Echo's Haven Macaw Rescue Sanctuary The Complete Bird Community
Our goal is to provide a free-flight home for formerly abused, unwanted or problem Macaws.

UNSUNG HEROES

by: Sam Foster

This article is reprinted from The Pet Bird Report with permission from the author.

 

We’ve all seen it...the ad in the ‘pets for sale’ column of our newspaper that readssomething like, “Umbrella Cockatoo. Need to sell asap. Very nice bird, has slight feather picking problem. $1000 w/cage (obo)”. At first, we shake our heads in dismay. But, a few minutes later we can’t helpourselves and decide to call, just out of curiosity. Knowing the right questions to ask, we learn that this is a female Umbrella, approximately two years old, and that she is not only plucking and pulling blood feathers, but is beginning to self-mutilate. The owners don’t know, and don’t seem to want to take the time to learn, how to work with her to overcome the problem and are anxious to find another bird who will be “easier to deal with”.At this point, many of us would be filled with feelings of anguish for the life this precious bird appears destined to lead, being passed from home to home to home. We think to ourselves, “I wish there was something I could do”, and some of us might make a few calls to other bird owners to share our anxiety, frustration, and even anger.

Although I often hear about these situations, during one particular week in July of this year I became personally aware of two similar scenarios. Thus began a chain of events that forever changed the lives of two very special families and three very lucky birds, all as the result of one truly remarkable and dedicated woman. These are the stories of those unsung heroes...

LORENZA:
Lorenza arrived at The Gabriel Foundation on a cold and snowy day in February of 1998. Julie Murad had heard from a friend about a baby parrot whose owners were going back to Mexico and did not want to take the bird with them. She arranged to visit their home that evening and discovered an appalling site, which unfortunately, is not as uncommon as we would like to think. In a tiny, filthy cylindrical finch cage sat a Double Yellow Headed Amazon attempting to balance on a 1/4” plastic perch. The food dish was filled with oily black sunflower seeds and there was hardly enough water to cover the bottom of the dirty water dish. After a brief introduction the family then began their sales pitch to Julie telling her that this was a baby, that the bird loved small children, and that it enjoyed flying around the house. They were particularly proud of the fact that it would fly to the upstairs bathroom about once a month to take a bath.There was no band on this bird which appeared to be 3-4 years old, not at all the baby they wanted her to believe, and it was extremely nervous about hands, perhaps as the result of being wild-caught.

When asked how the bird was brought into the United States, the family proudly told Julie how they had given the bird tequila to put it to sleep, then wrapped it up in some clothes and put it in one of the suitcases.When it came time to discuss price, Julie was told they wanted $1,000 for Lorenza. After some deliberation and negotiating she left, telling the family she would call them later that night after thinking more about what they wanted for the amazon. Several hours went by before Julie called to tell them that $300 was her limit. After a little more negotiating it was agreed that they would sell the bird for $500. The next morning when she arrived to pick up Lorenza, the couple said that they had changed their minds and felt that $600 was a better price because the bird “talks so well, and is bilingual”, speaking both Spanish and English (tri-lingual actually, since he also speaks parrot). Finally, after realizing that their efforts to impress Julie were not going to succeed, they accepted the $500 in cash.

As a new resident of The Gabriel Foundation, Lorenza was put into quarantine, along with other untested birds who had recently arrived. She immediately underwent a complete medical workup, as is the standard procedure for all incoming birds, including testing for PBFD, Psittacosis titer, CBC, electrophoresis, polyoma titer, cultures and sensitivities, and fecal float, as well a polyoma vaccination and DNA sexing.

During this time Lorenza was introduced to an exciting new world filled with the wonder of colorful toys, a spacious cage in which to play and exercise, a wide array of food from which to choose, and consistent interaction with loving and compassionate human caretakers. She quickly learned that life in a nurturing captive environment could be filled with fun and joy, and during this period of isolation she taught some very deprived African greys how to play with toys, which they had never done before.

All of the birds at The Gabriel Foundation, health and weather permitting, get to spend time outside each day. One thing that was noticed almost immediately was that Lorenza appeared nervous and unhappy when outside, if not in the security of a cage. Obviously, the stress of being captured in the wild was still a vivid memory.

Yet, as the weeks and months passed by, she readily learned to “step-up” and was an absolute delight to everyone who came in contact with her, speaking sentences and having conversations in both Spanish and English. Thanks to the devoted and loving efforts of Julie and her staff, all that was needed now was to find a home worthy of Lorenza’s love and trust.

 

LAYLA:

Layla’s first owners must have treated him kindly, because this male UmbrellaCockatoo was a gentle and affectionate bird. However, just after Layla’s seventhbirthday, the only family he had ever known was transferred to the other side of the country. For whatever reason, they felt that Layla would not travel well and made the decision to return him to the original breeder to be sold. After only a short time he went to live with another couple who, along with severalother companion birds, had a very active young son. Within a few months, Layla was once again returned to the breeder. It soon became apparent that Layla was extremely upset when a small male child would approach the cage. He would seem anxious and suddenly lash out in an obvious attempt to defend his territory, which included biting if he felt that was necessary. He did not behave in this manner with adults, or with young girls. Although the breeder was told that Layla was returned because he did not get along with the family’s African grey, it was thought that perhaps there had been problems with the young son. During this same time, there was yet another couple who had been visiting this breeder on a regular basis to help in the socializing of their new baby African grey, who was almost weaned and ready to go home with them. Already having a female Umbrella Cockatoo, they were genuinely concerned about Layla and what his future might hold. After much deliberation, they made the decision to add this playful and affectionate companion to their feathered family in the hopes of ending the uncertainty he must surely have been feeling.

All was well their first day together, with Layla enjoying showering with the husband, playing, and eating a wide variety of food. But as darkness started to descend, Layla began to scream...not just normal cockatoo roosting calls, but persistent and very loud frenzied screaming. This went on for over an hour, and out of desperation the couple finally covered the cage and turned out the lights. Living in an apartment complex, there were already warnings to “stop that noise...now”.It was about 10:30 p.m. that evening when my telephone rang and I listened as this couple, desperate and nearly crying in frustration, asked for any guidance I might be able to offer.

They realized, too late, that this bird obviously possessed some behaviors which they had not previously witnessed, or been made aware of. During our conversation it became apparent that “time”, even a few weeks, was not a luxury they could enjoy in their current residence. Yet, they were also adamant that they did not want this beautiful cockatoo to once again be sent back to the breeder and eventually sold to another family who might or might not have the time, patience and knowledge to work with him.

So the situation was...This caring couple honestly wanted to do what was best for Layla. Unfortunately, they quickly and sadly recognized that they could not provide that environment in their present circumstance, and felt tremendous pangs of guilt along with their frustration. The money spent to purchase Layla was not their primary concern, although they paid what was considered fair market value in their area for an Umbrella Cockatoo. They were very leery of tying to “place” him in a pet situation for fear of the person not fully realizing, as they had not, the extent of the screaming problem, nor did they feel they could risk being evicted from their home by trying to work with him over a period of time.

After speaking for some time about all the possible options, I finally recommended what I felt would be the most realistic and expedient resolution, and we both agreed that contacting Julie Murad at The Gabriel Foundation would be in Layla’s best long-term interest.They contacted Julie the following day and asked if she would take Layla, help him to overcome any problems and insecurities, and try to find a suitable and compassionate home that would love and care for him, as they had hoped to do.

In less than a week, Layla had been checked by an avian veterinarian, all documents were prepared, and he was flown to Colorado. During Layla’s period of quarantine along with several other umbrellas he became calmer, apparently happy and content, playing actively with his toys and often displaying his charms for the female cockatoos. Obviously, being in the company of other birds, and having the opportunity to continually interact with them was having a positive and soothing effect on Layla.

 

QUIE:

At approximately 10:00 a.m. one Saturday morning the phone rang. It was a lovely “bird” couple in another state who I had met for the first time nearly a year ago when they were having problems with their male umbrella cockatoo.

“We need your help” were the first words spoken. I was told about an ad in that mornings local newspaper that said, “Umbrella Cockatoo for sale-best offer”. This young woman has a heart of gold and felt compelled to learn all she could about the bird that was for sale, in the hope that she might be able to help find it a suitable home.

She had already called the number in the ad and was told by the lady of the house that this was a one year old female umbrella cockatoo. It was that couple’s first bird which they had purchased when it was six weeks old. During the course of that phone conversation it became obvious that the owner had very limited knowledge regarding pet birds in general, and had been given no instructions or guidelines from the breeder before taking their young cockatoo home.

She stated that the bird was very gentle and loving, but had recently begun to chew her feathers to the point where she was bleeding.It was also learned that these people worked very long hours and were often away from early in the morning until late in the evening, with little time to spend with their pet bird. However, they also had several dogs and other pets who were in the house “to keep her company” during the day, so she “wasn’t really alone”.

They truly seemed to love this cockatoo, but had no idea at all of how to cope with the current problem and wanted her to go to someone who did.

The question posed to me on this Saturday morning was whether I knew anyone who might be interested in purchasing Quie, as she was called. The concern we all had at this point was that someone would purchase this bird because it was “cheap”, not realizing the commitment that was necessary to work with her successfully.

Already having a male cockatoo who been through some very difficult periods, and continued to require a great deal of time and energy, this couple did not feel that adding another cockatoo to their own household would be fair to either of those birds. Yet, after several follow up phone calls with Quie’s owners they were almost to the point of taking her, at least temporarily.

What happened next was a joint, long distance effort, with everyone working toward a common goal:

I phoned Julie Murad who was out of town, leaving a message for her to please call me as quickly as possible. Within the hour, she called and we spoke at length about Quie’s situation, the concern of the couple who provided me with the information, and their willingness to help in any way.

That evening, Julie called Quie’s owners directly to get further details regarding her background. They discussed some of the possible causes for their birds behavior and ways in which her environment and care might be improved. At this stage, the owners acknowledged that there really was much more involved in the recovery process than they would be able to adequately provide. Ultimately wanting what was best for Quie, they asked Julie if The Gabriel Foundation would take her and care for her.

The next issue was where Quie might go until arrangements could be made for her trip to Colorado. Julie asked if the couple who had contacted me was sincere in their offer to help further, and without hesitation they agreed to pick Quie up from her current residence and keep her in quarantine at their home for as long as necessary.

The following morning they met Quie for the first time and were told that she would not eat anything but seeds and was not overly playful. She was taken to the vet that same afternoon and an extensive physical exam showed that she had either pulled or shredded all of the primary and secondary wing feathers, and all but two of her tail feathers. It appeared that this might have been going on for some time, but had become a much more severe problem when she started chewing blood feathers.

The very next morning it became evident to Quie’s new “foster” parents that, contrary to what they had been told, she had a passion for fresh vegetables, cooked foods and fruit. She was an extremely inquisitive little cockatoo and soon settled into a new routine.

During the first week she was very quiet and would sometimes bite when handled. It seemed as if she desperately wanted the attention but wasn’t quite sure how to react to it. However, this behavior soon disappeared and she started to vocalize a great deal, also inspecting and playing with her new toys. As Quie quickly discovered the joys of being entertained and cuddled, the feather pulling and shredding decreased.

Three weeks passed before the avian vet felt that it was safe for Quie to travel. It was a bittersweet day for this household when she was picked up by a former employee of The Gabriel Foundation to make the trip by plane to her new caretakers.

Kewpie, as she is now called, is totally and happily ensconced in the daily procedures at The Gabriel Foundation. Although still in quarantine, reports from Julie Murad are that Kewpie’s new feather growth is continuing and that, at the time of writing this article, there has been no further plucking or mutilation. With her gentle spirit and trusting nature, Kewpie’s next home will certainly be blessed by her arrival.

UPDATE:
There was an unexpected outcome to one of these stories. During the course of many telephone conversations between Julie Murad and Quie’s “foster” parents, they spoke about this couple’s interest in one day adding another feathered member to their family. They had been contemplating this for quite some time and felt that an amazon would fit in well with their current flock, and hopefully not upset their umbrella cockatoo to a great degree.

So, when Julie told them about Lorenza, her background, and what a delightful and charming bird she had become.....Yes, Lorenza, who is now also known as “CoCo”, has relocated to what I honestly feel is one of the best pet bird environments anyone could provide. Their sadness of parting with Quie has been replaced with joyful amazon laughter, operatic singing, and hours of lengthy one-sided conversations in both Spanish and English.

All of these people have touched my life and enriched it in some way. Through their selflessness, concern, compassion, and most of all, through their actions, they have proven that it truly is “better to give, than to receive”.

During the course of our lives, not all of us will have the opportunity or the resources to do what these people have done. Yet, at some point along the way there will probably be a time when we are able to offer other types of support in similar situations, though a kind and encouraging word, an open mind or a nonjudgmental ear. Whatever our own personal circumstances at this point in time, there could come a day when we ourselves might hope to embrace one of these unsung heroes.

 

Privacy Statement, Copyright, Contact information & About us

Copyright © 1999-2007 Gail Martin

Search for this word

In Birdie Bargains Shop Forums Web Site Web