Birdie info requested...

[Luckygurl78]

Hello all! I'm just writing this cause I'm in the extremely early stages of starting an awareness program...or at least, I'd like to start one, though I don't know what I should do to get started!

So I thought I should come to you guys, though I'm not sure this is the forum to do so.

The reason I would like to start an awareness campaign is because of the appalling amount of abused, neglected and abandoned parrots! I've recently read a book by Bonnie Munro Doane ( "Parrot Training"), and in it, she described the rescue of "Max" a Mollucan Cockatoo who was kept in an office basement for three years without toys or companionship! And to make matters worse, when everyone left at 5 pm on friday, all the lights were turned off in the building, including the basement. So Max spent every weekend for three years in pitch blackness...before he was rescued.

I was just so sick and tired of reading these horror stories! Especially reading about the cockatoos (being the proud mommy of a 'too!). I wanted to take action. I'm just tired of sitting back and crying about these poor animals...I want to help!

So I was thinking about starting this awarness program. Maybe just starting out giving free parrot seminars at the local pet shops or something....

But what I would like to have (and where all my new wonderful avain-loving friends come in) is where can I get my hands on some statistics on avain abandonment, abuse and neglect?

What sort of topics (if you were to come to an info seminar on parrots) would you think I should cover?

Whatever suggestions you guys can give me, I'd much appreciate it!

Thank you and happy 4th of July!

Misty

[The Outlaw]

Misty:

I don't think there is a central resource for abuse statistics, but I'd surely start my search with some of the better rescues. The Gabrielle Foundation for one. I'm sure they can lead you to what you need. Good luck. I'm all for education.

THE OUTLAW

[Lungfish]

Best of luck to you.

Please tell me the story of the Cockatoo you read about had a happy ending.

[LivingFiction]

I'd be interested to know what % of birds stay with their origional owner until the end of one of their lives.

The number of birds nationwide submitted to rescue programs.

The average age of abandoned birds.

The most common reason given for birds losing their homes.

The most common species that are abandoned.

The number of new birds of those species coming out of breeding programs every year.

Some kind of projection based on those numbers regarding the numbers of homeless birds in 5, 10, 20 years.

[Skyebirdsmom]

I think the Gabriel Foundation is a good place to start. They are unequalled and spend lots of their donated monies on educating the public about birds.
www.thegabrielfoundation.org/
I'm sure they can point you in the right direction and help you with what to use to help you get the point across.
Linda & Skye~

[Skyebirdsmom]

Good luck on finding answers to those questions! Most of them are too elusive to be found.
Linda & Skye~

[Franciscus]

Originally Posted by LivingFiction

I'd be interested to know what % of birds stay with their origional owner until the end of one of their lives.

The number of birds nationwide submitted to rescue programs.

The average age of abandoned birds.

The most common reason given for birds losing their homes.

The most common species that are abandoned.

The number of new birds of those species coming out of breeding programs every year.

Some kind of projection based on those numbers regarding the numbers of homeless birds in 5, 10, 20 years.

On average parrots will have 7 homes per lifetime. I'm not sure if that statistic includes the little ones such as 'teils and budgies.

I don't know the average age birds are abandoned but a lot of folks like to get rid of their large macaws when they are two years old.

The most common reasons are noise, mess, and aggression. That and the fact that most people cannot cope with a bird who is like a perpetual two year old child with the intelligence of a three to five year old.

Rescue fascilities are filled with cockatoos, Mollucans especially are difficult when not raised properly and they have a voice which decibel level is nearly that of a jet airplane. Cockatoos are also the neediest of all parrots, and the sweetest, especially when they are babies.

I don't know about the former breeders.

We are getting closer and closer to the problem we are having with cats and dogs in that mass euthinization is going to start taking place within ten years.