Frequently asked questions

Q. There is a Cockatiel in a tree in my back yard, should I try to catch it? What should I do?

A. You should definitely try to capture the Cockatiel. You can try to set out a cage with some seed treats, millet spray, etc. Some birds are tamer than others. Some may actually respond if you try to talk to them. If you have a friend or neighbor who has tiels, ask if they can bring them over (in a very safe and secure cage!!) and set them outside (only while you are watching from a window). Set the empty cage next to this one with treats inside and a bird mirror and see if the tiel will go into it to be close to his friends. If you can't find a real Cockatiel to draw him in, try to get a tape recording of one (most pet stores would be able to provide that for you if you give them a tape recorder). If these things don't work and the bird appears weak, ill or in danger of being attacked by cats or other predators, you can try more extreme measures. You can try "netting" the bird. You can get a large net and try catching the bird off guard. The problem with this is, if you miss you may never see the bird again since he will likely become fearful after that. The other thing you could try is squirting him with water. This must be done very carefully as it can result in death if you aren't extremely careful. If you could get a few friends or neighbors to help it would work best. They could stand under where the bird is perched with a large tarp to "catch" the falling bird. Then, someone could get a hose and spray the bird. The spray must be strong enough to get the bird wet enough quickly so that he won't be able to fly. Finally, if he seems somewhat unscared of humans but is too high to reach with your hands, you could try a ladder. You could also try the fire dept. (some will come out and help, some won't) or you could try asking anyone you might know with a "cherry picker." People with cherry pickers are gas or electric co. workers. If you could get someone to come over with one of those, you might be able to get close enough to the bird to get him to step up. Always call your local humane society and post flyers if possible alerting people that the bird is in your yard. If you can find the owner, they may be much more likely to get the bird to come to them.

Q. Help! We are having a baby, should we get rid of our birds?

A. Try not to listen to all of the negativity out there about raising babies and birds. It is possible to do both and have both be happy and well adjusted. The most important thing for you to plan on doing is to set some time aside daily for your bird. Keep in mind that there will be no such thing as a schedule in the first few weeks or more of your baby's life, so you will have to make time as you can for the bird. If you are planning on breast feeding (a great idea for many reasons, but my doctor says if you have pets breast feeding will lessen the chance of allergy, asthma and zoonotic disease potential to your child) , it will be more difficult for you to find time in the beginning for much else (time you can count on anyway) so it will be very helpful to have "back-up" people so your bird does not get lonely. It will be most important to see that he is continued to be socialized even during the first few weeks of the baby being home. If you can do as I suggested and ask family to help, it will be easy to accomplish that.

I think a lot of the problem people have with birds and new babies is that when they get home, they spend little or no time with the bird (sometimes out of necessity), and the bird becomes unsocialized. This leads to behavior problems and the problem "snowballs" from there. Regardless of whether there is a new baby in the house or not, if you have a bird who is being neglected, he will develop problems which will then create problems for the owner. You can nip this in the bud by making sure your bird is socialized throughout the hectic first few weeks of baby being home. Now, to find out how he might act with a little human competition, you might try swaddling a doll ( I know this sounds strange but is worth trying) in a baby blanket and talking, rocking and cuddling with it. See how he reacts. This may be a helpful exercise to help you determine how jealous he might be with the real thing. This will help you to determine the level of jealousy (if any) your bird may show, however, I would never assume anything and would never take any chances leaving your baby and bird in close proximity until you have had the baby home long enough to know how your bird may react to him and until you are sure the bird will not react negatively. If you find that your bird is aggressive towards the infant another thing you can do is to find a special treat your bird really likes and offer that treat only when the baby is near the bird. For example, if you are walking by the cage with the baby in your arms have some of the treat in a pocket and offer it to the bird. By doing this repeatedly, you will eventually create a positive association for the bird to the baby. Keep in mind there is likely to be some adjustments on everyone's part with the addition of the baby to the household. It will work out and will just take some time.

I thought I had it bad trying to get my birds to adjust to their new schedule (or lack of one) until I had a friend over recently who has two children. She has a 20 month old and a 3 month old. She began telling me how she can't leave her 20 month old around the infant because he will hit him, pull his ears, poke at him, etc. He doesn't really understand what he is doing and is very jealous of the new baby. She was working on ways to alleviate the jealousy. After hearing that, I was confident I could deal with my birds The most important thing is to work some time out for the bird daily (whether it be with you or another family member, not to take any chances that the bird may bite the baby, and to try to create a positive association between baby and bird. Remember your bird may spend more time in his cage initially and that doesn't mean you will need to give him up. Once you have more of a routine and are able to feel comfortable with the two of them, things will get better again. Your bird is a part of your family and will have to adjust like everyone else. Once that is accomplished, he will be happy to still be a part of your family (instead of being given away because of the new addition) and will also have a new playmate once he/she is old enough to appreciate him

Q. How can I start my own nonprofit bird rescue organization?

A. Unfortunately, mostly because of irresponsible breeding, there is going to be a bigger need for more organizations dealing with bird placement as time goes on. People don't realize how many homeless Cockatiels, Lovebirds and Budgies there are out there and spaying/neutering isn't a safe option for these animals. We feel it is very important that more people get involved in the solution for this growing problem.

First, you need to think seriously about how you want your organization to run. Do you want to deal with one species of bird, or all parrots? Do you have enough experience and knowledge to deal with all or do you feel more comfortable with just small or just large birds? How do you want to operate? Do you want to run an adoption program or more like a sanctuary? If you want to run an adoption program, are you going to enlist the help of foster parents? Where will you get your funding? What kind of fundraising are you willing/able to do? What will you require of your volunteers? Do you want to require classes, fees, mandatory return policy if the adopter can't keep the bird? Do you want to take from the public or only accept birds as referrals from other agencies (humane societies) and vet offices?

Then, sit down and write a short "mission statement" for your organization to sum up the main goal of your group. Also, make a list of what you will need to begin the program. Everything from volunteers (and what they will need to do) to cages, food, toys, clerical supplies etc. It will really help to sit down with someone who can help you to discuss the start up. When we started Mickaboo, we made an appoinment with a local bird rescue director to discuss the challenges she faced when she began. She was also kind enough to show us her applications and contracts so that we had a model to go on. It was very helpful to meet with her because she had already been through what we were going through. She was also helpful in referring us to a CPA locally who helped us to get our nonprofit status.

You can work on getting your nonprofit status on your own if you have the time and patience. Or, you can enlist the help of an attorney or CPA. Once you have your nonprofit status, you can begin receiving donations from the public which can be tax-deductible. Besides donations from supportive bird lovers, Mickaboo got its start by yard sales, aluminum can drives, candy sales, etc. We even shoveled dirt for a day to make money for our birds. In the beginning it is going to be important to be willing and able to do what is necessary to get the word out and get money in for your cause. Eventually, you will develop a list of supporters and interested parties whose donations will help keep you from digging ditches

Do you have a good vet in town? It is going to be important to find a good avian vet before you begin so you have a place to take the ill birds you get in. You can draft a letter letting local avian vets know of your group and ask for a discount (it never hurts to ask and most are agreeable to a small discount). Finally, be sure to have a good number of volunteers (foster parents if you decide to go that route, drivers, clerical help, fundraising help, advertising help — whatever you need to run smoothly). It is also going to be very important that you have the help of volunteers before you begin taking in rescues. If you don't have necessary help, you will be heading for burnout and potentially doing more harm than good to the very birds you meant to help. It isn't going to be healthy or helpful to you or the birds if you end up having to take them all in yourself and end up having 50 birds on your property. It really helps to have the help, too, not just for the practical reasons but for keeping sanity. Rescue can be very hard and emotionally tiring work and it really, really helps to have someone you can work with and make decisions with (some decisions can be very difficult!) So, don't try to do it all yourself and you should last longer in this endeavor and be happier.