The Icarus Foundation's Chesapeake Parrot Sanctuary

03/11/2025

Button says "thank you" for joining us to share the message yesterday - International Awareness Day, about the ongoing parrot crisis.

Button herself is a victim of the pet bird trade. She lived in a pet store for the first 25 years of her life, where she was confined to a tiny cage that had one single dowel for her to perch on. She was subjected to a severe left-only wing clip. In all of those years Button never took a breath of fresh air or felt the warmth of the sun on her body.

Now at 42 years old, this beautiful Sulphur-crested cockatoo has spent the last 17 years of her life here, with her gorgeous wing feathers fully grown in, coming and going as she pleases and being able to enjoy the warmth of the sun and all the health benefits sunlight provides. ☀️

03/10/2025

🔸Today is International Awareness Day — join us in shining light on the harm rendered unto by the human desire to keep them in cages.🔸

Did you know that every time a parrot is purchased, even legally, from a store or a breeder, their "value" trickles down to areas where they fly free?

Despite international anti-poaching policies and frameworks around the world, parrots continue to be trafficked to meet the demands of the global pet trade. 29% of all parrot species on the planet are listed as critically endangered, endangered or threatened on the IUCN Red List. 58% of all parrot species are in decline. In many areas, the poaching rate is 100% - no chicks escape the wildlife trade. 90% of trapped birds die after capture.

Did you know that parrots are one of the most frequently abandoned of all companion animals? Their wild nature and natural inclination for loud and frequent vocalizations, aggression, and destruction of property are too much for most guardians. Standard pet industry practices, such as hand-rearing (i.e., parental deprivation) further complicate factors, as they actually undermine a parrot's ability to mature into a psychologically healthy, well-adjusted adult, and increases the likelihood of a bird's failure as a "pet".

Even the most loving parrot guardians often find themselves unable to care for their longtime pets in the event of declining health, financial struggle, or other life circumstances. So it's not surprising that sanctuaries across the globe are at capacity, unable to address daily requests for surrender as more and more birds flood the market from breeders.

This is the . The best way to help parrots is to and support your local sanctuary. If you love parrots, don’t buy, breed, or sell them. We must stop thinking of these wild animals as “pets”. To learn more or get involved with protecting parrots, follow the International Alliance for the Protection of Parrots or visit www.allianceforparrots.org.

Together, we can end the parrot crisis!

,

03/10/2025

Did you know that every time a parrot is purchased, even legally, from a store or a breeder, their "value" trickles down to areas where they fly free?

Today is International Awareness Day — join us in shining light on the harm rendered unto by the human desire to keep them in cages.

Despite international anti-poaching policies and frameworks around the world, parrots continue to be trafficked to meet the demands of the global pet trade. 29% of all parrot species on the planet are listed as critically endangered, endangered or threatened on the IUCN Red List. 58% of all parrot species are in decline. In many areas, the poaching rate is 100% - no chicks escape the wildlife trade. 90% of trapped birds die after capture.

Did you know that parrots are one of the most frequently abandoned of all companion animals? Their wild nature and natural inclination for loud and frequent vocalizations, aggression, and destruction of property are too much for most guardians. Standard pet industry practices, such as hand-rearing (i.e., parental deprivation) further complicate factors, as they actually undermine a parrot's ability to mature into a psychologically healthy, well-adjusted adult, and increases the likelihood of a bird's failure as a "pet".

Even the most loving parrot guardians often find themselves unable to care for their longtime pets in the event of declining health, financial struggle, or other life circumstances. So it's not surprising that sanctuaries across the globe are at capacity, unable to address daily requests for surrender as more and more birds flood the market from breeders.

This is the . The best way to help parrots is to and support your local sanctuary. If you love parrots, don’t buy, breed, or sell them. We must stop thinking of these wild animals as “pets”. To learn more or get involved with protecting parrots, follow the International Alliance for the Protection of Parrots or visit www.parrotalliance.org.

Together, we can end the parrot crisis!

,

03/09/2025

On Monday, March 10, 2025 join the International Alliance for the Protection of Parrots (IAPP) and its network of non-profits, veterinarians, parrot guardians, and animal welfare advocates as we unite in unconditional solidarity with parrots around the world. We ask you to share the text and image from our website to your social media accounts. You can download from the webpage at the link below.

Thank you for helping parrots everywhere 🙏 They need you!
https://www.allianceforparrots.org/awareness-day

03/09/2025

Please watch and share this compelling video. Thank you.

03/09/2025

Thanks so much, Regina for sending the Senior Nutri-berries from our Chewy Wishlist to Sonny and Tico! 💚💚 Those two absolutely love these!
https://www.chewy.com/g/the-icarus-foundation-inc_b106593578

02/27/2025

You say you want a cockatoo?

This is just one of the "loud noise" alerts volunteer Deb got on her watch today. 📢 It's a common occurrence around here. Today Umbrella cockatoo Dallas was vocalizing at a distance of about 25' from Deb when she got the alert.

Cockatoos are one of the most widely rehomed parrot, if not THE MOST rehomed parrot. The calls made by umbrellas, moluccans and other rainforest cockatoos are a natural form of communication designed to carry long distances through dense rainforest.

Before getting a cockatoo, please volunteer with or at least visit a local rescue or sanctuary to learn more about their care and to get a better idea of what life is really like when you bring a cockatoo into your home. If you decide that you're still up for the lifetime commitment, then please ADOPT! 🙏 Don't purchase from a pet store or breeder as there are not enough good homes available for all of the cockatoos currently living in rescues and sanctuaries.

02/17/2025

Unfair stall tactic... cuteness! 🥰 Hannah's become a pro at delaying getting his daily meds. It works every time!

02/06/2025

A sweet hello from a sweet boy aptly named Sugar 💛

02/05/2025

Guildy's been sponsored!! 🎉 Yaay Guilds!! Thank you Lori and Princess Pollo for sponsoring this special little guy! ❤️🥰❤️

We still have several birds looking for their sponsors, and with Valentine's Day just around the corner a gift of sponsorship makes a unique and compassionate gift for that special someone 💘

To see our birds who are looking for sponsors, go to https://icarusfoundation.org/our-sponsor-birds

01/16/2025

Sending a HUGE thank you to Asher Kopf and his team of scouts from BSA Troop 450, St John the Evangelist in Severna Park MD! We are honored that Asher chose our sanctuary to be the beneficiary of his Eagle Scout project.

Asher and his team did an incredible job constructing new screen doors with stainless steel mesh for several of our bird rooms, as well as two tree stands, and a new and much-improved section for our small outdoor enclosure that replaces the old broken one.

The birds love their new doors and, of course, the trees. But they were really excited to be able to go outside again! They hadn't been able to use the outdoor enclosure for quite some time.

We are truly grateful to Asher for his contribution to our sanctuary, and are proud to have been a part of his “flight” toward the rank of Eagle Scout! 🦅

Wanna know something else that's pretty awesome? Asher will be starting college next fall - the first step toward becoming an exotic animal veterinarian! ❤️🦜🐍🦎🐇🐢🐀

01/14/2025

Always an adventure when cleaning and changing the batteries in our smoke alarms, especially if any need to be reset. 🙄

Moluccan Big Daddy and African grey Murphy do spot-on impressions of the alarms going off. Add to that Murphy mimics the "chirp" as well.

We have 9 smoke alarms and 3 CO detectors.

While upstairs on the ladder I heard one of the alarms going off downstairs. I thought "shoot" or something similar to that 😉 Then I realized I hadn't put any of the downstairs units back up yet ... Murph!! 😄

Today's faces of innocence . . .

01/13/2025

Please read and help if you can. Even shares help!

The following post was written by Patricia Latas, DVM.

"Hello all, I am asking for help!

A sad time in southern California. SoCal Parrot is far from the current fires now, but are lending a huge hand to Pasadena Humane Society--one of their favorite partners.

SoCal Parrot has taken in pet parrots from Pasadena HS for temporary care while owners sort out the horrors in their life. The parrots are secure and safe off-site (literally 100 mi away) from the wild bird facility and from the fire areas.

As Brooke says:
"they are loved dearly by their people, but those people don’t know when they will get back into the evacuated areas. I expect some of them will start going back home in a week or two but there might be some that don’t have a home to go back to."

Pasadena HS is almost overwhelmed but acting as usual as the professionals they are. Piling on a bunch of cranky and scared big parrots did not help, and SoCal Parrot stepped up to take off some of the burden.

I am asking for help! They do this with volunteers and donations. If you could gift some toys for big birds (cockatoos, Amazons, Macaws), maybe some nice treats--big bird nuts etc, well you know what is needed...

Please ship to:
attn: Brooke Durham, SoCal Parrot
55117 Inverness Way
La Quinta CA 92253

or money is always good
https://www.socalparrot.org

And if you have a few dollars to donate to Pasadena Humane Society that would be deeply appreciated as well. They are unmentioned heroes.
https://give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134 #!/donation/checkout

Thank you so much in advance. I, like so many other people, have relatives and friends who have lost everything, and their pets are now their world. It would be nice if our parrot community can give them some hope and solice.

Gratefully,
Patricia Latas Dvm"

While we do have ongoing/sponsorship donation options through Global Giving, we understand some folks prefer the process of PayPal or Venmo. Well, you're in luck... You can donate anything from $1 to $1,000 (or more!) directly to SoCal Parrot anytime!

01/01/2025

Happy New Year!🎉Wishing you a year filled with good health, happiness and hugs! Thank you for your incredible support in 2024 ❤️