Gallery

Berrybird

Berrybird was the first bird that was uncovered at the holding facility.

Berry was the bird at the intersection of hoarding/smuggling/pet trade.

Berry was a White-fronted Parrot that came into care as part of a nearly 300 bird confiscation by state and local authorities. The culprit had been suspected as being involved with illegal trafficking, and was described as “an opportunist” dealing in sub-legal or outright illegal trade. He was arrested by local authorities on very serious animal cruelty charges, and the birds were taken into custody. Most of them eventually made it to our purpose-built isolation facility, for intensive testing, treatment and veterinary care.

We first met Berry in the shelter holding the confiscated birds. He was the first bird examined and immediately put into “get him to ICU –NOW” critical level. A miracle and testament to the strong will to live in parrots; and even though he fought to live and we did our best to help him...our best was not good enough. Not good enough to overcome years of abuse and neglect. Not enough to overcome the consequences of kidnapping as an infant, smuggling, hoarding, and the underground and the overt pet trade. Not enough to overcome the myth of pet expos, lure of flea markets, and abject ignorance.

Berry was, to be blunt, a dead-bird-perching when we took him into care. We did not think he would survive the transport to the quarantine facility. It was a testament to the resilience of parrots that he stayed alive for a month, AND gained 40 grams of weight (nearly 30% of his original weight) while fighting illness! Berry was always sweet, and seemed to understand that the things we did made him more comfortable. He was in ICU with oxygen supplementation and intensive supportive care and treatment for more than  a month. He won our hearts and everyone was hopeful. But, it was all just too much. So let us not think he died in vain, and let us keep that hope for the rest of the nearly 200 birds that have survived the ordeal so far.

His last moments were very peaceful and quiet in the warm California sunshine, a clear blue sky overhead, filled with bird song and a soft breeze and...liberty. The blue sky was his last view of this earth. And the first view of the after.

Freedom Red47

Ahhhh, little Freedom Red47; one of 101 Green-cheeks in a massive hoarding/smuggling/breeding/pet trade confiscation. Freedom is named for his intense desire—for freedom. His keen intelligence and tenacious observation of the stupid monkeys that care for him (our dedicated and compassionate volunteers, BTW) have been put to good use. Freedom is a typical, normal colored Green-cheek; and sadly the normal color birds do in general seem a tiny bit smarter than their sweet dilute or leucistic color-morph flockmates. And Freedom is definitely at the top of that particular metric. We know because we can feel his little eyes boring into us and watching everything we do. Early on he learned that exhausted, stressed humans (stupid tired monkeys) sometimes forget to close the aviary door completely…or do not check the aviary latch. Or do not engage the carabiner that locks it. Or, realize he knows how that carabiner works. And he has studied how it worked (we have seen him at work, preparing the escape to freedom). And Freedom is an excellent naturalist, studying stupid monkey behavior. Regardless of their years of experience or not, awareness or not, Freedom successfully deploys his skills for periodic jail breaks! Nothing like rounding up 30 exuberant and thrilled Green-cheeks with full flight, at the end of a gruelling 12 hour day devoted to their care…alas, level of volunteer experience does not count here…we have all been victimized by Freedom…

But seriously, this bird knows the cage is an artificial boundary to his natural needs. He should not be in there. The blue sky and singing palm trees and birdsong are telling him to GO. He yearns but will never be free of stupid monkeys and confinement. We hope that he will be able to find a huge, non-human interaction aviary with palm trees and fruit trees and blue sky and lots of friends.

Libby Gold76

Libby is a Green-cheeked Parakeet (conure) who is one of 101 Green-cheeks in a massive hoarding/smuggling/breeding/pet trade confiscation. Her name is based on her bold and inquisitive nature, always curious as to what the humans are up to, bossing around her little gang of 5, and generally ruling over the rest of the flock. “Libby” is short for liberty–because she does not recognize the constraints of captivity and is her own bird–and her gold 76 band.

Libby is the face of resilience and joy in this horrible circumstance. She is the living symbol of strength without harming a delightful and engaging personality. She is the epitome of surviving the hardships of the legal pet trade, bird expos, bird-mill breeders. Sadly her lovely colors are derived from generations of intensive inbreeding and she will never be able to know true freedom in the wild. The best we can hope for is a giant flight area with plenty of things to explore and tear up, engagement with humans on her terms, giving the best we can for a tough and happy survivor. 

Libby can teach us about our own personal freedoms and strengths as well. She is her own self and always will be. Let’s do right by her. Let us stop the cruelty and ignorance. None are free until all are free.