that very carefully because, if yours get jealous of the new bird or the new bird is a male and mate-bonds with either of your two females, you will have a BIG problem in your hands and no way to solve it unless you cage them all which would make yours very unhappy. I would never consider having three of anything, I make sure I have pairs and I still had problems with the amazons. I had to take Mami and Naida out of the birdroom because Zeus and Precie were bullying them even though they had each other and no need AT ALL to do that -they never actually hurt them or anything but they were extremely stressed out by it (they started to pluck!).

[Navre]

My two kids are each other's best friends. I'm convinced that a third would have ruined that.

[Pajarita]

Well, that would have been easily solved by having two more!

[liz]

I was thinking that Myrtle might bond with him and be happy. That would leave Rambo who is very bonded to me. If it did not go that way Rachel was going to take him to her apartment.

[Bird woman]

I hear a lot about some of you actively seeking birds of the same species in hopes that they bond with each other , or getting excited when they do. Am I missing something here , because I have found that when they do bond that leaves me the third man out and in one case the enemy ! I have several pair of the same species and the only 2 that really bonded was Huey and Mathew and that has been a huge ongoing problem. The mollucans Lilly and Riki are just now tolerating each other and able to not get jealous when giving them attention and it's been years. Nigel and lumie the LSC'S could care less about each other , Nigel actively seeking any mirror in the house and interacting with his reflection . I think it would be a wonderful thing for all my birds to have a friend but not a bonded one. There are several I can leave in one area together unattended , and some that are bully birds to the rest. When I read about breeder birds most of the time they are not tame , so I am assuming they just want the companion of each other and humans are just the marry maids , I know it's that way with my macaws. What am I missing here????? BW