Parrots First

22/10/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BT6d2WaGC/?mibextid=wwXIfr

26/09/2026

Toby is SAD.
He is sad because Parrots First is turning away birds in need due to lack of foster homes.
If you think you may be able to foster please let us know at
[email protected]
We need fosters in Los Angeles ca

26/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DRhUEmh2S/?mibextid=wwXIfr

From World Animal Protection: Zoochosis is a psychological condition that affects wild animals held in captivity, leading to repetitive, compulsive behaviors not seen in the wild. Zoochosis is a human-made issue, born from our decision to confine wild animals for entertainment, “education,” or profit.
Birds, especially parrots, are extremely intelligent and social. They fly miles daily in the wild, solve puzzles, and form strong bonds with their flock. In captivity—especially in small cages with little enrichment—they often suffer from feather plucking, repetitive vocalizations, and self-mutilation. These behaviors are often misunderstood or dismissed. A plucked parrot is not being “naughty” or “quirky.” They’re trying to tell us something’s wrong—and we need to listen.
maars.org

07/09/2026

Levine Birds

In 2008 Parrots First was contacted by a couple wishing to surrender a goffins cockatoo. They had taken the bird from a co worker that was divorcing and had been unable to sell the bird on Craigs List. They told the couple that they had no choice but to drown the bird as their vet would not euthanize a healthy bird.
The couple took the bird and tried to make it work but were unprepared for life with a goffins. Her intake papers listed vanilla ice cream and Chardonay as her favorite treats.
Her name is Sammi and she came to PF plucked and mutilating. She was cleared medically and it was determined the picking was stress.
Sammi did stop mutilating but would start again if anything in her environment changed even slightly. Sammi had difficulty lowering her head to eat and the vet thought she may have had some head trauma.
The decision was made to not adopt Sammi out since any change caused mutilation and picking.
Sammi is still with us and has done well. She learned to play with toys and even grew many feathers. She did start mutilation when her favorite person passed away but is bouncing back.
Sammi is a talker but what she says tells her story. If she makes her self bleed she yells "Damn it Sammi".
Sammi is loved.

25/08/2026

22/08/2026

Levine Birds

In 2000 we received a call about an umbrella cockatoo named Pepper. Pepper was purchased by a family from the qurrantine station in Culver City before importation was banned.
Pepper had lived several years with the family but was now picking her feathers and screaming. Her favorite person had recently left for college and Pepper was not happy. Pepper was the first wild caught bird we had helped. We were surprised how friendly and sweet Pepper was.
Pepper took to Sparke right away and formed a sort of motherly bond with her. The two were seldom apart. The decision was made to make Pepper a part of our family.
Pepper passed away in 2016 from kidney failure. Frank held her as she passed.
Pepper was different from any umbrella we took in after. Being wild caught she looked at the sky in a different way. We were so fortunate to be a part of her journey.

08/08/2026

08/08/2026

Costa was the second bird that came to be a permanent member of the Levine household. We were fostering Costa and Frank and Costa fell in love. This was the flyer to try to rehome him. As you can see Costa has been with us a long time and continues to be loved.

06/08/2026

So day one with Sparke she is not eating. There was an avian vet close to us and I described the noise she was making and the bobbing back in forth. We were told to come in. Turns out Sparke was not weaned yet and would require hand feeding. We were taught how to do that and took her home.
Three months later we had a screaming half naked bird that my husband and son wanted out of the apartment. The vet made suggestions and we all agreed to work with her. One of the suggestions was for us to join a local bird club to network with other people with birds.
Well the club had a policy that you needed to volunteer to do something in the club. I volunteered to work on their adoption committe. A year later they ended their adoption program but I still got calls from people wanting to rehome their birds.

Soooo that is what started PARROTS FIRST.
It was Sparke's fault.

34 years later she is still my baby girl yes no one told me how long they live...... and I never judged anyone that thought getting a bird was a great idea.

06/08/2026

As my son got older and busier with his life I decided I wanted a pet. We lived in an apartment so a bird sounded like a good choice. lol
I had seen a cockatoo in a pet store and was taken by how beautiful and smart it was. I decided to research having one. I visited a few breeders in my area to learn about their needs. I was told how easy they were to care for compared to a dog or cat . Problem was i never thought about how they were trying to sell me on them. Other problem was they were out of my price range.
A coworker told me of a man that had baby Goffins for sale.
We started to prepare.
We were told by the local pet store which cage was appropriate and purchased it. We bought Sparke and brought her home.

To be continued.......