South Jersey Small Animal Rescue

This is Nike.  Nike is a 2 year old Blue and Gold Macaw male.

These BEAUTIFUL creatures were not meant to be housed in cages and kept as pets, but the pet trade in general, and peoples interest in these types of animals have lead to domestication.  The very sad reality is that these beautiful and awesome animals now depend on human interaction to thrive.  

 To adopt Nike, or any bird from the rescue, you must pass a comprehensive evaluation and interview.  These animals require a specialized diet.  Feeding common seed can and will lead to health problems and eventually death!  A diet rich in nuts, berries, dried fruits, fresh fruits, legumes, seeds, and even the occasional meat product (boiled chicken), is paramount to a healthy bird.  As a matter of fact, you can treat these guys with some of the same things that you eat.  For instance, when you cook pasta these birds would LOVE YOU TO BITS if you offered them a piece of plain boiled pasta noodles.

 Too often these birds are adopted, purchased, or even STOLEN with the intention of having a beautiful pet that can talk to them.  The truth of the matter is that more often than not, they chose not to talk.  If they do, it is on their time, and what they feel like talking about.  Of course there are exceptions to the rule and some birds will have a lengthy conversation with you.  Realistically, this will not happen for you in your lifetime.  All the birds here that are available will not do that.  They all say a few words here and there, but none are going to have a conversation with you.  

Another MAJOR problem first time, or inexperienced bird owners have is emotional problems or stress that the bird may be having.  Some birds show this by plucking their own feathers, while others SCREECH at the top of their lungs.  King here, for example, can be heard clearly at a mile away when she decides to let a scream rip.  

Those of you that have a Parakeet, Canary, Dove, or Cockatiel, please understand, this DOES NOT QUALIFY you as an experienced bird owner.  That is not to say that you will be disqualified for adoption just because of that, it is just to say that having a small bird, like those just mentioned, means that you are in for a RUDE AWAKENING when one of the medium or larger birds gets a bee in it's bonnet.  

People that would do well with a bird like Nike, and not just Nike, but ANY Macaw, and even some of the larger Cockatoos will have parented medium birds such as a Lovebird, Conure, Amazon Parrot, or similar.  

Be prepared for a lifelong commitment.  With the right care, diet, and interactions these birds will surely outlive almost all of us.  And the best part is that they keep their 4 year old mentality for the duration.  Just in case it was unclear, that last sentence was sarcasm loaded!!!

That being said, here is Nike.  If you are interested, even after all of this talk trying to keep you in your right mind, click on the following link to fill out a pre-adoption form for large birds. 

LINK TO PRE-ADOPTION QUALIFIERS FOR LARGE BIRDS