Aviary Rescue - Update

Sick budgies Article from “The Mickaboo Bird Rescue Companion”
Published October, 2020

By Sarah Lemarie and The Editor

Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue has begun a large-scale rescue.

The property owned by a recently-deceased bird owner has been sold, and relatives have told us the birds in the property's aviary will be "let loose" if we don't take them in. The relatives told us there were about 50 birds. There are a lot more! The 30+ Finch with deformed leg budgies, 30+ finches, and assorted others deserve a better fate than being released into a world where they will likely become food for predators.

We are capturing what appear to be the sickest birds first, with an eye toward emptying the aviary over several visits. (Our volunteers have made four visits so far to assess the situation and remove birds.) The pictured budgies and finches were among those in need of immediate veterinary care - two of these budgies have in fact passed away as of this writing. The finch's severely deformed leg may have a tumor. Another bird has tested positive for avian gastric yeast; yet another has an injured eye. Two females were egg-bound or about to lay eggs. We expect to find more birds needing medical attention as we capture more.

We will keep you up-to-date as this rescue effort progresses. If you can help us save these lives, there are several ways to do so:

The veterinary costs of this rescue will be at least $5000; we would appreciate your financial help. Please donate online, or by check to Mickaboo, PO Box 697, San Jose, CA 95106.
You can increase our capacity to take in these birds. If you are qualified to adopt and would like a small flock of budgies or finches, either these or or other budgies / finches in our rescue flock, please contact our budgie or finch coordinators.
You can foster a small flock of budgies or finches, preferably until they are adopted. If you can help in this way and have been previously qualified by Mickaboo to do so, please contact our budgie or finch coordinators.
If you are a Mickaboo volunteer and can help us qualify more adoptive or foster parents by doing phone screens or virtual home visits (over Skype, Zoom, or similar), please contact us at volunteer@mickaboo.org.

Pictured below are some of the volunteers doing the onsite rescue work. Thanks to them for the hands-on work - and thanks in advance to YOU for enabling them!

Rescue volunteer with a cage of budgies Volunteer at rescue

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Aviary Rescue - Update