Surrendering a bird

There are many factors that go into the decision to rehome a bird. Sometimes it’s a beloved pet parrot whose family has no choice but to give it up, and in other instances, a bird may face neglect or poor conditions before eventually finding its way to a rescue.

The cycle of relinquishment and re-adoption can cause adverse effects on a bird’s mental and emotional well-being, which could ultimately transfer over to its physical health.

“They definitely build bonds with people, and losing those bonds can be a huge problem for them. Of course, some of them have never had a chance to build human bonds. Coming to foster care can be a big step in the right direction, but they still need to learn to get along with people, and the stress of having to learn that is traumatic,” Hrovat said.

Birds, like people, form relationships with each other and with humans. This makes it difficult for them to move around so much, especially if they were close to a former owner.

Some of these traumas can lead to issues such as phobias or feather plucking, according to the UC Davis article “Feather-picking in Parrots.” Feather plucking is a destructive behavior in which parrots pull out or damage their own feathers, primarily due to medical or mental issues like boredom, depression, or habit.

“We have some that have been scared by a lot of things, and sometimes we have to figure out what it is that’s scaring them and what we can do about it,” Hrovat said.