a Refuge for Saving the Wildlife,
3149
Dundee Road, Suite 229
Northbrook , IL 60062
(847) 509 1026
www.rescuethebirds.org
Director@rescuethebirds.org
REFUGE INSIDER June 2008 
An Intern at the Refuge
By Jess Katz
Progress Report #1
Submitted
in partial fulfillment of ASCI 196 (field experience) at the
13 June, 2006
A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife is housed in an unassuming building. In fact, it is Rich Weiner’s home. Around seventy birds, a cat, and Rich all live there fulltime, and for the past month it has been my privilege to join Rich and a squadron of fellow volunteers in caring for and learning from these birds.
There is as much diversity in the domestic birds at the Refuge as one would find in people walking the streets of a large city. Three full-sized macaws and three mini-macaws, amazons, Goffin, Moluccan, and Umbrella cockatoos, and all three sizes of Sulfur-Crested Cockatoos are some examples of the birds one will find there in a daily basis. They range in size from Jackie, a tiny Conure who is not more than four inches high to Marley, a macaw whose tail alone must be a foot long. Personality wise-the birds can be as sweet as Peachy---a born cuddler---or as unsocial as a recluse.
Karen, the volunteer coordinator, has been my foremost mentor. She is a cockatoo person through and through, and it is purely coincidence that the cockatoos (which consist of about a third of the Refuge population) are quickly becoming my favorites. Whenever they make a silent ‘licking’ noise with their tongue, they are contented. My favorite bird at the moment is Baby, an Umbrella Cockatoo. When we cuddle, she twists her head around, clicks her tongue, and leans against my chest. It is rapture for both of us.
Reading birds is by far the most important concept anyone
who interacts at the Refuge needs to comprehend. Body language is as important
with birds as it is with dogs, for example. When changing cages, it is vital to
keep one eye on the bird, even if that particular bird is one of the sweetest
to an individual---if someone they don’t like walks by, they might react in
such a way that poses a problem. My experience with birds prior to coming to
the Refuge led me to think any bird that moves forward beak-first is about to
lunge, but another volunteer,
Although I usually miss my goal of twenty-four hours a week by six hours or more, it is becoming more and more apparent that my schedule is completely void: however long it takes to care for a room of birds, that’s how long I’ll be there. Usually, one volunteer takes each room of the house to do. The garage is the most difficult due to the aggression exhibited by all nine of its residents: male cockatoos. I have only worked in that room with another volunteer. The front room has eight cages that are mostly filled by Rich’s own birds. My preferred room is the family room, which has twenty cages and a majority of the Moluccan cockatoos. The basement has a hodgepodge of smaller Cockatoos, African Greys, and other birds.
The best time is after all the cages are cleaned and the birds are fed and watered: play time! There is absolutely nothing more rewarding than having a tongue-clicking cockatoo sitting on one’s lap with a look of rapture in its eyes.
Featured Bird
Cedric
By Pat Anderson
Cedric the Two-Headed Conure
Type - Black-Capped Conure
Cedric is a tiny, gregarious, and engaging bird. He loves nothing better than to be on your shoulder and ride around watching the world—so much that you have to remind yourself to put him down to get a drink and eat. He doesn’t startle easily and will step up for anyone. He loves to have his head rubbed and has what can only be described as a bird purr.
He says Hi or Hey Cedric, squeaks like a dog toy when he is afraid, whistles, makes kissing noises, and of course has a Conure call. Cedric has a great appetite and loves the shelter mix. When he gets a nutriberry (a seed ball nearly as big as his head), he holds it in his left foot and trills as he munches it. For treats, he also loves walnut pieces, pine nuts (more his size!) and sunflower seeds in the shell. He will sample most human food after he sees his person eat it.
If you sit quietly, he will eventually decide to explore inside your tee shirt. He’ll poke his head in and out a few times, then dive in. He takes great pleasure in climbing around, front and back, occasionally peeking out from the neck or armhole, purring the entire time.
Cedric needs all members of his new family to handle him from the beginning to avoid his becoming possessive of one person. He’ll love the attention. He will nap and eat in his cage when his people aren’t available. Come to the shelter and meet this funny little bird.
We are a not-for-profit parrot rescue, rehabilitation, education, & adoption, no-kill shelter facility.
A Story of Patience
By Nicki
March 28, 2008
What a good girl she is!!! For those who don’t know her, Babe was a bit “challenging” while at the Rescue. She did not like most women and would not hesitate to bite one if the opportunity presented itself. And, sometimes, she would make her own opportunity. With the exception of a few of the men, Babe really was not the sort of bird that you would go over and pet, much less pick up. And, truthfully, Babe really never liked ME at all. She would go out of her way to show me that, if I came too close, I would be sorry. But – now? Honestly, Babe is the best-behaved bird in our house!
She never gets off her cage, so she is allowed total freedom to be in or on top as she wishes. She never bites and LOVES to cuddle and play. She steps up willingly and enjoys one-on-one time with me. She regularly spends time on my shoulder, a privilege only granted to birds that I completely trust.
How did this happen? Time and patience. When Babe first came to live with us I really could not get near her. I was the one who fed and watered her everyday but never approached her or tried to touch her, etc. Ever day, in the early evening I would go into the room her cage was in and sit down in a chair. I would stay in there for about 20-30 minutes and just talk to her. At first, she just looked at me, but after a couple of weeks, she began to talk back. She would tell me that she was a good girl… and ask me “what’s the matter?”
After a couple of weeks of that, she began to allow me to come closer to her, and occasionally pet her on the foot. We then progressed to the head… woohoo!! I was ecstatic!! Then – the back. But – I was always very tentative with her, because, well, you know how hard Amazons can bite….
If I would give her my arm for a step up (carefully layered in sweatshirts, of course) she would take a swipe at it, never really bite it, but it was certainly enough to scare me off. One day, after we were both comfortable with me petting her, I got a bit closer to allow her to put her head on my shoulder… she climbed on!! I was both very happy and very scared. I was not sure what she was going to do. She sat on my shoulder and looked at me like “ok, where are we going to go?” So – I began (very carefully, LOL) walking around the house with her, talking to her, looking out windows, etc. After our time together, I would bend down by her cage and she would climb back on.
After about a week of this, she began stepping up willingly, pretty much anytime I asked. She enjoyed spending time with me, sitting on my shoulder as I worked or did household stuff. She extended me a bit of trust, I extended her a bit, she extended a bit more, I extended a bit more. Little by little, we began to trust one another.
One Sunday afternoon I was sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper. Babe was on my shoulder and began biting my neck (no pressure whatsoever exerted on her part, but I was still scared… since she had never done this). She kept doing it, than climbed down the back of the couch, so she was between me and the cushions. I turned around to look at her, she was lying on her back. I was like “Oh my gosh, I’ve killed her!!” I gently nudged her onto her feet, she rolled right back over and began to grab at my fingers and laugh. She wanted to PLAY??? I was really not sure how to play with an Amazon, but…. Turns out, the light bites on the neck mean… “I want to play!”
From that day on, Babe has been a complete doll. Never bites, loves to hang out and play or just sit quietly on her perch in my office while I work. She is a joy to foster and incredibly entertaining.
So – what does Babe need in a permanent home? Firstly, a person who is willing to commit the time that it takes to build trust with her. Because once she bonds, she bonds very strongly and becomes an extremely gentle girl. She is perfectly to content to spend the day quietly either in or on top of her cage, with cartoons for company. So, someone who works full-time would be fine for her. During the evening she loves to spend family time, eating dinner, playing and being petted. She does not mind in the least other birds…. EXCEPT for other Amazons! She does not like them and will get aggressive. Otherwise, she does not mind big or small birds and never exhibits any aggression towards them, even if one lands on her cage. She is quiet, so would be fine living in an apartment.
Babe is an excellent
companion and has a lot of love to give to a special person. She just needs
someone who is willing to commit to their relationship. I promise, once
committed, Babe is truly an amazing girl.
a Refuge for Saving the Wildlife,
Phone (847) 509 1026