Bird Rescue

[Macaaaw]

Just exactly what is meant by the word "Rescue?"

If I pay somebody a cash amount and bring home a bird to share my space, is that a rescue?

If I find a bird under a fallen tree and send his body to a hospital to mend his broken legs, that seems more like a rescue to me.

Is it just me, or is the word rescue over used like the word hero?

I share my space with seven Macaws, but I doubt any "rescues" have taken place. I do not remember any sirens.

When I hear the word rescue, I think of eminent death or dismemberment.

If you have adopted a bird, that is really cool. If you had to blow out the flames on your adopted bird, that is really really cool!

Just my thoughts.

[CALVINS MOM]

Don't even get me started on the insecure people who find glory in saying they rescued a bird, when, in reality, they really rehomed it. I find these people are in need of praise - wanting attention for "what they have done" and how wonderful they are for have taken in a bird that needed a home.

I agree. A rescue is a bird found in a dire situation, or one that is not cared for with little or no water or food and shoved in a back bedroom or basement; a bird that is left covered all day because it is noisy or one that is in a cage barely large enough for it to move. THAT is a rescue... not a bird that is being given up for whatever reason... or even a bird that has been found outside and the owners unable to be located.


I could go on and on, but I will stop here.

[Monica]

Certainly, people have different ideas by what words mean...

The majority of my birds are rehomes, most of which came from neglected homes verging on abuse (not physical, but rather by health), if not outright abuse (as in not feeding/water daily, and keeping in an unhealthy environment, even by human standards). I never traded cash for a bird (or shall we say bought), but we cant exactly say I rescued them considering for the fact that they were given to me on the foundation that I had birds and liked birds.... although with Tomi Girl, maybe you can call her a rescue? She may have been near death if she stayed any longer, as she was literally 40% (give or take a few) under weight (55-58 grams prob before being fed where-in she should weigh 80-110; she's keeping it about 83 grams), and I asked the "owners" if I could take her to get her back into health. In truth, even if they didn't say yes, there was no way I was going to leave her in that situation any longer.

[Jan in MD]

I agree- as one who rehomes birds regularly, it is an overused term. Most of my own birds came from other homes. In most cases, they were basicly well treated. In one particular case- very well treated. Most of the situations are kids that get them as gifts, grow up and go to college, cannot take them, and the parents do not want them.

The one Amazon I found a home for, that was near death from starvation, cage crawling with cockroaches, was a rescue. The lovebird I got yesterday that has an overgrown beak and is badly plucked that was found outside is a rescue. Generally I am just assisting in re-homing.

And people that like to collect other people's birds for free are often opportunists and not true rescue organizations. JMHO.

[Beaks]

You are right except for the whole bird found outside thing because a tame bird has no clue that they are on the menu so they dont hide or cant hide because of their bright colors and become a meal for hawks and other birds of prey not to mention kids and morons with BB guns and bad weather like snow and ice or the inability to tell which foods are safe and which are poison.

so a found bird is a rescue too in most cases but getting a healthy bird given to you is not no matter how much crap you spread on it to make the story look good.

Originally Posted by CALVINS MOM

I agree. A rescue is a bird found in a dire situation, or one that is not cared for with little or no water or food and shoved in a back bedroom or basement; a bird that is left covered all day because it is noisy or one that is in a cage barely large enough for it to move. THAT is a rescue... not a bird that is being given up for whatever reason... or even a bird that has been found outside and the owners unable to be located.

[MaryG1959]

A rescued bird is a bird who's life would be in jeopardy

i.e. one that was sick, starving and malnourished or left in harms way....one that was found being chased by an owl, hawk and no owner being found....one that is left sick and dying at the front door of the humane society. One that was suffering because of no veterinary care, a poor diet---and a cage that is so small they do not fit properly inside it.

Rehomed means adopting a fully feathered well-fed and cared for bird from someone who owned him previously.

I own both types-----

[Monica]

Most of my rehomes came to me on a bad diet, in a small cage, or otherwise. Noel for example, she was mutilating herself, her diet consisted of mostly sunflower seeds and some fresh foods, and was in a dirty cage. The cockatiel family (4 tiels), came to me in an 18" x 18" x 46" ferret cage that was yellow from nicotine, and they smelled horrendously like a fresh cigarette tray (and this is coming from someone who is used to being in a home where people smoke inside). Smurf was living in a home where cigarettes, cigars, and other stuff (illegal) was being smoked, as well as plenty of alcohol, and fed only seeds, and not payed attention to.

Guess a good question is, is could you call these birds rescues? Rescues on the foundations that the people who had these birds knew that I liked birds and had them, and no longer wanted their birds? I'm sure some may say yes, but others may disagree.

Charlie is the healthiest rehome I've gotten, however he was not abused, neglected, or otherwise. He's just an ornery and obnoxious brat that makes me laugh. Like I said earlier, and as this thread has proven, rescue is a word that has different meanings to each person.

I know some people will believe that you cannot rescue a bird if you payed money for it.. no matter where you got that bird (i.e. a petstore, or another person), and in what condition the bird was in (i.e. healthy vs starvation, dirty living area, etc), yet at the same time, how else can a bird receive proper care if not taken out of the bad situation that it was put in?


I've certainly enjoyed reading the responses thus far!

[4HAND]

I have great admiration for someone who chooses a "second hand", "re-homed","down and out" bird over an adorable hand-fed breeder baby or pet shop birdie.Especially if they had to part with some hard earned cash to help that bird.Would I refer to it as a rescue?Maybe not,but if they want to,who am I to judge?Maybe the word hero is too dramatic for such a person but I can think of a few.....[Kind, Generous, Empathetic, Compassionate] .
Tena

[Lisa B]

Originally Posted by CALVINS MOM

Don't even get me started on the insecure people who find glory in saying they rescued a bird, when, in reality, they really rehomed it. .

I know the story she is referring to. She was contacted from some bird owners to try to help them find a new home for thier birds (RB2 and Ekkie male) due to a move....Kathie made some calls and someone jumped at the chance to take them. She was given two healthy, happy birds along with all the works..(cages, toys etc)...then same person jumped at a chance to adopt yet another bird who's owners were not located but the bird was being well taken care of and was safe and sound. (After the first two adoptions she pretty much begged around to take in any bird that wouldnt cost her any money....... I know of two other birds she begged for...but did not get...)
The Three adoptions of three healthy birds, was turned into
"look at me, I am wonderful, I saved and RESCUED three birds!!!!"
I cant even tell you the amount of emails I got trying to convince me that she RESCUED these birds, when in fact, I know the story behind them.
Some people just need attention, and make stories up to get them. After all, who's gunna tell the truth? the birds?

Most of mine are rehomes. a few qualify as rescue. Some purchased.

[Macaaaw]

My last purchase of macaws was over three grand and when I got the birds home one had a band above the elbo (what I call elbo) that had grown into the leg.

I do not consider that a rescue, but I bet that bird likes having his leg back. It was a split band that had split open from the pressure of a leg growing into it. The "jaws" of the band were in the middle of the leg. It looked like a piercing on some teen!

He is feeling a lot better and that band has been there for ten years!


However, unless a bird is on fire, or in a submerged vehicle, or in a crashing plane, I feel the word rescue is overused and not in my vocabulary.