Many bird owners have discovered how loud, messy and demanding their exotic pets can be and have called it quits - forcing avian-rescue groups to swoop in.

This is an odd bird store. For one, it doesn't sell birds - it takes birds.

Shortly after Sabra Khan bought a bird supply store in White Bear Lake, she became a one-woman rescue operation for parrots, cockatoos and other exotic birds.

"I didn't seek this out," said Khan, owner of Avalon Parrots. "People see my name in the phone book and call, wanting to get rid of their birds."

Bird abandonment is a rapidly growing problem nationwide, following a surge in ownership during the 1990s, said Khan and other advocates for birds. Many bird-rescue groups and sanctuaries are at capacity.

Midwest Avian Adoption and Rescue Services in St. Louis Park, the largest avian-rescue group in the area, has a waiting list of three months for nonemergency surrenders, said Eileen McCarthy, executive director.

Americans were ill-prepared for the swarm of captive birds that came their way after the Bird Conservation Act was passed in 1992, said McCarthy, of Stillwater. The act, which outlawed the sale of birds caught in the wild, increased breeding. With a steady supply of birds, chain pet stores began selling everything from parakeets to parrots, she said.

McCarthy remembers receiving a cockatiel as a gift in 1995. When it became ill, no one knew how to diagnose the problem, let alone cure it.

"There was not much information out there," she said. "I went to pet stores and veterinarians, and no one knew anything. She died about six months later."

Many people bought birds knowing little about their behavior or health needs, she said.

The number of captive birds in the United States is difficult to track because the industry is not regulated and birds don't require a license, McCarthy said. But after a 2001 survey, the American Veterinary Medical Association estimated there were 10 million birds living in 4.6 million households, not including breeding stock.

Many of those birds are ending up in shelters and sanctuaries. McCarthy's rescue group has up to 150 birds at any one time and has found homes for more than 1,400 birds since opening in 1999.

Khan has 40 parrots, cockatiels, budgies and other small exotic birds in foster care that are awaiting adoption. She refuses twice that many.

The birds often arrive in poor condition or with severe behavior problems. Most have never seen a veterinarian. Many are naked and bloody from self-plucking and mutilation, which they do when bored or left alone too much.

Even well-meaning owners underestimate birds' needs, Khan and McCarthy said. In the wild, Khan said, the birds are never alone and are constantly stimulated. Without constant attention, they become neurotic.

"No matter how hard you try, you really can't meet their needs," she said.

Large birds often attach themselves to a single person, Khan said, and attack anyone else who comes near. Some breeds, such as macaws, live up to 80 years, likely exceeding the lifespan of their first owner, she said.

"They're not pets," McCarthy said. "Our definition of a pet is an animal that is perfectly happy with what time we can give them on our terms. We don't think of animals that are really manipulative and going to destroy your house."

Unlike dogs and cats, birds are not domesticated, a breeding process that takes hundreds of years, Khan said. Even if they have been captive bred, birds are wild, she said.

"They're naturally messy, they're naturally noisy and they are naturally going to bite," their only form of protection when they cannot fly, said Khan, whose arms are covered with tiny scars.

Couple wildness with intelligence - parrots have the intelligence of a 5-year-old child - and you're asking for a natural disaster in your home, McCarthy said. Khan said her birds at home peel the wallpaper from the walls. Her hands are constantly covered with bird poop.

Really, why would you want one? Khan and McCarthy discourage birds as pets, unless people are committed to owning one and understand what they're getting into.

"People really have to stop and think, 'Do I really want to clean up poop for the next 30 years or listen to screaming while I'm watching TV?' " Khan said.

Mary Bauer can be reached at mbauer@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5311.

Resources

Bird-rescue groups do not take birds on a walk-in basis. Avalon Parrots takes only smaller breeds and currently is at capacity. Midwest Avian Adoption and Rescue Services in St. Louis Park has a waiting list for non-emergency surrenders but can assist owners with care and training tips. Both charge for adoptions, depending on the size of the bird. Both require extensive screening and training of potential owners. For more information, visit Untitled Document or call 651-275-0568; or Avalon Parrots - Home, 651-762-1151.

Another local parrot care and rescue group is www.parrot help.org, headquartered in Lino Lakes. The site lists veterinarians, parrot sitters and education materials.

So You Want A Bird?

Avian-rescue groups suggest you consider the following before committing to a life with birds:

# Bird poop. Cages must be cleaned twice a day.

# The noise. Sure, parrots talk and parakeets sing, but some species also emit blood-curdling screams. They never tire of this sound. You will.

# Life is full of changes - marriage, moves and babies. You should be willing to go through these with the bird.

# Birds need regular testing to catch diseases that are undetectable until it's too late. Factor in the cost of veterinarian care.

# Most breeds do better in pairs.

# Read up and take a bird-care class.

# Talk to experienced bird owners.

# Volunteer with MAARS to become acquainted with bird behavior and care.

# Foster-adoption comes with bird-care training.

# Many pet store birds are weaned early so owners can enjoy hand-feeding their new purchase. Unfortunately, these birds commonly develop behavior problems as adults, such as selfmutilation and aggression.

# If you get a bird and run into problems, ask for help. The longer behavior or health problems continue, the harder it is to turn the bird around.

Birds Say The Strangest Things

Rescued parrots often reveal a lot about their previous homes. A sample of some of the things Sabra Khan has heard from her rescue birds:

# "Watch your mouth." The previous owner had a teenager.

# One bird said, "Wanna make a getaway?" and made the sound of squealing tires.

# "You're gay. And I'm a gay bird!" (From a morning show radio skit.)

# One injured bird called out, "Aflac!"

# Expletives.

# A boarding customer, Bailey, calls out commands to the family dog. "In your kennel now! Knock it off, Baxter! Baxter, in the kitchen now!" Bailey also makes the sounds of an electronic phone keypad and says, "Hello? This is Jolene. I'm gooooood. How are you?" Bailey also imitates the outgoing message on the answering machine.

__________________
For thirty years he talked in feathered pride
For thirty years he talked before he died.
You say that parrots do not really know
The meaning of the words they speak? Just so,
I grant you that you may be right - but then,
Do men? Theodore Stephanides

Thanks Mike! We can never have too many reminders about the responsibilty we have to our fids and how we should carefully consider what SHOULD be a lifetime commitment when we take a bird into our homes.

Great article! Wish the pet stores would post it next to the check out stand~ Not so sure about the disclaimer about other pets being happy with whatever they can get, plenty of unhappy, manipulative and destructive animals out there, but I do understand her point -- suspect folks often underestimate birds. Ah well, mine are all quiet at the moment, so I am tiptoeing to the other room so I don't wake them!

Thanks Mike, a very good article.

its sad. very sad. I've watched this come on for years, and its only goin to get worse. My club received calls constantly wanting to place birds. you get so overwhelmed, you just want to hang your head and cry.