Raystede aviaries; meet 'cocky'!

All of our additions to the aviary sanctuary here at Raystede, have a story to tell, but we felt it important to highlight the neglect still going on today in homes of people who feel they are still keeping parrots in adequate conditions.
It is fortunate for this Citron-crested Cockatoo, to have been removed from her situation by those who felt the elderly owner could not cope with her care anymore.
It is truly sad though, that this obese and depressed bird had spent the last 25 years in a cage no more than 2ft x 18in x 18in with no opportunity to exercise her wings or to get any kind of stimulation except for a mirror to talk to.
She had one dowel perch, 2 bells and two tiny bowls for her sub standard seed mix and her water. We knew she had some veggies each day and ½ a walnut a day as a treat. What a lucky girl!

‘Cocky’ has layers of fat around her legs and is partially feather plucked. Surprisingly fewer feathers plucked than I would have thought, with her soul destroying existence for so many years. Maybe she had TV to watch, or perhaps although the owner may have been ignorant to the needs of this bird, she may have been spoken to regularly to try and stimulate her that way.

She was so stunned when she arrived, that we were conscious not to move her into a cage too big for her, so she could make adjustments more easily and cope with the big changes.
WE placed her in a large cage on castors and placed her in our Animal Managers office for company, as she seems to prefer men, although she does not respond well to anyone much.
A socially deprived bird, she is slow in responding, but we are definitely making some progress and she is gaining confidence. Her eyes are brighter and her plumage has improved with a few light ‘mistings’ of water to bathe her, a few times a week.

Cocky has gentle company and likes to chew on new things such as fresh twigs and branches of willow or dogwood. She chews on rolled up newspaper but has little interest in parrot toys. She still has her mirror with her and finds comfort in seeing herself in it. It seems to reassure her.
She is sampling new foods and enjoys her fruit and generally we are pleased with her progress.
We do have some concerns because when she is resting and the room is quiet we have noticed she breaths with more difficulty than she should. There are always possible health problems with neglected birds and she may well have respiratory problems, but we will endeavour to make her comfortable and as happy as possible.
It will not be possible for her to go out into an aviary until next spring/summer, but this will not be a problem as she needs this lengthy time to adapt and build her strength up and in particular build her confidence around people.
Don’t worry Cocky, there is no rush for you.
WE do wonder whether ‘Cocky’ is a nice name for her and feel perhaps a new name with her new start, would be good. We are considering the name, ‘Poppy’...

As usual, we rely heavily on donations and were disappointed when we received just £10 to help for her future. It costs a great deal of money to care for exotics. If she requires further specialist tests, this can cost an easy £250, just to find out what may be wrong!
Parrots are complex beings and have an interesting anatomy and require specialist avian veterinary treatment. Birds by nature do not show signs of illness, often until it is too late. Being ‘prey’ rather than ‘predator’, it is in their interest to look well, even if they do not feel it. A sick bird is a vulnerable bird in the wild. Parrots are still quite wild and miles away from being domesticated like cats and dogs.

Parrot psychology is fascinating too and they are complex creatures. People in general do not understand them, but we find them wonderful to be around, although we would all rather see them flying free in the wild, than be stuck in cages!
We aim to keep you informed of Cocky’s progress and hope you will be able to continue to support our work here at Raystede.
We do not receive any government or lottery funding and rely on our kind supporters for donations.
Anything will be greatly appreciated and any financial reward will go a long way to giving sad cases like Cocky, a chance of a brighter future. It’s a scary world out there for her...

The next move though, will be a bigger cage, then a bigger one, until she’s ready for the big move into an aviary next year...

The aviaries section

The aviary section at Raystede looks after hundreds of animals, a diverse range of birds from the exotics such as macaws, parakeets, cockatoos and love birds to domestic fowl i.e. ducks, geese and chickens. Also wild birds such Canada geese, wild ducks, moorhens and the occasional heron fly into our wild fowl lake area we call the Sanctuary.
The aviary section also looks after any reptiles brought into Raystede, these include snakes, tortoises and terrapins, as well as caring for bird and wildlife casualties in the hospital.

Raystede has a collection of rescue parrots and parrot-like species finding permanent sanctuary in modern, spacious, 'state-of-the-art' aviaries.
Many of these birds have deep psychological problems. Some have health concerns, others many have outlived their owners and may be elderly themselves.
Some are discarded as they carry the 'labels' - destructive, screamer, spiteful, domineering and a fearless biter who creates havoc in the home! Some are loved dearly but misunderstood and when faithful owners' circumstances change and they do not know what to do, Raystede has helped when space has been available, or advised with other solutions.

Parrots are long lived and sensitive, complex and sociable individuals. They find adjusting to a new home extremely stressful.
At Raystede we try to offer them company, if they crave it; a stimulating environment; a good quality diet with various fresh nutritious grains, pulses, sprouted seeds and fruit and vegetables.

Raystede has an African Colony aviary, with a collection of African species, with one or two non-native species who just happen to fit in well!
The other large aviary has parakeets with a large flock of cockatiels.

Occasionally, budgies, cockatiels, lovebirds, canaries, finches (etc) pass through Raystede and find new caring aviary homes. We are careful to select the best potential homes and will endeavour not to rehome inappropriately.

(Please click the image left for more information on rehoming policies, or telephone the aviaries section.)