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Fostering a TARA BirdFoster care is a very important part of TARA. Since we do not have a facility to hold birds, we depend on our volunteers. When a new bird comes to us, our foster homes give the bird time to re-adjust to it's new situation. Many birds need this time to take a breather from negative situations or just relax and be themselves.Those providing foster care observe the bird's behavior, diet, housing, interaction with other people and animals. Does it like music? Is it afraid of hands? What is the night time routine this bird likes? Does it like to sleep in? Can it handle a lot of commotion or does it prefer a quieter environment? Does it want to be an only bird or does it like a flock around it? These are some of the many questions that foster care volunteers find the answers to. All foster care volunteers must take a Parrot Care class before fostering a bird. We have a number of experienced volunteers who will foster birds on a temporary basis, but we normally try to place a foster bird with someone interested in adopting the bird. We must emphasize that, though it's rare, we sometimes will not place birds with individuals who attend meetings and have taken Parrot Care classes. (We find people for birds, not birds for people; our first concern is the welfare of our rescued birds.) If you currently have birds, we require that your birds be vet checked prior to your fostering a TARA bird. Many birds come with their own cages, toys, and other "birdy furniture," but TARA also has a resource of donated cages and perches that volunteers can use temporarily if the parrot comes to us with nothing. If a person is fostering such a bird and decides to adopt, he or she will need to buy a cage for the bird as well as toys, playpens, etc. During the foster period the volunteer caring for the bird is responsible for feeding it. If you would like to become a foster care volunteer or would like more information, please call us at 747-0554. |