Searching for a bird? Watch first!!!

This is for everyone but more specifically for those who are looking for that perfect bird. So often we see that post, "Which bird is for me?", well this may just answer that question.

Watch "The Lightning Bolt" video.
The Lightning Bolt « Parrot Nation

Thanks for posting that video. I am shocked to hear that by age 17 big birds have already lived in an average of 2 or 3 homes and that 17 years is "unheard" of (I think that's the word they used). It is just mindblowing that on the average they get rehomed about 7 to 11 times in their lifetime. On a forum like this one, we mostly actively hear from people that have long-term, even lifetime relationships with their birds, but we are just a teeny tiny part of the world of people that have birds.

Pritti has been a member of our family for 30 years since he was a little guy in a cage at a pet shop, being picked on by the other birds. I couldn't imagine not making any possible accommodation in my power to make sure he would never have to be rehomed. Clearly things happen to people, they get sick, pass on, financial hardship, etc. - so I understand that not everyone can do this.

I wish a bird had to be adopted, like kids. A person adopts a child and is responsible for her/him for the next 18 years minimum. The bird they take in will be like a toddler and will need the parent for the rest of birdy's life. This is no secret. If they had to be adopted, maybe the parront would think harder about brining one home, maybe they would be matched up better than the person showing up at Big Giant Box Petstore XYZ with a credit card.

Arghhhhhh.

OMG, I LOVE Patrician Sund! I could never wait to read her articles in Bird Talk Magazine, about Parker, Pepper, and then Nyla.

I'll have to watch the video later... but it doesn't surprise me that many birds have been in multiple homes in a short span of a few years.

Charlie, mitred conure. Age 18, going on 19 in 2013. For 10 years he lived with one owner, then a pet store for a year and a foster home for a year. He's been with me for the past 6 years and counting!

Casey, 11 yr old female cockatiel. I've had her since she was 5 months old!

Pistachio, male cockatiel, age unknown. I know for a fact that he's 14 years old, but for all I know, he could be in his twenties! His previous owners picked him and his mate up from an animal shelter in 1998. I first met him and his family in 2000 (if I recall right), but he wasn't actually given to me until the end of 2005. I found new homes for the two offspring that came with him (both born in 2000?) to homes I thought they'd do better in (for different reasons) and lost his mate earlier this year.

Tomi Girl, female cockatiel found in someones yard and nearly killed in previous "home." Age unknown, but I believe she's an older bird (perhaps not as old as Pistachio, but older than Casey?). She's been with me since early of 2006.

Faye, female cockatiel passed around, age unknown. She lost her mate in her prevoius home. Home before that got her from a yard sale, so it's safe to say that she's been in at least three homes prior to mine. I've had her since Christmas day of 2007.

"The Bourke", female. Age 15-17 years old, 16-18 in 2013. One home prior to mine. I got her in 2002, and was told she was 5-7 years old.



I've gotten used to having second hand birds, so it seems a little foreign to think of getting a young, hand raised parrot!

I really think we, the members of any bird forum, are a very small community in the bird owner population. We enjoy spending our lives with our birds while there is a whole other group that is the same as us but not involved in forums and finally the last group that just has the bird for the sake of having a bird. It's the last group, I believe, that tends to pass a bird from home to home resulting in the 17 year old bird that's been in 2-3 homes already. Of course even we member of the bird forum community occasionally have reasons to re-home our birds but we do so with more knowledge and understand than most other.

I don't stereotype, I use trend analysis!

My birds are all rehomes, we're Odin's 3rd home (hatched in and rescued from an aviary, his previous home, now us) at age 7. Greenie was purchased by his last owner at 9 months old from a pet shop and he's almost 10 now and Salty, we're his 3rd home that I know of, she thought he was around 5 but his leg band says FL 03, so how many homes he had before he made it to Seattle (the first home I know of) I dont know.

That's a very well made video, and I agree there is definately an instant connection between the right bird and the right owner(s). My husband and I worked with a rescue for nearly a year before finding Kiwi. We did tell them we preferred a zon/eclectus/gray sized bird, but would be open to larger/smaller if the bird was right. We met about 10 birds, most of whom there wasn't that instant connection with. There was a female Moluccan we seriously considered (only 4, sweet as can be, not previously abused/neglected), but deep down, while friendly, it just wasn't love at first sight for her or us. We took a couple days to think, and they called us to say someone was willing to take her that weekend, so we let her go. Just a month later they had a lady who wanted to get rid of her BFA asap. We drove 4 hours to her house, and it was love at first sight with Kiwi. He wasn't well cared for, wasn't very friendly, had no prior training/socialization, plus he was a 10 y/o hormonal male on his 3rd home. Regardless, we knew the moment we saw him, he was our guy. After a rough first year with him, he's been nothing but the sweetest, most hilarious parrot since. We just celebrated 5 years with him Tuesday, and I just couldn't imagine life without him. It pays to wait for the right bird, and it helps if you can look past the "issues" of a bird you know is right and help them become a loving, feathered family member.