13/07/2024
Hera enjoying some kale when Omari joins in 🥬
Unique Beaks Sanctuary
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- Unique Beaks Sanctuary
A bird sanctuary dedicated to primarily special needs parrots, pigeons, and ducks
22/06/2024
We are excited to announce our 2nd art fundraiser to raise money for our sanctuary!
We have had a lot of veterinary costs lately, and we need some help getting on top of them. For $15 you can get a fun portrait of your beloved pet/s and help out a rescue in need.
These portraits are not as detailed as the last fundraiser, but more of a cartoonish style- all drawn by Martine.
The fundraiser will be running from 22nd June - 13th July.
Please share if you can and spread the word!
24/05/2024
Last Thursday we said goodbye to our beloved Newt. As some of you may know, Newt went to the vet about a month ago with strange symptoms and it was discovered that she had an extremely enlarged liver and an infection. She improved slightly with medications but deteriorated again and was taken back in for more testing.
Even with countless tests and medications, the cause of this liver infection was still a mystery, and her condition was only worsening. Our next option was a liver biopsy, but given her condition we knew that she would likely not survive, so we made the incredibly hard decision to let her go.
I will not go into detail, but her necropsy results showed that we had made the right decision, as her organs were extremely abnormal and there was a lot of tissue overgrowth. We can’t say for certain what this was without further testing, but the general feeling is that this was cancer which had spread and caused secondary infections.
In the weeks before her passing, we grew incredibly close to Newt and I really feel that we had a deep understanding of each other. Newt fought so long and hard in this battle, and I will never forget her strength. Her partner Frida was by her side every step of the way, and though it has been heartbreaking to see him cope with the loss of her, I do think he knew she was unwell all along- but loved her all the same. Frida was so incredibly gentle and loving to her in her last few days, and we are so glad she found love in him, even if only for a year.
In times of grief, the last thing one wants to think about is money, but unfortunately this is an inherent part of rescue. In our efforts to save Newt, we spent $1500 that we are still in the process of paying off. This stress on top of losing Newt has been extremely hard for us, so we have been taking some time to focus on ourselves. If anyone has the ability to donate to her bill, we would be forever grateful.
We love you forever Newt, we hope you are flying high wherever you are ❤️
06/05/2024
The beautiful Mac, affectionately known as Mac-a-doodle💛 It’s so hard to get nice pictures of the starlings since they’re always moving a million miles a minute! We adore these little pocket rockets so much, even though they’re chaotic little gremlins most of the time 😈
28/04/2024
It’s been a month since the beautiful Auggie has been in the outside aviary and he is absolutely thriving! Once his wing amputation healed up, we started trialling him outside to see how he would go. We have multiple flight-impaired pigeons in this aviary so it is well adapted with lots of low shelves, ramps, a ladder, and a tree stump for them to be able to get off of the ground. Auggie has claimed a low perch in the loft where he sleeps every night, and his confidence has grown so much- he doesn’t let any other pigeons push him around. We are so proud of his progress and get so much joy from seeing him climb ramps and explore- not letting this huge change in ability impact his quality of life.
27/04/2024
Beautiful Newt is unfortunately going through a very rough time. After noticing something was not quite right with her we scheduled her in with our avian vet. On her first visit she was sent home with antibiotics to watch for improvement but after 3 days we were still very concerned and took her back for investigation.
With x-rays, ultrasound and blood work our vet found she has an extremely swollen liver (2x the normal size) due to an internal infection, which has impacted her breathing as the liver is pressing on her air sacs. Thankfully she is already showing signs of improvement with medications and supportive care. The cause of the infection is still unknown and will require further investigation to diagnose once she is feeling well enough.
Our account is still at $357 owing, we are so appreciative of any donations to help us with Newts medical bills. She will be going back to the vet next week for a follow up which will be roughly another $300. You can donate directly to our vet account with the details shown on the invoice or donate to our bank account below.
BSB: 062948 Account number: 13249918
03/04/2024
❤️❗️ For Adoption ❗️❤️
Say hello to Chico and Nino, two beautiful 1.5 year-old male conures in need of a loving home.
Chico is a green-cheek conure and Nino is a green-cheek x pineapple conure.
These boys are two peas in a pod, always kissing, preening, and playing with each other. They are very affectionate and playful, and will want to follow you everywhere. They will make you laugh with their antics, and warm your heart with their sweet love.
Their ideal home will have experience with parrots, and know the commitment required to have birds.
They have both been DNA sexed and health screened by an avian vet.
Located in Melbourne, Victoria.
Potential adopters will be required to complete an adoption questionnaire- please send us a message if interested.
29/03/2024
We are so excited to finally show off our new and improved pigeon aviaries 🕊️
Late last year we were approached by a wonderful woman with a proposition that has changed our pigeon residents’ lives!
As she was moving to a very bushfire prone area, she was concerned about the safety of her pigeons and wanted to seek out a sanctuary where they could live out their lives. Aware of the financial strain that more birds would add to a sanctuary, she was offering to fund as large of an aviary as was needed for our current pigeon residents and her own. After much consideration, we decided to go forward with building two separate large aviaries as this was logistically the best option for us.
Some of you may remember our previous pigeon aviary was one that we DIY-ed ourselves, and though it served its purpose, we wanted something sturdier and more spacious for them.
So around 2 months ago, we spent a few (very hot) weekends building these new aviaries and getting them set up. We are ecstatic with how they’ve turned out, and spend many hours watching the pigeons enjoy their lives in their new quarters.
Along with the joy of getting this project finished for our residents, we have also had the joy of getting to know the new additions and their wonderful personalities. Welcome Cobweb, Orlando, Ash, Moss, and Peach ❤️
Finally, we want to express our sincere gratitude to Angela and her partner Jake for funding this project, helping build the aviaries, and their ongoing support. Your love and dedication to these beautiful birds has made this possible.
22/03/2024
The beautiful Flynn had a check-up and blood test on Thursday and we are happy to say he is doing great! Though his kidney failure is irreversible, his tests show that his uric acid levels are going down and he has minimal inflammation. Palliative care is all about making sure they are comfortable and ensuring quality of life is not decreasing. At this point we are confident that Flynn is happy and comfortable and will do everything we can to ensure it says that way for as long as we can. Here he is at the vet being such a brave boy and enjoying his sprouts 🌱❤️ (Excuse his messy face, he is on a wet diet)
08/03/2024
UPDATE ON AUGUST
We are so happy to share that August’s surgery went well and he is recovering in hospital ❤️
Thank you SO much to everyone that has donated, we are so incredibly grateful. We are still $350 away from covering the base costs, so donations are still very much needed and greatly appreciated.
As his wing has been amputated right up to the shoulder, this is going to be a big adjustment for him but we just know that in time he is going to thrive and find a new lease on life. We feel so excited about his future and we are so grateful to everyone who has helped make this happen. Auggie, we love you! ❤️
07/03/2024
Help August get urgent surgery 🚨
August is a pigeon that was literally dropped at our front door by a local who knows we rescue birds. We are already stretched so thin and weren’t accepting any more birds however he was seriously injured and we couldn’t turn him away.
He has suffered an injury that has cut all blood supply to his wing leading to his wing becoming necrotic. This essentially means the wing is dead but still attached to his body. He needs a full wing amputation, this is risky but necessary to save his life.
We are asking for any donations to put towards his medical bills. We have attached the current charges but this could go up depending on what happens in his surgery tomorrow.
Please help us help Auggie, he deserves to live a full and happy life 🙏 please keep him in your thoughts tomorrow as he undergoes this surgery.
Our account details are below
BSB: 062948
Account number: 13249918
15/02/2024
*Assisted rehoming*
Spotted x Ringneck dove looking for a home 🕊️
Coco is a gorgeous 8 month old male dove, he unfortunately is too dominant for the spotted doves in his current home.
If you can offer a home to this lovey boy please message us for contact details.
15/02/2024
*Assisted rehoming*
Spotted x Ringneck dove looking for a home 🕊️
Coco is a gorgeous 8 month old male dove, he unfortunately is too dominant for the spotted doves in his current home.
If you can offer a home to this lovey boy please message us for contact details.
21/01/2024
We spent the weekend giving the rats a big cage make over! 🐀 🐀
Rats are incredibly intelligent and active, they love having lots of things to explore and climb. While their cage before wasn’t bad we knew there was things we could do to improve it. So it was off to Bunnings we went to DIY as much as possible, we used lots of sisal, sea grass mats, jute twine and some pvc pipes. We also made them a tray out of corflute so that we could start using h**p bedding rather than the fleece we were using as it’s better for their respiratory systems. The girls were so happy and have been running around like crazy ❤️ we love enriching their lives and do everything we can to make them happy. Our next goal is to make them a bioactive dig box which we know they will go crazy for.
13/01/2024
Don’t know how I ended up in this position… but I can’t move now 😅
04/01/2024
Here are some non-monetary donations that can be a huge help to animal rescues! This is obviously not a complete list, but may include some things you might not have thought of. All of these things are helpful to us as a bird rescue, but can also be relevant to other kinds of animal rescues too.
02/01/2024
At the beginning of November, we said goodbye to our beautiful boy Angelo. It’s been an incredibly hard few months for us personally and regarding rescue, and we haven’t been in the headspace to post much. But Angelo has so many people that care about him, we know it’s time to share the news.
Angelo had very limited mobility since we rescued him, but he had been managing well with medication and the help of his wheelchair/water therapy. The last few months we noticed a further decline in his mobility, and though he was mentally present, it was clear that his body was not cooperating with him. We believe he was quite elderly and this decline was inevitable, so we did everything we could to make him comfortable and spoiled him lots in the weeks before we said goodbye. The last thing we wanted was for him to suffer.
Angelo had fought so hard in his life and been through so much hardship, and though I wish we could have rescued him years before so that he didn’t have to suffer at that lake for so long, I am so grateful that we got to give him his last years full of love and care. I will never forget the day we rescued him, when he walked right up to April, seemingly asking for help. He has inspired us endlessly, and his wise, calm, and grounding presence is missed dearly by us and his friends. He went peacefully with us by his side, and is now at rest. We will love and remember you forever, sweet boy. We hope you’re floating around, pain free, wherever you are. ❤️
28/12/2023
Introducing the gruesome twosome 👻
In early November we received a message about a baby starling that had been displaced from the nest and was unable to be reunited with his parents. Taking on a new species wasn’t something we were planning to do, but this baby needed a carer, and as starlings are an introduced species, Wildlife Vic are not able to assist. We named him Frank Reynolds due to his uncanny resemblance to Danny Devito.
Within a week of his arrival, we had another baby starling brought to us, and thus we had Frank and Charlie. These boys are the absolute life of the party, with endless energy and curious attitudes, they are such a delight to have around. It’s been a big adjustment as they have a complex diet, and we’ve had to transform our one animal-free room of the house into their room, but it’s worth it to know they are safe and happy.
In an ideal world they would have been raised by their parents in the wild, or released after being raised, but as they are non-native it is illegal for us to release them in Australia. We will always do our best to provide them with an enriching and fulfilling life in captivity. Watching them grow and thrive has been a beautiful experience, and we now have two strong, healthy, and feisty youngsters who are now moulting and getting their ‘stars’ 🥲
Here are just a few of the gorgeous pictures we have of these angels ❤️
17/11/2023
Only 2 more sleeps till the expo!! we can’t wait to see you all there and show you some new products ❤️
16/10/2023
The alexes enjoying some tasty orange juice from a syringe 🍊😋
By serving something the birds see as a treat in the syringe, we show them that syringes are not scary and make it a positive experience for them. This makes it SO easy to medicate them when necessary, as they gobble up whatever we give them!
We encourage anyone with parrots to consider syringe training, as although they may not need any medication right now, if anything were to happen in the future, you and your bird will be prepared. There are many methods to syringe training parrots and we recommend googling yourself as it will be much more detailed than this post, but one important thing to remember is to never shoot the liquid into your birds mouth/throat as you will risk aspirating them. We slowly push out a drop of liquid for them to lick up rather than squirting into the mouth.
Are your birds syringe trained? What do you use as a special treat for them? 🍌🍊🫐🌰
29/09/2023
Sweet Little Saint enjoying some sunshine on this warm afternoon! ☀️🌾💕
09/09/2023
A little over a month ago we received a message about a beautiful 15 year old Indian ring neck with feather destructive behaviours. He was unfortunately in a domestic violence situation and needing rescue. Luckily we were able to offer him sanctuary here. So welcome to Valentino 💗 As you can see he is a big chatter box and absolutely loves to give kisses. He took to his chop almost instantly and we are obsessed with his big crop ‘booby’. Once he finished his quarantine and received clear test results we were able to introduce him to the flock, he is quickly making friends with all the Alex’s. The irn’s are taking their time to warm up to him but we know they will get there. Who could resist this good boy!
If you would like to donate towards his care and the other residents of our sanctuary please use the bank details below 👇🏽
BSB: 062948
Account number: 13249918
02/09/2023
The birds are very happy we’re getting some sunshine! they all enjoyed a nice bathe and some fresh air today ☀️
2nd pic shows squid’s true nature 😈
18/08/2023
Have yet to introduce our latest additions to the pigeon family! From left to right we have Pipsqueak, Chai, Yuki, and Creek.
Chai has paired up with Nora which just warms our hearts, and the others have yet to officially pair up but they’re getting around 😂
These will be our last pigeon rescues for the foreseeable future which is an incredibly hard decision to make given the sheer number of pigeons in need, but a necessary one to ensure we aren’t spreading ourselves too thin and compromising the level of care we provide.
04/08/2023
Introducing the sassy and sweet Piccolo (AKA Piccy) 💚
Piccy comes from a home that has been going through an extremely difficult time and wasn’t in the position to care for her anymore. We were hoping Piccy might be able to bond with Squid and Neptune but as of yet they are not interested in becoming a throuple! Piccy has adapted so well to the rest of the flock though and is very content doing her own thing and having the freedom to explore and seek out any water source she can find for a bath (she is a huge water bug!).
She also has a lifelong friend in Pluto, whom she lived with years ago before Pluto came to us. It was very sweet to see their reaction to seeing each other after all this time, and now they often sit together and even flirt a bit… don’t tell Flora!
Enjoy these pictures of the gorgeous girl herself 🍐🍏🥬🎾🦠📗💚
17/06/2023
Angelo is feeling well enough again to be back outside and had a lovely morning sun bathing ☀️ look how absolutely handsome he looks in the sunlight 😍 we just love his quiff!!
09/06/2023
It's been a tough week for our sweet Angelo as he's been dealing with a rather uncomfortable issue.
On Sunday I noticed something hanging out of Angelo's cloaca, and after giving it a clean it appeared to be his phallus. Ducks are part of the 3% of birds who have functional p***ses, and sometimes the p***s gets "stuck" outside after mating and needs some help getting back inside (this had happened to Angelo about a year ago and with a clean and some lubricant the issue was resolved). We found this strange however as Angelo has very limited mobility and doesn't usually attempt mating. Regardless of the reason, we brought him inside, cleaned him off, and had a closer look.
His phallus wasn't a healthy pink as it was last time this occurred, but was inflamed and had hard areas, indicating it had been stuck out for a while. We lubricated it and attempted to reinsert it but it came right back out and we realised this was going to need some more attention.
On Monday he was seen by an avian vet and they confirmed that it wasn't actually his phallus, but a prolapse of the cloaca, causing the inner tissue to be exposed. As this tissue is very sensitive and needs to be kept moist, it had hardened and formed some scabs due to being outside of the body. After attempting to reinsert it and having it come right back out, it was decided the best course of action would be to secure the prolapse back inside the cloaca using stitches.
Angelo was admitted to hospital and had the procedure the next day, then spent another day at the clinic so he could be monitored until he was given the all clear to come home. He received three stitches which will be taken out next week, and some medication. He is now home resting on a lovely soft foam pad in the laundry, kept warm and enjoying lots of yummy food.
Angelo has been through a whole lot in his long life, suffering with a painful eroded hip socket, arthritis, and being dumped at a lake to fend for himself where he survived for years off of whatever scraps humans threw to him. He was failed by humans massively, and since we rescued him we have been adamant about giving him absolutely everything he possibly needs to be safe, comfortable, and free of pain for the rest of his life. We will always do whatever we can to give this boy the life he deserves.
We are so happy to have Angelo safe and home, and wouldn't change it for anything. That being said, all of this added up to $741.51 which has set us back a lot. Having so many special needs birds, we are constantly needing veterinary treatment and it is extremely stressful to say the least. As a rescue, donations make such a huge difference and take some of the weight of what we do off our shoulders. If you are able to, we appreciate any and all donations from the very bottom of our hearts.
BSB: 062948
Account number: 13249918
25/05/2023
Happy 24th birthday to the most selfless, compassionate, empathetic, giving, and kind person on the planet ❤️ Without April, this sanctuary wouldn’t exist. She is the driving force behind us, the pioneer of all new ideas and concepts, the superhero behind the scenes, working so hard to make everything run smoothly and keep us on track. She has helped more animals than I could count, put herself out and sacrificed so much to give these birds a life worth living. She is a constant inspiration to me and everyone around her, it’s impossible to talk to her and not feel the passion oozing from her! Thank you for working so hard for all of the residents here, and for always fighting for all animals. The world is a better place because of you ❤️
13/05/2023
We had a big morning making lots of toys here at Unique Beaks. Toad, one of our spotted dove residents, helped out with quality checks!
We lovee chipper parrots and it’s safe to say all the parrots feel the same way. A big thank you to them for their generous gifts along with our order ❤️
09/04/2023
We’ve never formally introduced Moose, but this the gorgeous big boy that came to us with rattling plastic rings on both legs. Here he is pictured with his wife Ares, who he is very committed to and spends all his time building a big nest for. We love watching him strut around the aviary and bathe in the rain. Discarded by his previous owner and called a “flying rat” by a worker at the pound, we’re so happy he’s with us now and that he is finally appreciated, respected, and seen as an individual. We love you, handsome boy! ❤️
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Videos
Pumpkin the canary x goldfinch is off to her forever home at the amazing G’Day Birdie Sanctuary today. Pumpkin loves greens more than anything else! she will demolish every bit of leafy greens we give her. Small birds deserve so much more than what they are given, most of them spend their lives confined to a small cage with only seed to eat and no friends. A quick look through gday birdie’s posts will show you how much personality these little guys have and the enrichment they need. We are so thankful to be able to work with other rescues and sanctuaries. It makes our work that much easier and means we can all help even more animals ❤️ #birdrescue #birdsanctuary #canary #goldfinch #finches #smallbirds
An update on Wednesday! 🖤🤍 Wednesday has been in her forever home for 2 months now, and as you can see she is thriving. She has fallen for a goose named Sven, and happily follows him around. She is an absolute water bug and loves the water, earning her the nickname “Splash” 💦 As you can see, she has definitely plumped up and grown her feathers back completely, slowly turning white in true cayuga fashion. She looks incredible. We are so thankful to Elen for giving her the best home we could think of, with so many ducky sisters. Never again will she be treated like trash, but she will be cherished as part of the family. We miss you beautiful girl, but our hearts are full knowing you are happy ❤️
An update on beautiful Wednesday 💗 She is looking immensely better than when found her, her feathers are growing back in, she’s gained weight and she has made some beautiful friendships. You can always find her hanging around Angelo or sitting against the fence with Dandy. She has such a sweet soul, it pains us that so much of her life was suffering but we are so happy to provide a safe, warm and happy home for her now. We want to see her make a full recovery before we find a perfect forever home for her so for now she will stay with us and keep stealing more of our hearts ❤️
Trying to keep an eye on Angelo and Pinto at the same time is proving to be a hard task for Miso! #duckrescue #birdrescue #rescuebird #rescueduck #birdsanctuary #ducksanctuary #veganfortheanimals #someonenotsomething
I love the way he shoves things out of his way to get to what he wants (millet sprinkled through the foraging tray). Brings me so much joy to watch them have fun and problem solve 🥰 #indianringneck #indianringneckparrot #birdrescue #parrotrescue #animalrescue #birdsanctuary #parrotsanctuary #animalsanctuary
Pinto doing his head bob whilst laying down is just so cute to me 😍😂 Such a little pancake #birdsanctuary #birdrescue #duckrescue #muscovy #muscovyduck #rescueducks #adoptdontshop #veganfortheanimals
I miss you so much Maji. I miss getting home after work and having you immediately fly to me, giving me kisses and screeching in my ear, not calming down for at least 10 minutes. You made me feel so special, the fact that you cared about me so much. I never did anything alone since knowing you- you’d come to the toilet with me, the bedroom, “help” with the dishes, and if i ever went outside you’d sit at the window and watch me. You were so full of love and we had a connection, I wish more than anything that we could have had more time together. Your time with us may have been short but your impact on our hearts will be there forever. You’ve inspired us so much. It was so hard to adopt another lorikeet after harvey, but both of your tragic fates have shown us just how poorly lorikeets are treated by people, and how important it is for us to advocate for their proper care. Often fed awful diets, misunderstood, labeled too loud or “aggressive”, and ultimately surrendered. Never given a chance to be themselves. Kamaji inspired us so much to continue fighting for these misunderstood and mistreated beings. Because as much as losing you has broken me- I wouldn’t take it back for anything. Loving you was a privilege I will cherish forever.
Tito loves to bust out some tunes 🎶 poor boy has 2 mums who both can’t whistle!! #birdsanctuary #parrotsanctuary #birdrescue #engagednotcaged #rescuebirds #cockatiel #cockatielsofinstagram #cockatiels #calopsita #calopsitalovers
pinto and miso having a splash 🦆💦🌱 #birdsanctuary #birdrescue #duck #ducksave #ducksofinstagram #rescueduck #muscovy #someonenotsomething
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