Muse

I am not even sure if the bird is male or female. None have been DNA tested. My dear husband has been working in the DC area which is halfway between here and where they are. He's volunteered to drive up there, SOLO and take on the task of bringing back the birds. I explained the "wild", "mean" and "vicious" reports but he feels he's up to it. Marden used to nail him pretty bad when he was hormonal, and Peck's giving him a couple nice scars, so I guess he can handle it. We have 2300 sq ft but 56 (soon to be 65) birds. Wow. That just hit me when I typed that. Growing pains, kind of like labor, but it will all be worth it and I have faith that God won't give me more job to do than resources provided. We talked over bunking them in the guest bath and our bath. At least until the weather warms up here. It's bitterly cold tonight. I agree small cages are okay for short term. I really just need to get them vetted so they can live in the "bird" room. I can make the cages all fit. I do wish you were closer. I think he/she'd fit right in with your group.

Definitely. We are looking at putting cages in both bathrooms at the moment. The garage is very very cold. One bathroom has already been a quarantine which was recently vacated when the birds were moved to permanent isolation in what used to be our guest room. (Out of town guests will be bunking at the Marriott from here on out, lol). There's loads of space in that room, but sadly, the birds that inhabit it could potentially be carrying avian bornavirus, so it must remain a closed isolation.

This is a FANTASTIC IDEA. Especially doing it BEFORE an emergency happens where we don't have time to properly search. Perhaps maybe start a thread or even a sub-forum where those who wish to participate can 'register' their approximate location, how many birds, etc. so we can who we are closest to, and make connections now.

OH Nancy!!! Sending prayers! I hope you heal up well. Glad you had the support but sad you had to use it.

I hate to sound desperate, but I recently found out about some birds that were at a 'breeder' (a small in-home 'operation' - the parrot equivalent of a BYB) in NJ. Project Perry committed to the African Greys, and took all of them, even though they found out the eight 'couples' also came with five older offspring with varying 'disabilities' (missing toes, etc.) I committed to the cockatiels, because... well... we have kind of become the "Littles" rescue. We have a walk-in aviary in the house, and plans in the works to connect it to an enclosed flight on our front porch (when the tax refund comes) so we have plenty of room for them. Sadly, this left behind a "crazy wild" Amazon, and three terrified cockatoos. All are un-handle-able, so this means I cannot utilize fosters due to high risk both to the fosters and to the birds. I am attaching their pictures. These pictures are of their current "home" - the conditions they've lived in for possibly decades (I only know the details of the Greys - they were there for 25 years). I am desperately trying to figure out some way to save them. They are to be euthanized if the owner cannot place them. I have thought about carving out a TEMPORARY space in the garage but am worried about the weather. We still could potentially have some colder weather. If anyone has converted this type of space to usable parrot housing, I would appreciate ANY tips or suggestions on how they did it. Anyone else here have tips on squeezing extra area out of existing space? We are going to try to set up a fundraiser of some type to help with this rescue but for right now I am only counting on what we have available from our own resources. I'd like to find a way to squeeze them in here, even just for a couple of months, while we work on acceptable housing for them. I don't think they'd fit in my guest bathroom but that may be where we have to go. Or possibly the master bath as well. It just breaks my heart to think they may die because no one will take them. We originally said we couldn't but now to find out they will die for lack of a rescue, I am rethinking that decision. Maybe it's not meant to happen. Maybe my heart is just too tender and too big. But I am praying that somehow a solution will be found. The donated aviary is coming (in pieces) Monday and Tuesday but there is much work (and expense) needed before it goes "live" so that is not an option at this time. The Amazon - he was reportedly a "honeymoon present" until he got to be about five years old and the hormones kicked in, and has been relegated to this cage as "crazy mean and wild" every since. One of the cockatoos. This cockatoo has plucking issues and doesn't look healthy. Not sure what the 'bump' is around the vent area. Another of the cockatoos. This picture is not of the birds that still need rescued, but this was the previous home of the African Greys that have already been rescued. They spent 25 years of their lives in these cages. I don't see a single toy. They will be taken good care of at Project Perry.

Thanks to all for the kind words of congratulations. We plan to take many pictures during our trip up to Project Perry. I already have a volunteer that wants to spearhead a drive for labor to help with erecting it! YAY!

Thank you very much!

Thank you.

Thank you so much for the encouraging words.

I made a short video for the rescue and thought I'd share the link here if anyone is interested.

It does look like possibly an allergic reaction especially since it is present bilaterally. Does she get peanut butter every day with breakfast? You may want to try to go back and figure out what she may have had contact with as in eating or chewing on, when this first started, and start eliminating things that could be potential allergens. Then add them back one at a time a few days apart to see if the reaction returns.

I use chamomile for so much here, I buy it by the pound. I make my own tisanes (infusions - no real 'tea' aka camellia sinesis leaves in them) and share with the birds. They get warm lightly sweetened rooibos, and I use coconut palm sugar to sweeten just a tiny bit so it's natural. Rooibos has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-mutagenic properties. If they get tea, it is always decaf, but that's what I have to drink anyway. Naturally decaffeinated is best as it's done with sparkling water and not chemicals. I just joined biologist and natural raw avian diet advocate Jason Crean's Facebook group, and he promotes healthy teas for birds. http://www.beaksbirdhouse.com/teaks.html I make a lot of my own. Even the budgies like warm tea. I do not usually give them tea with cream and I NEVER use artificial sweeteners as I have an *extremely* violent reaction to some of them, especially Splenda aka sucralose which is sadly finding its way into more and more "non-diet" foods. Finding it as a surprise ingredient is always beyond unpleasant and with knowing what it does to me I would never ever give it to any animal (or other human being).

We've had it both ways. We originally had a pair that were brooded together. They often went into one or the other's cages together of their own volition. When we lost Marden, Megan did not warm up to our adopted boy, Peck. They tolerate each other now, but are not "bonded". She's fallen for a handsome Amazon but they do not share cage space. He's a former wild-caught breeder and reportedly killed a mate, so I don't encourage them to be in any small space together. They do, however, spend hours playing in the playroom together. But everyone has their own cage which is their personal 'space' to retreat to. That being said, we have our little "Odd Couple" - Maks the male cockatiel and his boyfriend, Alex the male sun conure. They had separate cages, but bonded together during 'out' time and when it came time to go back for the night, the began putting themselves back, together, in Alex's cage. Since Maks bites like a rabid wolverine, I was loathe to try to remove him. We've never had a problem with them. They now live in a 'duplex' cage with the divider out. But this kind of cross-species relationship is certainly not the norm and I would never advise anyone to try to force it to develop between birds. To share such an intimate space as a cage, they truly have to be bonded or you risk fights. Think of it as if it were a bedroom. You let strangers visit in your living room, typically. But only the closest friends or family gets to visit in the bedroom. Their cages are like that to them. It's their personal 'safe space' and birds are often very defensive of it. If I were to even consider this I would put a common cage in as neutral territory and leave the smaller cages and let them sort out whether they feel comfortable sharing that neutral space.

ADORABLE!! Thanks for sharing!

It's pits that contain a cyanide precursor - stone fruits like cherries, peaches, apricots, plums, etc. and fruits with 'pips' - apples, pears, etc. that you have to watch out for. Most seeds like cantaloupe, cucumber, kiwi, etc. are good for birds. Jack used to literally eat ONLY the seeds off the outside of each strawberry. He didn't like the berry but loved the little seeds.

It sounds like you proved to her that you are not to be feared - by taking the bites without retaliation and remaining calm you proved that you can be trusted. Often with animals this causes an "aha" moment. You can almost see the little light come on as they realize "Wow, they didn't hit me or bite back! I guess they really don't want to harm me!" The hormones can be triggered by spring or by sudden contact. After long periods of not having love and touch in their lives, she may just be reveling in it. It sounds like you do an amazing job at work, and it sounds like you are doing another amazing job with this Grey at home. Keep up the great work. I am betting that now that she trusts you, she won't go back to being mean. She may want touched less when the hormones subside but not wanting touched is often different than being mean (a lesson I have learned the hard way from our girl Megan). I hope your girl stays sweet for you.

I actually found out - through a comment Kirah (Matt's girlfriend) made on my Facebook timeline - that this was *the* original aviary at Project Perry! It is indoor/outdoor, having a heated space where the birds can safely live in the winter. The heater died so it will have to be replaced when we erect this aviary here. Matt has been a friend and mentor since our first meeting. His inspiration, guidance and advice has been invaluable and he's a major influence in the direction we are taking with Marden's Ark. There wouldn't BE a Marden's Ark if not for Matt and Kirah.

Ray, I know someday you will find another Zon that needs you. They won't be Cricket, but like I have found with Peck, even though he's not Mar and will never be like Mar, there are many things I see in him that remind me of why I fell in love with a little Grey parrot. When we initially went looking for a bird, I envisioned a cockatiel. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think about an African Grey. It's amazing how they change your life. One of our supporters sent me a mug that says "Every once in a while, a bird enters your life and changes everything." So true. What I miss is having a soulmate. That bird who preened my eyelashes, and beaked my nose. The one that liked to crawl up under my shirt and sleep. I trusted him totally. I love all the birds here. Every last one. But what I had with Marden is unlike any relationship I have ever experienced with a bird, or any other creature, really. Time heals, they say. Perhaps that will prove true someday.

For Release 1200 February 04, 2015 Marden’s Ark Announces Donation of Aviary from Project Perry Aviary to be dismantled and moved from VA to NC. Youngsville, NC— February 04, 2015 — Today, Marden’s Ark is excited to announce that Project Perry is donating one of their aviaries to Marden’s Ark following their plans to upgrade the existing aviary to a newer, larger aviary at their Louisa, VA sanctuary. “We are just so thankful for this amazing gift,” said Dee Hicks, President of Marden’s Ark. “This is really giving a jump start to our plans here. Matt, at Project Perry, has been a great inspiration and has given us invaluable advice that has guided us in starting Marden’s Ark. We wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for Matt and Kirah. We are just overwhelmed by this donation.” Project Perry is a well-established sanctuary for parrots in central Virginia. They recently began a fund-raiser to upgrade their existing small bird aviary. The new aviary at Project Perry will be much larger and better able to accommodate their growing population. The existing small bird aviary is an 8 year old structure that is being replaced and will be dismantled at Project Perry on February 16 and 17, then transported to Youngsville NC where preparations will be made to erect the structure at Marden’s Ark. This will be the first year-round outdoor structure for housing birds at Marden’s Ark. Their current population of 56 birds is currently being housed in typical cages in indoor living areas. (Photo Courtesy of Project Perry - http://http://www.projectperry.com/'>http://http://www.projectperry.com/) This is a shot of the aviary as it now stands on location at Project Perry. This was the original structure that started it all for Matt and his wonderful sanctuary. Through his generosity, it will live on at Marden's Ark, providing a safe place to land - hopefully for many years to come. (Photo Courtesy of Project Perry - http://http://www.projectperry.com/) This is a view of the inside of the aviary as it now stands on location at Project Perry. This is a photo-edited composite showing the planned location where the structure will hopefully be erected at Marden's Ark. (Pending "Call Before You Dig" Survey, etc.)

If you are just making a temporary 'area' for her, here is my advice - first, make it as predator-proof as possible. This can often be done by digging a footer down a few feet, filling it with concrete, then building a short block wall atop that. Nothing can dig under, and it discourages most earthbound mammals like dogs, etc. I'd advise using a small mesh wire - 1/2" x 1/2", and possibly even double-layering that about an inch apart to prevent toes being grabbed by hawks, owls, raccoons, etc. - but this depends on the amount of time you plan to leave her out unsupervised, etc. If humans are nearby, predators often won't chance it. Also provide shade and shelter. Our aviaries will be part greenhouse/part mesh, following the design developed by Matt Smith at Project Perry but they are designed for full-time outdoor living. I would think redirecting the whistle would be easy. The trick is you cannot have any "annoyed" or "upset" vibes when redirecting. You have to maintain calm and continually answer the "loud" with "soft" until they match the tone of your 'conversation.' Some birds take a bit more work than others but that said, it's worked with large groups here at our rescue. Good luck and I hope your girl enjoys her aviary.

Segregating her to the out of doors may cause her to have separation anxiety if she's used to being around you. Natural Grey sounds are whistles - this is how they speak in their native tongue. Peck, our wild-caught Grey has some of the most haunting songs - perhaps if you play some soft Grey whistles she will learn them. I find their native songs soothing. They can get loud, especially their excited screams. What I have found works here is gentle redirection. Find a way to get their focus (especially if you have only one bird), and make soft sounds. Eventually they often begin to mimic the soft sounds. We have a cue - "inside voices, please" which will often (not always) get them to stop screaming and speak in soft tones. I play videos of soft bird sounds for ours, but then we also have "fun time" where we watch noisy videos and even listen to other loud calls (the Amazon calls *really* get everyone fired up!). We do this for maybe 15-30 minutes and after that I say "Birdie quiet time" (and Megan echoes with a stern "Birdie QUIET!") and everyone calms down for a bit of a nap. Sometimes a few minutes of being really loud (which I join in for!) wears them out and gets it out of their system and they are fairly quiet the rest of the day. We are a bird rescue with goals of outside aviaries however the birds will be in flocks. Keeping one bird isolated outside would not be recommended as birds truly need socialization.

Rasa, our lone resident Amazon, came from a tragic past. Captured from the beauty of the wild, shipped in most likely an abusive manner to America and stuffed in a tiny cage with an unfamiliar female, he reacted badly and killed her. The breeder then attempted a second pairing and it ended almost as badly. She then foisted the poor bird on an unsuspecting woman who felt sorry for Rasa and kindly worked with him. She tried to give him a good "home" but was rewarded for her efforts by frequent, violent attacks that left Rasa confined to a cage for over eight years. It was a change in her life that led to a need to have less birds in her household, and she considered having him humanely euthanized because of his violent tendencies as she feared he would someday seriously injure someone. She agreed to bring him here instead, and he's awed me with his grace and beauty ever since. When he came to Marden's Ark, I was fully aware that at any point in time, this wild creature could decide that aggressive behavior might gain him what he wanted. I worked hard to assure him that I respected him and gain trust. I made sure he got out of cage time every single day. I've never really forced any interaction. The woman who brought him here stated he was clicker trained at one point, and though I don't use a clicker, we worked at a 'focus' point. "Touch the stick" became a way to get him to focus and regroup when he appeared to be getting out of control or upset about something. Many times he'd lash out at the stick at first, but within a few moments of calmly requesting that he "touch it nice", he would calm down and do so, and then receive positive attention and a favored treat (he *loves* cashews). He responds amazingly to the 'mothering' calm, quiet voice, and to soft lullabies. He also seems to like it when I tell him I love him (I tell all the birds here that I love them every day and I truly believe they know I mean it). Megan was fascinated with him from the day he arrived, going out of her way to try to get near him. Once they were in the same room, he proved his gentle intentions by 'feeding' her through the bars, and I began to let them interact while closely supervised. It was very apparent that he was deeply in love and now they share the playroom on a regular basis. On Sunday, he and Megan were in the playroom, and I saw our little bluebird family visiting the feeders right outside the back windows. I went into the bird room and picked Megan up and held her near but just away from the window and showed her the "little birdies" eating. (If I get her too close, she 'knocks' on the window and scares the wild birds away). So I had my arm out from my body when suddenly behind me there was a whirring of wings, and Rasa touched down on my forearm, between Megan and my face. I have to tell you that I understand now how animals often wet themselves when they are trying to suppress a strong "flight" response, lol. I stood frozen, waiting for him to attack....just inches from my face. He very softly said "Hi there" in a soothing tone, almost like he sensed fear and was trying to calm me. I started to relax, and he looked out the window and watched the little birds. After a moment of sheer shock wore off, and I slowly walked over to the door to the kitchen, where "daddy" was making himself coffee and tapped on the glass with my free left hand. He looked up and saw both birds on my outstretched arm and his jaw dropped. He opened the door and said "Wow! How did you do that?" My reply was "I didn't. HE did." I held him for a few more minutes, as he sat calmly and looked around, content with his warm fleshy perch, before I moved to the stand and requested Megan to step up on the branch. She refused. I turned and repositioned Rasa next to the branch, and asked him to step up and he did, very smoothly. After the fact, I mentally kicked myself for not having the husband run and get a camera to take a picture, but I just was so in shock I wasn't thinking clearly. These amazing creatures never cease to surprise me, but the gift of gentle trust from this wild boy was an extremely magical and precious one and a memory I will treasure forever. This picture was taken last November when we got a bunch of BEAUTIFUL organic pie pumpkins for them to feast on! He's such a gentleman and always lets her have her choice of the food.

Meggie's our little "bare-breasted grey chicken" as I lovingly call her. She continues to pluck sporadically, usually when I have to go somewhere. We've tried Sock Buddy (she stopped eating and lost > 8g and so we stopped that at least for now), showers, herbal remedies - stopping short of psychiatric medications which I won't put her on (I'm a psych nurse and am not even a big fan of SSRIs in human use). I feel your pain. But remember, to them it may not be "ill"... it may be more akin to someone in a habit of chewing their hair, or picking their nose, or squeezing pimples - things they know they shouldn't do but can't seem to help themselves. I really don't think you are doing anything wrong. I suspect that the "wrong" starts in the beginning - with them being pulled away from parents in a critical development stage and bonded to humans that cannot be to them what a bird-mate would be. In the bird world, they'd be in sight range mostly all the time and certainly within earshot all the time. This does not happen with humans. We can't possibly do for them what another bird can on any level. Megan was fine until Marden died. Even though she now has Rasa, their relationship is not the same as hers and Marden's and I think she truly is missing that piece of her life. As for toys, it sounds like he's interested in things he sees YOU interested in. Maybe if you played with some of his toys he'd decide they might be worth a try? I know I've done crazier things. Peck and I have a flapping game for exercise that I am absolutely sure would land me in an asylum if someone who didn't know me saw the behavior. LOL. It's very obvious that you love him very much, and I suspect he knows that. Have you tried giving him a 5 oz Dixie cup? Megan goes nuts for those. something about the way the wax coated cup 'snaps' under pressure from her beak. We buy boxes of them at a time. Good luck and give your sweet fellow some scritches from me and the flock here.

I am not sure about it not being a seizure. I've seen seizures present in very strange ways in non-mammalian creatures. I definitely would recommend seeing a vet for a full blood work up with chemistry just to be safe.

Sounds like he may have inhaled a tiny bit of water. Just keep a close eye on him for a few days to make sure no infection crops up and if it doesn't he should be fine.