Testimonials

Several years ago I had to leave an abusive relationship with just what I could fit in a duffel bag, and my cockatoo in his small carrier cage. It quickly became apparent that I wasn’t going to get anything I previously owned back, and that it was unsafe to keep a cockatoo flying loose in the studio apartment that I’d moved into alone. My meager funds were going towards buying things like winter coats and shoes.

I contacted STAR avian, out of desperation, and they were able to give me a suitable cage. This helped me out tremendously, and Boo was able to stay safe while I went to work.

Sometimes, people fall into bad situations, and want to keep their lifelong companion parrots. STAR helped make that possible for me.

I stayed involved with STAR. Almost two years ago my boyfriend and I decided that we had room in our house for another bird, and wanted to try another goffins cockatoo in hopes of keeping my 12 year old goffins, Boo, company. Volunteering and fostering a bird seemed to be a great idea, because if it didn’t work out, there would be no commitments to keep the bird permanently.

When we met Arthur at his foster home, it became very apparent that he wanted to go home with me and Boo. He was a perfect fit in our family! After fostering him for 3 months, we decided to permanently adopt him. He continues to thrive and laugh a lot. He and Boo will play together for hours.

Every time I tell people that I was able to foster Arthur and “try him out” in our house before making the 40+ year commitment to caring for him, it seems that people are surprised to find out there is an avian rescue organization in St. Louis. People are generally unaware and uneducated that parrots live very long lives, require special care, and are often abused.

 

St. Louis Avian Rescue (“STAR”) is a dedicated network of volunteers who take in abused, neglected and unwanted parrots, rehabilitate them physically, behaviorally and emotionally, and provide them with loving foster homes until a suitable home can be found. I have been familiar with this organization for almost a decade, and have adopted a total of nine parrots from them over the years.

STAR and its network of volunteers also go out of their way to help parrots who aren’t in their direct care. Last summer, someone I know who lives in Ohio adopted an Illiger’s from another rescue in Kansas City. We were trying to put together a “train” to transport the little Illiger’s macaw from Kansas City to Ohio, and needed someone to drive the leg of the trip from Kansas City to St. Louis. I contacted STAR, hoping they knew of someone who was travelling in that direction. One of their volunteers drove to Kansas City just to pick up the bird, and brought him to St. Louis. Another STAR volunteer then kept the bird overnight, until I could get to St. Louis and transport him on the next leg of his journey.

The people of STAR always go above and beyond in helping birds.

Here are the stories of the birds I have adopted from STAR. I think their stories give some idea of the cross section of situations in which STAR helps parrots:

Paco, a yellow crowned Amazon, was a breeder bird in his mid twenties when he was taken to a dog/cat shelter by his former owner. Paco’s mate had died and he refused to take another, so he was of no further use to the breeder. Somewhere along the line, he had suffered a blunt force trauma to his head, as a result of which he is blind in his right eye.

CeCe, a Quaker parakeet, had been given as a gift to a family who didn’t really want her. She was kept isolated in a room by herself, and when they finally noticed that she was ill, she was almost dead. Although they did take her to a vet, they did not want to pay for her care, so they surrendered her to the vet, who did not think she would pull through. Thanks to around the clock nursing by Janet Draper, the founder of STAR, she recovered.

Bertie, an orange winged Amazon, was in her early twenties when her owner became ill with Alzheimers and she was surrendered to STAR. Almost two years after I adopted her, Paco decided to move in with her, and they became a bonded pair, currently living in quiet domestic bliss with each other.

Finnegan, a cockatiel, walked up to a young woman in convenience store parking lot. The young woman brought her to STAR, which tried to find her original owners for months before finally putting her up for adoption. I adopted her as a companion for Frisco, my old tiel, when his budgie buddy died. Frisco is now thirty, and he and Finnegan are a happy couple.

Ziggy, a blue and gold macaw, was found by the relatives of an old man when he was in the hospital during his final illness. He was loose in the house, and the relatives were afraid of him and called STAR. Janet and a volunteer went to get him. He was suffering from a respiratory infection. After he recovered, I adopted him. Next to nothing is known of his background. My avian vet estimates that he’s somewhere in his twenties. The tendons along his wings are badly atrophied – after several years of physical therapy, he can now extend his wings by a little over 50%. This kind of atrophy is found in birds who have been confined, for a long time, in a cage which is too small to allow the bird to extend his wings. At some point in his life, Ziggy also plucked badly. His feather condition has improved gradually, but will probably never recover fully.

Rosebud, a greenwing macaw, and Socrates, a blue and gold, were nine and ten, respectively, when they were surrendered by their first owners. The family was moving out of state, chose not to take their birds along, and surrendered their entire flock to STAR. They have a sibling bond, having spent all their lives together, and cannot stand to be out of each other’s sight.

Luna and Leon are a bonded pair of cockatiels who were owned by an old woman. When she had to go into a nursing home, she took them along. After her death, they remained at the nursing home, where they were neglected, until the nursing home was convinced to surrender them to STAR. They form a happy little flock with Frisco and Finnegan.

STAR was there when these beloved birds of mine needed them, as they have been there for so many other birds. I cannot commend them enough for the work they do.

STAR was there when these beloved birds of mine needed them, as they have been there for so many other birds. I cannot commend them enough for the work they do.

Every time I tell people that I was able to foster Arthur and “try him out” in our house before making the 40+ year commitment to caring for him, it seems that people are surprised to find out there is an avian rescue organization in St. Louis.