TARA Rescue Birds

The number of birds TARA rescues has been increasing every year. We now rescue over 100 birds per year — Macaws, Amazons, Conures, Greys, Eclectus, Cockatoos, and many others — both large and small. At any given time we have 10 to 20 birds available for adoption, ranging from tiny lovebirds, budgies and cockatiels to majestic amazons, macaws and cockatoos.

To see the birds currently available for adoption, please go to our Available Birds page.

The following are just a few of the birds we've rescued and placed in new, good homes.

rescued African Grey

Tooki — Timneh African Grey

My name is Tooki and I am a wild-caught Timneh African Grey. No one really knows how old I am. My import band says I came to America 21 years ago. I was really sick and living in a place where I was not given the best of care. I was a breeder bird whose mate had died and I was all alone. My one eye was gone, I had very long and curly toenails, I had e coli very badly, tapeworms, and a huge growth under my beak. I had only been eating sunflower seeds where I was. One day, a lady & her hubby came and took me out of my home. She rescues birds.

She took me to the vet so they could see what was wrong with me. I had to take some homeopathic remedy from a syringe to get better. I trusted this lady and would let her hold me and take care of me. I even let her hold my head and syringe really bad smelly yucky discharge out of my nares twice a day. This went on for a long time. I even had this thing called Klebsiella. The best news is that I HAD it .... no more. I trusted her so much that I would let her kiss me and hold me close.

She made sure that I had the best food.......She laughs and says that I have a Food Face every morning when I rush to see what is in my food dish. I really love those veggies and sprouts.

I don't have to stay in a cage while she is home. She lets me have the run of the bird room. I had an appointment with a lady vet who specializes in eyes. She told my mommy that I had no depth perception because my left eye is gone. HAH!..... My mommy knows that is not true as I chase Sammy and Tiger around the bird room every day, over houses, trees, down houses and up again!!! Those little lovebirds that live next door are such a pain. I am always trying to annoy them. Mommy says I am the terror of the bird room now. If so, why does she hug and kiss me so much?

I am so glad that I am a TARA bird and that my mommy loved me enough to take such good care of me and adopt me. I am also proud to be the Logo for the Rescue Column of the HolisticBird Newsletter where my mommy is the co-editor. My biography was in the Sept/Oct issue of that online magazine. Wow, who would have thought that a little grey bird from Africa would be online!!!! Thanks, TARA.......

(adopted by Sharon Bloch)
Blue-Fronted Amazon

Cleo — Blue-Fronted Amazon

Hi, my name is Cleo, I am a wild-caught Blue-Fronted Amazon. When I came to TARA I was very scared and had many trust issues. After trying a few homes I finally found Shari. She was so brave and just kept letting me bite her. I was really just testing her to see how long it would be before she passed me on. Well, I tried my best to intimidate her and bit her constantly for about four months. But this lady kept coming back for more, all the while she saying everything was OK and that she loved me.

Now, several months of my rehabilitation has passed. I came to realize that Shari was the best choice of the group and stopped biting her. At this point she lets me sit on her shoulder and groom her eyebrows. She trusts me and I trust her! Over time we have built a special bond.

I am the best toy chewer of the house and love to shred wood toys to pieces. I also eat well here, a nutritious diet. Of course I enjoy putting all of my food into my water to make soup, it's my special recipe. Lately I have been teaching my friend Cody (African Grey) to put things in his water too. Since I am an advanced soup maker my Mom decided to give me an extra bowl for clean water. I guess she got tired of cleaning my bowl four times a day.

Everyone here talks to me and shares treats, but at this time I am only willing to trust my Mom. Good effort on the family members though, maybe someday I will try to be more social. I am just glad they all love me the way I am!

Cleo has been adopted into a great home!
Grey Cockatiel

Andy — Normal Grey Cockatiel

Hello, I'm Andy, a normal, male Cockatiel. In my former home I had to spend a lot of time in the cage and wasn't real happy about that. Now that my foster mom lets me out whenever I want. I'm starting to enjoy it and I get kind of nippy when she tries to put me back in. I don't want to get stuck in there again!

We are working on this one bad habit though, and I heard foster mom tell foster dad that I'm getting so much better about stepping up without getting upset. I love to play with the bell that hangs from the top of my playpen and I'm quite good at whistling a tune. I had my wings clipped but can still fly pretty well. As a matter of fact I regularly find mom whereever she may be and land right on her shoulder. I am happy to sit on her shoulder for hours too if I can get away with it.

Mom provides me with a variety of fresh food everyday but my favorites are broccoli and corn cut straight from the cob. I'm pretty good about eating whatever they give me though. There are a couple of small humans here also (and people think birds are loud!) but I don't mind them as long as they are gentle with me.

I'm currently sharing my cage with an older Cockatiel and we get along fine. He just up and moved into my pad without permission! He is my elder though and foster mom thinks it`s cute so I won't put up a protest. Honestly, the feathered company is kind of nice. Hmm, I wonder if he'll preen those feathers on my head that I can't reach? Anyway, if you'd like a little buddy to keep you company while watching TV or working on the computer...heck, anywhere...and don't mind letting me out of my cage often I think we could use my singing talent and make beautiful music together.
Gold-Capped Conure

Rico — Gold-Capped Conure

Hi, I'm Rico a Gold-Capped Conure. The folks at TARA tell me I'm six years old so I'll take their word for it. I'm a great guy, really. I don't have any bad habits. I love to play with toys! All kinds of toys...gimme toys!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, so I bite everyone I meet but that's just to test them. I bit my foster mom too but not anymore. After a couple of days in her home I decided she would be nice to me so never bit her again. I won't bite you once I trust you, I just need to be sure you'll be my friend and not put me in a closet like another human did.

FM (foster Mom) gives me great food but I don't always eat it. She keeps trying though and eventually I give the new things a try. I started eating the Harrison's Pellots just last week. They're not half bad...please keep those as part of my diet. I prefer to eat the yummy things on my playgym instead of inside my cage. It took FM a while to figure that out, she's kind of slow...shhh, don't tell. Oh, and those toys I mentioned...she gives me those too....I'm very good at destroying them. I entertain the family for hours with those toys!!

All right all right, so I'm loud, but hey!...I'm just happy to be a bird! It took FM a while to figure this out also but I'm much less noisy when I'm out of my cage. I don't mind living with these little kids. I think THEY are loud so I have to give them a shout back, you know? The dogs are fine too but don't I really want them to mess with me up close. Anyway, that's a little about me. Do you think I would fit in your home for the next couple of decades?

Love, Rico. .

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