Northern Michigan Parrot Rescue- NMPR

08/05/2024

After a lot of soul searching, I’ve come to the realization that it’s time to close Northern Michigan Parrot Rescue. There have been a variety of factors leading up to this decision, but the main one is money. It costs a lot to properly run a rescue and as much as I hate to admit it, we can’t afford it. We barely have enough to cover food, let alone new toys or other enrichment. We don’t even have a small cushion for emergency vet care if, God forbid, one of the birds were to get sick or injured.

I’ve always believed that if we can’t afford adequate care for the animals in our rescue, then something has to change. And it’s up to us to make that change. The animals in our care can’t speak up for themselves. We are their voice and we have to do what’s right for them, even when it’s one of the hardest things we’ve ever had to do.

Aside from formally closing the rescue, we’re also looking for new homes for the few remaining birds in our care. You MUST HAVE large bird experience, live in a house, have no small children, no smoking/etc., live within driving distance of Alpena, and be an awesome person. Ability to do minor routine care like beak/nail trimming and sinus flushing is a plus. Ability to love a wonderfully perfect, imperfect new avian friend is a MUST. All birds come with cages/accessories, and one will come with a large play stand. These are all middle-aged or older birds, medium to large-sized, think amazon size on up. Most have traumatic pasts and they deserve the world. Will you be the one to give it to them?

Adoption fees apply (to keep the flippers and resellers away) unless you’re an established, respected rescue that wants to help out. Please message me if you are sincerely interested and we can talk further. Anyone who asks how much will be ignored. I didn’t include pics because I don’t want people to apply based on species or looks (although pics will be provided to those who I believe would be a good fit). These birds are more than that, and I want to find them homes with people who will see that too. Pease send us a message if you're interested in adopting a bird and tell us why you think you'd be a good fit. We'll respond to everyone we think we have a match for and set up meet and greets.

06/07/2023

Even though it's been quiet over here at Northern Michigan Parrot Rescue- NMPR, we still have some great birds looking for homes! If you're interested, fill out an adoption application and we’ll let you know if you match with any of our available birds.

Link to our adoption application:
https://forms.gle/HefTBYx87C3vQWYF9

Please note: if you don't fill out the application all the way, it's an automatic denial. Also, we don’t adopt to people who smoke, live in an apartment/townhouse/anything with shared walls, are underage, or act like they’re entitled to our birds even if they don’t meet the basic requirements. Also, don’t be a jerk. We’re in this to find the best homes possible for our birds. It’s nothing personal (probably), if you’re not chosen for a specific bird.

We appreciate your interest in adopting an exotic bird from NMPR. Exotic birds are not considered to be domesticated animals and require different care than dogs, cats, rabbits, or rodents. Because caring for an exotic bird is a serious responsibility and can be more of a challenge than with a cat o...

25/02/2023

Today has been an incredible day! Both Joey and Rylee went home! Joey even left in style in a brand new carrier donated to by the Parrot Posse!

18/01/2023

Rylee, Joey, and Ernie are still looking for amazing homes! If you’re interested in adopting one of these awesome birds, please scroll down our to learn about them and to fill out an adoption application. We are so thankful for the awesome people on this page who adopt and share our posts because without you, we wouldn’t be able to find homes for these amazing birds or help those waiting for an opening!

29/11/2022

Today is and there are sooo many wonderful rescues and orgs. that need help. I know we couldn't do it without our wonderful adopters and donors. Times are tough everywhere and we appreciate every single person who likes, shares, donates, and adopts from us. We couldn't do it without you!

If you'd like to help us give these guys the best lives possible, here are our links:

Paypal: [email protected]
Venmo:
Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/21AA70K9A1VW4

25/10/2022

The AH-MAZING Rylee is still looking for an amazing home. The gorgeous gal has overcome a lot in her short life (she’s only three years old), but she is SO forgiving and eager to bond with some lucky person. She is a HOOT, super smart, playful, and loves toys. She still has her triggers at times, but we’ll help you work with her to set you both up for success.

If you’re interested in this lovely not-do-little lady, this is what she needs to thrive:

-female primary caretaker

-macaw/large bird experience, pref with rescued or abused birds

-a sense of humor and a table saw or other equipment to keep her stocked with toys

-no small kids/aggressive pets

-no apartments/townhouses/condos (I.e. macaws are loud

-at least a 48 inch cage/macaw aviary (she’s a big, active girl)

-lots of time where she can be out of her cage

-and of course, tons of love and patience

Rylee truly is an amazing bird and we can’t wait to see how much she flourishes in the perfect home. If you think that home might be yours, please fill out an application and we’ll contact everyone we think will be a good fit.

28/09/2022

We still have some AMAZING birds looking for homes! They are all wonderful, amazing birds who deserve the best homes possible. If you are interested, please check out our pinned post to learn more about them and fill out an application. We will contact any applicants that we feel would be a good fit for one of our available birds.

17/08/2022

The phenomenal Rylee is ready for her next adventure! This poor gal was abused and neglected, so we’ve needed some extra time with her to help her heal. If it weren’t for the amazing person who rescued her, she definitely wouldn’t be here today.

Miss Rylee is three years old and SMART! There isn’t one puzzle or foraging toy I’ve given her that she hasn’t figured out. She also LOVES toys. Wooden toys, plastic toys, safe baby toys. You name it, this girl loves to destroy it. If you love to make your own toys or own a lumberyard, she might be the girl for you.

She also LOVES attention, and must have a female adopter because she was abused by a man. Sorry guys, but if you’re looking for a macaw, Louie would love to hear from you too!

She’s a big gal so she needs a big cage and a lot of time outside of it. She’s relearning how to step up (she was terrified of perches/brooms/sticks when she came here), and wants to cuddle with someone. She loves talking to her person, but obviously she can be loud, so she needs an adopter who lives in a house so there aren’t any neighbor issues.

We also want her to go to a home without young kids. Nothing against youngsters, but she has a big beak and had to use it to defend herself in her original home. She’s never bitten us, but with all birds, it can/will happen eventually.

She needs an adopter with macaw experience, based on her trauma, but she will be so easy to train and bond with. She WANTS someone to love, so desperately, and she deserves the best.

Those who are interested should fill out an adoption application. We’ll contact those we think would be a good fit and move on to the next step. All of our require meet-and-greets, a virtual home visit, and references, but they are sooooo worth it!

19/06/2022

I can’t believe Louie is still here! This gorgeous gal is eager to find her perfect home where she can be the apple of someone’s eye. Don’t let her smaller size fool you, she more than makes up for it in personality. Louie truly is a great bird. She loves attention, males more so than females, and she probably would appreciate a home without small kids so she doesn’t get stressed out. She loves being around people, but she takes a while to warm up. I’m confident that with the perfect, macaw savvy home, she will blossom and enjoy a lot more head and neck scritches than she does now (she thinks I’m evil and won’t let me pet her because I give her baths and trim her toenails). If you think you might have the perfect home for this gorgeous girl, please fill out an adoption application. We’d love to hear from you! As always, we will contact all prospective adopters we think will potentially be a good fit.

16/05/2022

I hope everyone had a good weekend! I know it’s been a while since I posted but I wanted to pop in and introduce our new feathered friend, Rylee (the gorgeous redhead). This pretty little gal won’t be ready for a while yet, because she has some pretty severe psychological trauma that we are working through with her. I will provide more details as time passes and she heals. She is amazing though, and we’re so glad she landed here. HUGE shoutout to the wonderful woman, Karen, who saved her. Without you, Rylee wouldn’t have had a chance. Thank you.

On to less happy news. I haven’t talked about this online much, but recently Boris started having some pretty severe respiratory issues. Because of his health problems, we decided not to risk fully sedating him and started antibiotics along with other types of treatment for his other issues. Luckily, I think we’ve reached a point where the initial infection is gone, but we’re still dealing with issues that require further testing to determine the next best course of treatment. Rosie was also recently diagnosed with a tumor that has started affecting her balance, so she will need surgery, which means substantial vet bills that we normally could afford, if we hadn’t already just spent a lot on Boris (not counting the additional testing we still need to do).

Anyone who knows me in real life knows I’m fiercely independent, and I don’t like asking anyone for help. It’s just not in my nature, but these birds deserve the best chances at long, healthy lives, and that isn’t possible without people like you.

So if you’d like to help, we’d LOVE your assistance. I’ll post the links at the end of this post. We also still have three AMAZING birds up for adoption. Joey, Ernie, and Louie are still eagerly waiting for their new homes. Please search this page or scroll down for more information on these three lovelies and what they’re looking for in their forever homes.

Also, please don’t worry if you’re not in a position to adopt or donate. Times are tough, we completely understand. If you can share our page or this post, that would also really help get the word out there and hopefully help find our amazing birds their amazing new homes.

Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/21AA70K9A1VW4

PayPal: [email protected]

Venmo:

21/04/2022

I can’t believe this beautiful gal is still here! Sure, she has a red headed attitude and likes to shoot p**p outside her cage, but her singing voice tops anything American Idol has to offer. And while she may not be a cuddler, she does love attention on her own terms, and that’s more than enough. Louie is sooo deserving of a wonderful new home, one with macaw experience, no small kids, and lots of love and patience. Is it with you?

29/03/2022

Princess Louie is looking for a great home! Read on if you’re interested in this spunky, gorgeous little macaw.

Louie is a healthy, 20-something military macaw with a vibrant personality who loves toys, singing the song of her people, and playing. She has been handleable in the past, but she thinks I’m evil incarnate because I give her baths and took her to the vet so I haven’t pushed the issue that much here (and because I appreciate my fingers attached to my hand). She is does not pluck, mutilate, or have any other bad habits.

Louie is a normal macaw, and that means she’s loud. If you live in an apartment or building with shared walls, she is not the bird for you. She LOVES destroying toys. It’s like an Olympic sport for her, so if you’re crafty and enjoy making things for your flock, then she’d definitely appreciate it.

She does show some cage aggression, but we can work with her adopters to mitigate this. She also needs to learn how to step up and transition from her cage to a play stand. We normally work with them more on this, but some pretty severe health issues with another of our flock have left us little time for much else.

Louie is an amazing bird for an experienced adopter. If you have large bird experience, a stable home, no small children or animal aggressive dogs/cats, oodles of love, patience, and free time to spend with your new companion, please fill out an adoption application. We look forward to checking out some apps and contacting anyone we think will be a good fit for Princess Louie!

22/02/2022

Ernie and Louie had a busy day today! Both girls got to visit the wonderful Dr. McDonald and both received clean bills of health! Louie even stepped right up for the tech at the clinic and laughed with him when I hinted that maybe this was a sign he should adopt her, lol. We also had a great visit with Brad from East Michigan Bird Rescue - EMBR and met a few of his beautiful birds. Seriously, everyone, if you’re looking to bring a feathered friend into your home, you should check out his adoptables. He has a lot of awesome birds looking for wonderful homes.

When we got home, Louie dove head first into her food bowl, obviously starving and wasting away to nothing, and thwarted any attempt at a picture of her pretty face. Ernie immediately went to the far corner of her cage to sulk at the injustice she had just experienced, and she refused to talk to me for a couple of hours. Oh, the horror of getting a physical exam and getting your beak and nails trimmed!

05/02/2022

Ernie is seriously one of the funniest, most enigmatic birds we have. She loves interacting with people, she talks up a storm, and she even mimics several different voices. When she first came here, I heard her use a very pleasant woman’s voice, so I was totally not expecting it the first time she asked me, “Did you catch the bad guys?” in a low, gravelly voice in the middle of the night. I guess I deserved it for interrupting her beauty slumber to do a final check that night.

Ernie LOVES attention. She would love to be with you All. Of. The. Time. Unfortunately, that can also make her hormonal. Good touches only are permitted in approved areas, and we can help you learn what that means so she doesn’t get too worked up and start laying eggs. It’s really not that complicated, but the consequences if you choose not to follow it could be very dangerous for her.

Ernie is just an all-around amazing bird. She’s super interactive, super cute, and just a doll. However, she does need a home with at least one other medium/large bird, preferably another gray, no small kids, at least a 36-inch-wide cage (we have one we could sell you if you don’t), experience with large birds, a female primary caretaker, and no apartments/ townhouses/anything with attached walls. She can get loud when she’s whistling or talking, and I don’t want to risk her getting kicked out. Please send us a message if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!

02/02/2022

“I don’t know what happened. The wood just FELL off of the rope. So, ummm, can I have another toy?”

02/02/2022

Our beautiful Joey doesn’t talk, not really, but she has personality in spades. She’s the bird you go to if you want to remodel your house and need help getting the trim or molding off of your walls. In fact, she had her own Demo Day t-shirt, until she chewed a hole in it. She won’t help you clean up the mess, but she will definitely help you make one. Anything within range of her beak is fair game.

She’s also got a killer sense of humor. I’ve had loads of cuddly ones, sweet ones, and standoffish ones, but I haven’t had many with sarcasm to spare. For example, just about every time I cook, she perfectly mimics the smoke alarm. I swear I'm not THAT bad of a cook, either. This is one of the reasons why I have several smoke detectors sprinkled throughout every level on the house. I figure if there’s a real fire, more than one will go off. If it’s just one, it’s probably Joey.

After suffering neglect and abuse for about a decade, Joey was rescued with a few of her friends and has made enormous strides. However, as much as we’d like to keep this gal forever, we know that her perfect home is out there. So if you can give her time and space to adjust, enjoy companions with a sense of humor and a penchant for destroying your house if she gets the chance, then Joey is your girl. She prefers men, though will tolerate women like she does most everything else that’s not an almond. Her perfect home is just waiting for a bird as amazing as she is. Is it yours?

Note: You MUST have a cage at least 36 inches wide (we can talk about possibly including the cage she's in right now if needed). Please, no small kids, dogs/cats/other critters with high prey drives, and we ask that prospective adopters don't live in an apartment/townhouse/anything with shared walls because birds are loud (even though Joey is actually pretty quiet aside from the smoke detecter thing). Experience with large birds is a must, as well as a home where someone will be home a lot if you don't have other birds so she doesn't get lonely. Think you're the perfect fit for our girl? Please send in an app and we'll check it out. :)

25/01/2022

Are you looking for your soulmate? Someone who loves homemade cooking, long winter evenings, and days, and mornings spent snuggling at home? Someone who’s love language is physical touch, but only the appropriate kind, and would dedicate their every waking moment to you? Someone who’s only hobbies, other than being impossibly cute and fluffy, include screaming at the top of their lungs if you’re out of sight and whittling away at any available wood in your house until it’s a pile of toothpicks if left unsupervised? If this checks off your boxes, then Snowy is the gal for you!

This petite, fluffy little love is looking for a long term relationship. Her ideal adopter will be female, have cockatoo experience, no small children, and be, essentially, a retired or work-from-home homebody with lots of time and love to spare. A couple other birds in the home are fine, but keep in mind that Snowy wants you; she’s not interested in being a sister wife. Cockatoos aren’t cheap either, so Snowy is either looking for a sugar mama who can provide her with all the toys and great food her sweet little heart desires, or someone crafty enough to make them out of bird safe materials. If you’re interested in meeting this sweet little gal and falling hopelessly in love as soon as she cuddles up to you and gazes at you with those adoring eyes, fill out an application! We will contact any potential adopters we think would be a good fit.

NOTE: You MUST have experience with cockatoos and be savvy about their needs, no small children, no apartment/townhouse/condo/trailer dwellers, no smokers, a healthy sense of humor, be willing to drive up and meet her at least once before adoption, and have lots of time to dedicate to your new companion.

TLDR: Snowy is a happy, healthy female umbrella cockatoo. She’s extremely loud, affectionate, irascible, sensitive, and impossible not to love. She’s looking for that one-in-a-million home who can give her what she needs to thrive. Is it you?

18/01/2022

Thank you to everyone who donated yesterday! Because of your generosity, we are going to be able to restock on food/toys and get a new specialty carrier to help get our largest residents to/from the vet! Every little bit helps, and we are soooo thankful. Our community is the best!

17/01/2022

On New Year’s Eve, I was riding high, excited for 2021 to end. Not that I was sure 2022 would be any better, but I couldn’t wait to leave last year in the rearview mirror. Then I saw the unthinkable: Betty White had passed away. At first, I thought it was a cruel joke. It couldn’t be real. She was immortal, you see, and therefore she couldn’t die. But she did, and it is the legacy she left that will outlive us all.

I’ve seen a lot of posts about the , and gotten messages from people who want to donate in her honor on her birthday. I think this is a great way to honor her love for animals and help those who are following in her footsteps.

There are so many great animal rescues out there, so if you have any to spare, you might want to make a donation in her name to support the animals she loved so much. We’re such a little rescue, and every dollar is so important. It means healthy food for our birds, vet care for those who have never seen a vet, toys for birds who have never had any, and new cages to replace the old, rusting ones. It means we can keep going, helping those who can’t help themselves.

If you’d like to donate to us today, here is how you can help:

Paypal: [email protected]

Venmo:

14/01/2022

Little Miss Louie had quite the busy day today! Not only did she get a much needed spa day, but she also got some great new digs thanks to the Parrot Posse and an anonymous donor! Gone is the old, rusted behemoth she was trapped in for most of her life. It's a whole new world for this little lady, and it wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the Posse!

05/01/2022

Peek-a-boo, Louie! This little girl is settling in so well! She loves her new toys and chewing on the paper ropes.

03/01/2022

We've had several amazing people reach out and ask what they can do to help Lou and birds like her in our care. Yes, we have an Amazon wishlist, and love to receive surprises, but donations via PayPal are also appreciated. For Louie, we're looking at money for medical care and testing, as well as a new cage. If you're local and have a large macaw cage in good condition that you'd like to donate to Louie, please message us! Otherwise, we're looking at giving this girl a total upgrade so that when she's ready for her new home, she goes in style!

We're also thinking about the future. We want to replace our lighting system to one that's better for our birds (like the M & M cage lights) and we want to build at least one outdoor aviary so our birds can enjoy some much needed outdoor time. If you'd like to donate to our goals, our paypal address is: [email protected]. Thank you to those who have donated already, we couldn't do it without you!

02/01/2022

"Bad Luck Bird"

As a rescuer we often get inundated with requests to help, and unfortunately, we can't help them all. Since we here at NMPR tend to take care of mostly special needs or elderly birds, I've often referred younger and healthier birds to some of our dear rescue friends (sorry, not sorry, Brad). But then I got a message about an old female military macaw, Louie, who desperately needed a second chance. Who needed us. And I couldn't say no.

Louie's owner's health issues caused them to ask for our help, and before them, she was abused. Even though she doesn't have a band, her former owners said she was wild caught, and I tend to believe them, based on her behavior. We've seen a lot of those here at the rescue, though with time it'll be fewer and fewer since parrot imports were banned in 1992.

Despite what she's faced and the trauma she's endured, Louie appears to be a well-mannered bird who enjoys attention and being picked up. The wonderful Brad Older of East Michigan Bird Rescue, who transported her up north, helped me hold her so we could do a beak and nail trim before putting her into her cage (as well as put her cage together and assist in Boris's monthly deflating. Seriously guys, he's the best). I don't know what tomorrow holds for her, when/if she'll be up for adoption (that will depend on a vet visit and a clean bill of health, because I suspect we have some health issues to deal with first), but for now she's safe, warm, and has a crop full of food. Tomorrow, hopefully, we can tackle a bath, and then we'll take it day by day.

When I was talking to her former owner a couple of days ago, she told me Louie was bad luck. Everyone who has this bird gets sick or dies. I kind of chuckled at that. I was born on Friday the 13th, you see, and those born on these auspicious days kind of have the corner on the bad luck market. So welcome to the NMPR family, Louie, our bad luck bird. Good things are headed your way, I can already feel it.

02/01/2022

Death is inevitable in the rescue world, and it happens heartbreakingly often when you mainly take in older birds. Bob and Boris came to us in August of 2020. Boris, because of his health issues, quickly became a sanctuary bird, but I was determined to find Bob her happily-ever-after. I combed through dozens of applications, had meet-and-greets with several prospective adopters, but none of it seemed right. I didn't realize it at the time, but Bob's happily-ever-after was with us.

This was a hard one for me to write about, so it took me a while to find the words. A couple of weeks ago, Bob went to sleep for the night and didn't wake up. She'd been eating and talking and active the day before, so we definitely weren't expecting that to happen, but it did anyway. Sometimes there isn't any signs or warnings, and they just pass away. It never gets easier, nor should it. These guys have pieces of our hearts and those pieces go with them when they leave. Rest in Peace, Bob, I'll miss your crazy antics and giving you nightly head scritches, but I know you're flying free again, right where you belong.

02/08/2021

Thanks for the donation, Brad, we really appreciate it!

26/06/2021

Just a couple things while I have a minute, lol. If you have applied recently to adopt, we WILL get to your app, I promise! We’ve been extremely busy and haven’t had the chance.

We do not adopt out to anyone under eighteen. If you want to adopt and you’re under eighteen, hit us up when you’re older and your life is more settled. 🙂

And last but definitely not least, if you put in your app that you’re unwilling to meet the birds prior to adoption, that’s an automatic no from us. We understand that driving long distances stinks, but this is not a drive through where you can stop by, pick up a bird with a side of fries, and head home.

04/06/2021

We’ve decided to tentatively start taking applications for Miko, our one-winged Eclectus. He’s an amazing bird, but we feel he would do better in a home without larger birds. He would LOVE to be the apple of someone’s eye, but we’ll only consider you if:

-have large bird, preferably eclectus experience (they have different dietary needs than other birds)

-do NOT have small children or lots of noise at your home

-have a sense of humor (he gets a little... randy at times with things he finds in the floor)

-can learn positive reinforcement training techniques

-can provide regular baths

-can either trim his beak every once in a while, or have a local vet who can do it.

-and of course, no smoking, scented candles, teflon, etc, and own your own home (I.e. no appts, townhouses, etc).

Yes, that’s a lot of requirements, but we want the best. He is one special boy who has been through a lot and we want the absolute best for him

20/05/2021

If you have a minute, we would really appreciate it if you could share any or all of our adoptable bird posts. Both adoptions and donations are way down right now and we could really use your help to spread the word and get these guys into great homes. We’ve always said that it takes a village to help birds in need and right now, we need all of the help we can get!

20/05/2021

CaroleSue reports that these little guys are really warming up to people and becoming more tame. They enjoy interacting with people about would make wonderful additions to a variety of homes. Interested in adopting them? Fill out an application and let’s talk 🙂.