Rescue the Birds - Recently Added Listings - African Greys https://rescuethebirds.org/ Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:14:54 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 Corky https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/147-corky.html Good News! Corky went home on 08-08-08 to his forever home. Lots of tears of happiness and some of sadness went with the occasion. We shall keep you poted on his progress. Corky had come to the Refuge because his Dad became very ill and had to have a transplant. It did not take and he was not doing well so Corky's Mom felt that she needed to place Corky with the Refuge so he did not get neglected. Corky can be quite loving, but generally prefers females. He is a little shy about stepping up out of his cage, but if you wrap a towel around your arm, he will step up. Once he is out of the cage, he has no problems stepping up for anyone who is confident about asking him to. He does have a problem with some feather growth in one wing so he does not fly and needs to be monitored so as not to hurt his wing. ]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:43:47 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/147-corky.html Chuck https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/146-chuck.html After having such a wonderful experience adopting Garth, our first Congo African Grey, from the Refuge, we decided it was time to look at getting a second bird. Once again, we set out to get a different breed-not a Grey, for variety – this time I wanted an Amazon or a mini-Macaw. None of those adoptable birds seemed to be a match for us and we just about gave up for a while- until we met Chuck. Chuck was friendly and instantly bonded with me and seemed to like my husband. My husband who had grown very fond of Garth really wanted Chuck – but I was resisting…looking for a bird that had more spunk. After we saw Chuck a second time and heard his story…he was given up by a family who lost their home and left him with a vet to find him a home…I wanted to take him. Chuck surprised me with his spunk and personality. He is a fun bird who dances often, talks a lot and likes to take his showers. He is really well behaved, has no fear of our big dogs and enjoys going on walks in the “pac-a-bird” with everyone. While he and Garth don’t exactly hang out together in close proximity, I know that they appreciate having each other there in the same room for company. They have learned words and sounds from each other, Chuck getting the bigger vocabulary. Recently both birds have begun to whistle the “Close Encounters” theme song in unison-it amazes people! We recently got a new puppy and Chuck must think it’s a cat, because its smaller-he says “meow” to it. He is truly a wonderful bird and we are so happy to have him and Garth. The thing that really proves this is that my husband, who once thought birds were creepy, recently said he couldn’t imagine NOT having birds in our life. ]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:43:02 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/146-chuck.html Gabe https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/145-gabe.html Congrats to Gabe who has been adopted! Gabe went home with Mae's (female Ekkie) new mom so he's got a new feathered sister too! ]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:42:09 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/145-gabe.html Feather https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/144-feather.html Congrats to Feather! Feather found her new home in August, 2013. Her new family reports that Feather is stepping up readily, which is something Feather was still learning at the time she was adopted. We hope her new family has lots of phone books, as this little girl loves to shred! We wish Feather and her new family many years of happiness!]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:41:21 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/144-feather.html Bacall https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/143-bacall.html Bacall is a bird who exemplifies the African Grey’s extensive vocabulary. She arrived with Muffett, a Goffin’s Cockatoo and enjoys watching Animal Planet on TV. Her favorite foods include banana chips and pistachio nuts, and she adores taking a shower. She can say “Hi, Bacall!” “I love you,” and many other expressions. She tends to prefer men over women and is another one of our charges with an actual date of birth, which is December 28, 2001. Right in between a Christmas and a New Year's gift! One year update from Donna: It's been about a year since we brought Bacall home with us and I thought you might be interested in hearing about her progress. Bacall instantly bonded with Tony, and her love affair with him has persisted. She understandably built up a protective wall around herself, having lost the only family she knew, and then her beloved Rich. But little by little, she has come to love everyone in the house. The first few months, my hands looked like they had been through a wood chipper from Bacall's assertive way of letting me know that I was not her chosen one. Eventually, she decided that I wasn't so bad after all, and I was surprised when one day I got home from work and she gave me an enthusiastic head bob. Although we originally believed that she did not like women, she tells me that she loves me regularly, will step up gladly, and has let me know that she loves me almost as much as she does Tony. I feel honored. We adopted a puppy a month after Bacall, and due to our constant corrections of the puppy, Bacall quickly learned to say " Pearl " (the puppy) with a fair amount of authority and disdain. She still lets Pearl that she's a little exasperated by her, but they go nose to beak, and have a healthy (and supervised!) respect for each other. Pearl loves that Bacall drops a lot of food for her to clean up, but is a little confused by the talking bird. Bacall's friendship with our other African Grey "Dusty" has been slow going. Bacall has let Dusty know that she is top bird. Once, Bacall chased Dusty off our couch and Tony sternly told Bacall to be nice. Bacall paused a moment, then said to Tony, "I love you.... OK?" Like - you and me - we're ok, right? Interestingly, Dusty has let Bacall be the dominant bird, and has given her all the space she has needed. When Bacall took over Dusty's cage, Dusty just moved into the one left behind by Bacall. And little by little, they hang out a little closer to each other. It's now not unusual to go into the bird room in the morning to find Bacall and Dusty inches apart from each other. Although Dusty had stopped vocalizing when we first got Bacall, after 7 or 8 months, Dusty's vocabulary and vocalizations returned with a vengeance. I'm hopeful that eventually our two beautiful girls will become fast and forever friends. I believe that they're on their way. Our two cockatiels coexist with our greys in the bird room, and everyone seems to be happy, entertained, and thriving. (Cody - the cockatiel that we also got from your rescue is doing fine. He's definitely NOT a social little guy, but he's very proud of his friendship with Spike, our other cockatiel. He loves his millet, but prefers that we not hang out in "his" bird room. So although I'm not sure that he'll ever fly onto one of us by choice, he's definitely happy and healthy.)When we first brought Bacall home, she was extremely unsteady on the ropes in the bird room, and stuck to the cage tops. We thought that her one foot with only 3 toes was the balance problem. I'm proud to say that Bacall now maneuvers the ropes, rings, and swings with expertise. he flies from one spot to another, landing on ropes with confidence. She gets so much exercise, and her missing toe is not even an issue. Her vocabulary is extensive. We knew that she made a lot of fun sounds when we adopted her, but had no idea how vocal she is! Little by little, dozens of phrases and words emerged. Our son was having a snack and she said "Whatcha' got over there?" Steve said "Chicken". Bacall said "Want some?" So we gave her a piece. Bacall said "Mmmmmmm......" One day Tony and I were talking near a window after the season's first snowfall. Bacall said "Summer's over..." Anyone who says that greys only repeat memorized words hasn't heard the use of the vocabulary as applied to a unique situation. Bacall is so bright, and seems to have an opinion on all seen and heard (she has an ongoing commentary like "oh...", "mmmm...."). At first, she liked very few people foods, and seemed to prefer to stick to safe bird treats like nuts, seed balls, etc. Today, we think of her as mostly a healthy eater, although she'll indulge in a few people foods from time to time. Our vet says that she's extremely healthy. She's building muscle from all her flying and rope climbing. She's lean, and her feathers are gorgeous. We're happy to have Bacall in our lives, and that she has decided that this is a good place for her. Our kids love the birds too, and know that they'll probably be with them a lot longer than Tony and I will. I asked the kids what would happen if they ever fell in love with someone who didn't like animals. They both answered that they wouldn't fall in love with someone who didn't like animals! Heaven knows what the future will bring, but for now, all is as it should be. When we were there, there was another bird that caught our heart, Booboo. He was such a special little guy and seemed so defeated and scared... If Bacall hadn't made it so clear that she wanted to leave with Tony, we would have picked Booboo. At the time, it just didn't seem right to deny Bacall when she was working it so hard... yet we never forgot about Booboo. I have seen that Booboo has chosen his family and Bacall has chosen her's so in the grand scheme of things, it all worked out the way it was supposed to and we are all happy for that. So thanks again for providing our family with a valuable addition. Bacall definitely makes all of our lives richer, and our 2 dogs and 3 other birds love her as part of the "flock", "pack", "family". I hope you had a lovely Christmas, and that 2008 will bring lots of joy and fulfillment for you. Sincerely, Donna Slas]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:40:17 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/143-bacall.html Billy https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/142-billy.html Congrats to Billy! He has gone to live with his new mom and dad and their Eclectus and Amazon in January 2014. Billy's new family reports that he is fitting in perfectly and is stepping up nicely and talking up a storm! We are very happy for Billy and his new family.]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:38:44 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/142-billy.html Eloise https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/141-eloise.html Congratulations to Eloise and her new mom, Esther! Eloise's new flock includes Maxi (CAG) and Pete, a White-Capped Pionus. ]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:37:48 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/141-eloise.html Dandy https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/140-dandy.html Congrats to Dandy, who has been adopted by volunteers Wiwiana Markulis and her daughter, Kayleigh Markulis! Dandy fell in love with Wiwiana while being fostered by her family and Wiwiana knew Dandy had found her forever home. We're so happy for Dandy and the Markulis family!! ]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:36:59 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/140-dandy.html Zulu https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/139-zulu.html Zulu was adopted by Lori and we get updates every so often ... now we have some pictures! Zulu is now stepping up on to my hand! He is such a wonderful bird and I knew with lots and lots of patience he would come around. He still prefers the handheld perch when he is being territorial (On Leona's cage) but will offer kisses on any of those occasions. Zulu is the Rockstar in our house and has become quite the Casanova as well. When he is out of his cage he chases after Leona, our Timneh, for kisses saying "you're okay" all the while. He also has taken to giving me kisses in the morning and at night before he says "nite-nite". He has also been a fantastic nanny to our 3 1/2 yr old daughter scolding her in a perfect mimic of my voice. He'll say "Sophie, NO!" in appropriate situations and alert me when she is being naughty. His voice is so similar to mine that he can yell for Sophie and she will say "What Mom?". Just now as I passed his cage he said for the first time "Hi Lori". In the meantime we are waiting to hear back from the Jeopardy show regarding his entry application. ]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:35:00 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/139-zulu.html Zigmund https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/138-zigmund.html Congratulations to Zigmund, who has been adopted by his foster mom, Refuge volunteer, Anne. Zigmund joins Kiwi (CAG) and dogs Fiona and Gibbs. ]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:33:54 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/138-zigmund.html Vito https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/137-vito.html Vito has found his forever home! He lives with the family who adopted Jackie, the Half-Moon conure. While visiting with Jackie, her new family also fell in love with Vito. Vito came to the Rescue with Ziggy and Rusty. He is a feather-picker, but he has the sweetest little voice when talking. He was a little shy and we worked to get him to open up a little more towards the volunteers. ]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:33:10 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/137-vito.html Sylvie https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/136-sylvie.html My husband, who is not a bird person, was adopted by Sylvie. Every time he walks past her cage, she fluffs up and places her head in the down position to be rubbed and cooed at (and boy does he do that!). Whenever he is out of the room she whistles for him and they have a duet. Now he has to pee and whistle at the same time and actually he's become very good at that! We adopted Sylvie and her buddy Gracie a few years ago. Unfortunately Gracie succumbed to a massive embolism and passed away and we were afraid that Sylvie would mourn for her. I'm sure Sylvie did mourn (we all did, it was terrible), but she adopted Wayne as her new best friend and the rest is lovely to watch. Sylvie uses me as transportation to her best bud and she will allow me to kiss her beak - but if I don't transport her fast enough she will give me a nip to let me know my time is up and she wants to get to Wayne already. The nice part of this story is that Sylvie is so generous to accept my husband and my husband feels so successful by being loved by this bird. To Sylvie, Wayne is daddy and Rich is big daddy. Me, I'm chopped liver! Sylvie's History: Sylvie was acquired by her previous owner through an ad in a newspaper, which makes one think that she has had an interesting life. She likes dried beans, apples, and grapes and enjoys toys that have a bell. She does prefer women, and can be very affectionate. She can imitate lots of sounds, and say “hello.” Sylvie and Gracie, her neighbor, enjoyed eating breakfast together. ]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:32:24 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/136-sylvie.html Garth https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/135-garth.html Garth is undoubtedly one of the most easy-going birds at the Refuge. He steps up on just about anyone once out of his cage and can mimic a cornucopia of sounds that isn’t limited to whistling, clicking and supposedly the Andy Griffith tune. He gives great kisses and adores Lafeber’s popcorn. He also likes oranges, cantaloupe, corn and eggs and will take great pleasure in sitting in the steam of a shower. He is non-discriminate about the kinds of toys he plays with and is sweet towards children and adults alike; a great family bird. Garth's Dad has become infirmed and unable to care for Garth any longer. Dad's son stepped up to the plate to help out with Garth and cared for him for several years until his life became too hectic to properly care for Garth and fearing for Garth's well-being, he reluctantly turned Garth in to the Refuge for placement. We are very happy to tell you that Garth has been adopted by a great family. Here is their story. Garth’s Adoption- through a Refuge for Saving the Wildlife: I had thought about getting a bird for quite some time, as I have always adored parrots, had them when I was younger and hoped to own another one. My husband is also an animal lover, but was a bit hesitant about birds, since he had never owned one at all. I was surprised one day when he told me that if I wanted a bird, I could get one. We already had three Bouvier dogs and two dwarf bunnies, so I knew that we had to make sure that adding another animal had to be a good fit for our “pack”. Since I already knew quite a bit about the different types of parrots, I started to zero in on what I thought I wanted – based on personality traits, size and beauty of the birds. I wanted a big, beautiful Blue& Gold macaw or a Green-Winged macaw. From there, we determined that we wanted to rescue an adult bird, rather than buy a baby. For weeks, I searched all over the internet - looking for the right bird to adopt and was unsuccessful. Many of the birds had issues or the adoption places had lengthy adoption criteria that I didn’t have the patience to deal with. I wanted to get a bird quickly with no hassles- my husband said that we should just buy one. I really wanted to avoid buying a baby bird, so I thought we should try filling out some adoption paperwork. We got approved quickly by one organization, but they didn’t have any birds that were a fit for us. We did hear back from a Refuge which was the beginning of a very long process- which at first- seemed unnecessary. We had phone interviews, a home visit and learned that we weren’t probably picking the best type of bird for our lifestyle. My husband thought it was silly and was ready to forget the whole thing. We then started to hear about Garth, a Congo African Gray, but didn’t get to meet him for a little while. African Grays were not a breed I considered, because they seemed too ordinary and weren’t that colorful. Garth was being recommended to us because he favored males and because of the fact that my husband never owned a bird before. I still wasn’t convinced… Then, we met Garth and saw how sweet he was. He went to my husband right away, yet he is fond of me as well. Now we can see why the match has worked out so well for our home. Garth has no fear of our dogs; he is very comfortable in our home. And yes, my husband is his favorite-they bond together on the couch watching football. While the adoption process seemed tedious as we went through it, we now see how effective the system works and we’re extremely happy with our match with Garth. A Refuge does a great job on re-homing their birds and truly cares about what happens to them. Sue Nelson ]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:31:39 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/135-garth.html Chuba https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/134-chuba.html Hi there! My name is Chuba. I was found flying outside and a kind person brought me to Niles Animal Hospital. Niles contacted the Refuge and that's how I find myself here. The nice people at the Refuge contacted a few people who had lost African Greys, but none of them were "my people". So, I'm settling in nicely here in my new surroundings. Rich, Karen and the volunteers are still learning about me. I do talk and in fact, I was able to tell them what my name is. I also make lots of fun noises. So far, I seem to prefer brunette women, but as I'm still settling in here, I'll keep them guessing as to whether I will end up liking others as well. I am a bit afraid of hands and really don't know how to step up. I will fly nicely to your head though! In time, I'm sure everyone here will help me overcome my fear of hands. If you'd like to know more about me, please contact the Refuge and ask for Chuba! Lots of love, Chuba]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:30:32 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/134-chuba.html Simon https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/133-simon.html Hi! I'm Simon, an African Grey. I've been told I'm very handsome. I'm a new addition to the Refuge. I lived with my mom and dad who loved me very much but circumstances caused them to have to find me a new home. So far, everyone here at the Refuge has been very nice to me. My house is next to Frosty, another African Grey who talks all the time. I'm a pretty big talker too, and as I get more and more comfortable here, I continue to show off my talking skills. So far, I seem to prefer men, but it's still early, so we'll see who ends up winning me over! If you're looking for an African Grey pal, contact the Refuge and ask about Simon! Love, Simon]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 19:29:46 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/133-simon.html Addison https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/91-addison.html Hi! My name is Addison. I am no stranger to the Refuge, through no fault of my own. My last family loved me very much but my favorite person, my dad, became severely allergic to me so sadly, they had to return me to the Refuge. I've been back for a few months now and am settling back into the routine. The nice people here think that I'm ready to put myself back out "on the market", so to speak. Basically, that means I'm looking for another person or family who will fall in love with me and invite me to live with them. I do prefer men, and behave much better with them. This doesn't mean women can't live in the same house, but I do request that my main "person" and caretaker be a man. If you think we may be a match, please contact the Refuge so we can meet. Kisses, Addison]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 04:49:15 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/91-addison.html Gracie https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/90-one.html Gracie was fortunate to get a second home together with Sylvie at one of our wonderful volunteers, Ellie's home. Unfortunately Gracie succumbed to illness and passed away shortly after she went home. Gracie was about 25 years old. She had one loving owner and good care, until her owner became ill. She went through a difficult period emotionally as her owner’s health and ability to care for her deteriorated.She began picking her feathers a bit during that time. Gracie’s very loving and not loud. She’s very healthy and a good eater. She liked a variety of foods, eggs being a special favorite. Gracie preferred men. ]]> rae_ou4902vl Mon, 24 May 2021 04:36:43 +0100 https://rescuethebirds.org/services/adopting/success-stories/african-greys/90-one.html