What are your adoption stories?

Post your stories of the first time you saw your bird, be it an internet ad, a pet store, or a breeder, and what reasons you chose your bird(s) to take home!!

I'll start:
I got Kirby (my avatar) when I was about 12. I had always wanted a parrot, and at my local aviary I picked out a kakariki, who I named Dipper. However, something went wrong and we couldn't pick him up in time, and he got purchased by someone else. I was heartbroken! However, when I went in they had a new kakariki, and I knew someone had bought Dipper for a reason, because I had a much stronger connection with the new kak! I named him Kirby and bought him, and have always used him as proof that everything happens for a reason because I adore him!

I was going through a really rough stage in my life when I got Shiro the cockatiel. I was suffering from anorexia and depression and had no light in my life. At the time, however, I was thinking about how much Kirby would benefit from having a friend to interact with, (and I sure wouldn't mind expanding my bird family either!) I got Shiro because of her sweet, timid personality and beautiful snow white feathers. She helped get me through that tough time.

This year I got my most recent addition to the family, a Jenday named Jojo! I was at Petco, doing nothing much. I was looking at all the adorable conures, when I went around the corner and saw a Jenday hanging from his foot, using his other foot to grab his own tail. I fell head over heels in love. I remember actually jumping up and down because I was so in love with him. He was 600 dollars, though, and we weren't doing great financially. I couldn't stop thinking about him though, and I knew no matter what it took, I had to have him. I started thinking about how I could balance a job and school so I could raise enough money, and kept visiting. The workers at petco said they would tell people who were interested in him that he was a terrible bird so that they wouldnt buy him :09: We kept coming back, and the worker who had tamed him said he would sell him for only 300 dollars!! We got him and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

What are your stories? (if this is already a topic I apologize!)

I have several adoption stories. most of which have already been posted.

here is a link for the 2 best.

http://www.parrotforums.com/incredi...57-pacho-s-story.html?highlight=pacho's+story

http://www.parrotforums.com/incredi...92-bella-s-story.html?highlight=bella's+story

When I walked into a bird store in New Mexico 33 years ago, the Rickeybird (a 3-month-old chick) flapped and flew and scrambled into my arms, turned on his back, and grabbed my fingers with his feet. He seemed glued to me. It was a perfect storm of my impulsiveness, his instant adoration, and the fact that I had just gotten paid by my college work-study job... I took him home. The cage was to be delivered the next day, so I sat on the livingroom floor, all night, propped against a wall, with him in my lap.
Using his band, I eventually traced his breeder. We exchanged photos and letters (this was pre-'net, y'all!)... and she could have been my sister! We were both tall, thin, with long red hair and Poindexter glasses, long faces and big toothy smiles. The Rb thought his mommy (or close enough) had walked in to rescue him. And that was that.

I didn't exactly adopt my Quaker Parrot but very unexperienced at the time I found a breeder online who said he bred Quakers and other Parrots and that he would deliver him to me also as I don't drive yet.

On the day when the guy arrived he rang me to come out and wave him so he knew it was me and he was at the right place so I came out to meet him and get my new bird and pay for him and he had been left in the back seat of the car all the journey, no travel cage or anything, just getting thrown about in the back seat for 2 hours. I didn't get a good impression at all from the breeder. I also noticed one of the birds wings was damaged and bleeding and some of the feathers were torn up really badly and he was just shaking away scared. As a consumer I had every right to say I'm not buying this, he isn't in in good condition but I just couldn't let him go. Something bad was happening to him at the place he was bred so even being a little unexperienced I knew he was better off with me and that id always take care of him and love him like he deserves. I got him checked out and everything and his age confirmed and got him all fixed up but he was terrified of hands for a good few month and I think that was because of something that had happened to him.

He is so awesome though. Sometimes I think maybe this was supposed to happen so we could be together or that I was meant to take care of him. I think like this because 2-3 times in my life I have found an injured or rejected bird and had to nurse them back to full health and take care of them. Maybe Xander is gods way of rewarding me if you believe in all that stuff I dunno x

So I have 2 sun conures and one GCC.

Baby and Tango came to me from Craigslist. I think they were reasonably well taken care of in their previous home, but we were told that they had too many birds and needed to get rid of some. We drove 4 hours and met these people, picked up the birds and the cage and brought them home. We are Baby’s 3rd home and Tango’s 2nd. They are inseparable, but still affectionate with us.

Bindi came home with me from the rescue that I volunteer at, I’ve known her for over a year. She was left outside at the rescue as the previous owners didn’t want to answer any questions about her, so I don’t know much of her history. I think she’s around 6. She loves me, but didn’t particularly like anyone else at the rescue - so it was always assumed that she’d end up at my house eventually . She loves my husband and I both, so that has worked out well.

The household is still adjusting to the newest addition (Bindi), and I’m hoping that eventually they interact with each other well. They’re doing better than I expected, but we’re taking our time so they can adjust at their own pace.

I remember that I used to wonder why people had birds as pets....now I can’t picture life without them