Recent News

Date: Sunday, Aug 29, 2010
Time: 11 - 4pm
Location: Carmichael Regional Library, 5605 Marconi Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608

Come see some of our foster birds and our dedicated volunteers!  Featured foster birds include tiels Chicken and Alexa, blue-fronted amazon Sky, and double yellow head amazon Peter.  

We will also have on-site, free basic bird care classes from 12-2 and 3-5pm.  Bird care supplies will also be available - all proceeds will benefit your favorite bird rescue!

Help birds while you soak in an oceanview hot tub in Mendocino. Silent auction ends soon!

Every penny of your winning bid will go to help birds in need. Check out www.mickaboo.org for more ways to help!

Here is the story of one eventful rescue transport - volunteers' names have been changed to protect their identities in this escapade.

**

A volunteer (we'll call her Joan) was moving Cassidy, a 27-yr-old cockatoo, late at night from his surrender in Los Altos to another volunteer's home in Vacaville, so Cassidy could get some rest before making the second half of his journey the next day with yet a third volunteer.

While Joan was bee-bopping down the freeway, Cassidy seized the moment to remove the lock and open his carrier door.  Knowing that Cassidy was fully flighted Joan did the best thing possible - she pulled off the road and called Mickaboo's cockatoo coordinator for help while keeping the doors closed.  A mano-a-mano attempt to snag Cassidy with a jacket failed as he did a cockatoo wiggle to get himself into a position behind his cage which Joan could not safely reach.  Joan called the cockatoo coordinator back when she was chatting online with Mickaboo's Sacramento area coordinator. The Sacto coordinator knew of another volunteer (we'll call her Jenny) in the general area of where the car was parked, so the scramble was on to find Jenny's phone number.  Poor Jenny didn't know what was happening when some strange lady called her at 10:30 at night.

Jenny and her spouse sped to where Joan was parked and managed to lasso Cassidy, place him back into his carrier, and then secure it with two locks, a bungee cord and zip ties........ All remained well for the rest of the drive to Vacaville that ended well after midnight.  Where a wing trim immediately took place.

**

All's well that ends well!  This event epitomizes the teamwork which makes our rescue work possible.  Sign up here to join the team!  

Crystal recently organized a rummage sale to benefit Mickaboo - and raised almost $1000!  We asked her a few questions about her involvement with Mickaboo:

How did you come to know about Mickaboo? 

I first heard about Mickaboo through watching "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" at a film festival several years ago in Sacramento.

Why do you keep helping Mickaboo? 

After donating/fundraising for several events supporting other animal welfare groups, I noticed there wasn't much attention being paid specifically to companion birds.  I want to do whatever I can to help the birds at Mickaboo find loving homes and to help Mickaboo stick around, of course. 
What is the next "good deed" you plan to do? 

Although the rummage sale was a great success, I'd like to do something a bit more social in the future.  I'd like to find a host cafe to feature a fundraiser dinner. Guests would buy tickets to attend and in exchange they'd get a delicious meal, decadent desserts, and perhaps a raffle. My bakery would cater the whole event. I'll keep you posted as details emerge.

**

Want to help Mickaboo continue its mission?  See how to help!

Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010
Time: 12:30 - 4:00 pm
Location: For Other Living Things, 1261 South Mary Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 

Cost:
* Wing OR nail trim - $10 per bird
* Wing AND nail trim - $15 per bird

Appointments are strongly recommended - email your request to pr@mickaboo.org. Please tell us:
– how many birds you plan on bringing
– what services each needs (wing trim, nail trim)
– any preferred timing

For the safety of all, please plan on bringing your bird(s) in a carrier or in a harness. Payment will be accepted at the clinic in cash or check.

What budgies do when one isn't looking... http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs149.snc4/36828_148940665120426_100000134800598_472685_1621340_n.jpg

Here's a website with online bird songs http://www.birdsongradio.com/.

Some of our foster birds like listening to it when their owners are away - and it's free!

Thanks to some generous donors, we have online auctions in progress for two Mendocino get-aways and a beautiful watercolor. All proceeds benefit Mickaboo. Feel free to browse - and bid!

Any questions about the auctions - email pr@mickaboo.org!  

Date: Sunday, July 25, 2010
Time: 12:30 - 4:00 pm
Location: For Other Living Things, 1261 South Mary Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 

Cost:
* Wing OR nail trim - $10 per bird
* Wing AND nail trim - $15 per bird

Appointments are strongly recommended - email your request to pr@mickaboo.org. Please tell us:
– how many birds you plan on bringing
– what services each needs (wing trim, nail trim)
– any preferred timing

For the safety of all, please plan on bringing your bird(s) in a carrier or in a harness. Payment will be accepted at the clinic in cash or check.

Date: Saturday, July 24, 2010
Time: 2:00 - 6:00 PM
Location: Pet Food Express, 1388 South California Boulevard, Walnut Creek, CA 94596-5125  925-947-6666

Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue is proud to announce our upcoming Adoption Fair featuring the members of the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. Mickaboo takes in the sick and injured members of the Wild Parrot flock, providing them with the medical attention and care they need. Many of these birds are juveniles or disabled adults, neither of which can be released safely back into the wild flock, so they need adoptive and foster homes. Mickaboo has taken in over 60 members of the flock since 2003, and we currently have 18 waiting for loving homes. Come to the Fair and meet some of these fabulous Telegraph Hill parrots in person!

2PM to 2:45PM – Meet and Greet with Mickaboo – Meet the folks involved in caring for the Wild Flock members.

2:45PM  to 3:45PM – Lecture – Mickaboo’s involvement with the flock, history of the flock, and what we have learned from working with the Flock. Topics will include how the Flock is affected by living in San Francisco, how they wind up with Mickaboo, and Flock member biographies.

3:45PM to 4:30PM – Class – Behavior and Care-- How is working with a Wild Flock member different than other companion birds? Learn about their special needs as pets in your home, and how to work with them.

4:30PM to 6:30PM – Q & A session – Meet the Birds - Get information about Mickaboo's Adoption Policies.

As of yesterday, donations qualifying for Mickaboo's Board of Directors' Challenge Grant totalled more than $4000!  Thanks to everyone for their generosity.  To continue the momentum, the Directors have doubled the Challenge Grant amount - they will now match up to $10,000 of the donations Mickaboo receives between now and July 31. 
 
Donate using any of these methods:
 
- Send a check to Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue, PO Box 697, San Jose, CA  95106
- Donate electronically using the "Donate" or Network for Good links on the left of our homepage, www.mickaboo.org
 
And, if you are lucky enough to have an employer who matches your charitable contributions - don't forget to apply for those too, to REALLY leverage your donation!
 
Every contribution counts, no matter how small you might think it is.  THANKS in advance for your generosity! 

The July 2010 version of our quarterly newsletter has just been published!  Read a how-to article on sprouting food for your birds; how to ensure one's flock is financially provided for after their owner has passed away; and how to vote in our 2011 calendar contest!  And More!

Mickaboo is running low on funds right now, so some of Mickaboo's Directors have come together to offer a challenge grant, a la many public television stations (but without the pledge breaks!).  To wit - these generous Directors will match up to $5,000 of the donations Mickaboo receives between now and July 31. 
 
Donate using any of these methods!
 
- Send a check to Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue, PO Box 697, San Jose, CA  95106
- Donate electronically using the "Donate" or Network for Good links on the left of our homepage, www.mickaboo.org
 
And, if you are lucky enough to have an employer who matches your charitable contributions - don't forget to apply for those too, to REALLY leverage your donation!
 
Every contribution counts, no matter how small you might think it is.  THANKS in advance for your generosity! 

Michelle Yesney, our CEO, was interviewed recently about your favorite bird rescue group.  Her interview is here.

Just a reminder - go to our How to Help tab on our website to help us with time or resources.  We are only able to do what we do because of the collective generosity of people like you! 

Date: Sunday, June 20, 2010:
Time: 12:30 - 4:00 pm
Location: For Other Living Things, 1261 South Mary Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA  408-739-6785

We will have the services of an avian veterinarian at our June clinic, and will therefore be able to offer microchipping and DNA sexing as well as our normal wing and nail trim services.

Cost for services:

* Wing OR nail trim - $10 per bird
* Wing AND nail trim - $15 per bird
* DNA sexing - $30
* Microchipping for birds weighing 100 gm or more - $30
Appointments are recommended (and required for DNA sexing and microchipping) and must be received by noon, Saturday, June 19.

To make an appointment, email the following information to pr@mickaboo.org:

• How many birds of what species you will be bringing
• Which services (nail trim, wing clip, microchipping, DNA sexing) you want for which bird
• Any time slot preference.  We can do a maximum of two birds per 15 minute time slot.

(Example: "I will be bringing two African Greys.  One African Grey needs a wing trim; the second African Grey needs both nail and wing trims.  My first time preference is for 12:30 pm; my second time preference is for 3:15 pm.")

For the safety of all, please plan on bringing your bird(s) in a carrier or in a harness.
Payment will be accepted at the clinic in cash or check.