Every type of Bird species can loose a leg or foot due to illness, injury, accident etc, & given the right adaptions, Parrot, Parakeet & Finch species can thrive. It can often feel like there is no hope, but rather than being the end of the journey, it is in fact the start of a whole new one. Generally, the larger the species the harder it is to live with one leg, but these challenges can be overcome & adaptions to their environment can be made.

Some Psittacine species are ‘foot holding species’, they eat by holding the food in their foot & can sometimes hold toys in the same manner during play. Birds in this group who have 1 foot or 1 leg will obviously find this either challenging or impossible depending on the level of loss experienced & how the individual Bird learns to adapt.

FOOD ADAPTION

Some foot holding species can manage big pieces of food perfectly well without holding the food providing they have a large easy access bowl to eat from, but others may need help. It is very simple to adapt food if they struggle with full sized food items- simply chop it to a manageable size for them. Try providing (without overcrowding) platforms &/or flat perches near their food bowl that offer a sturdy surface that they can balance easily upon whilst concentrating on feeding. Hanging food on Bird safe skewers above a platform may be a favored way to eat fresh foods.

PLAY ADAPTIONS

Normal safe Parrot toys (avoiding rope, fuzzy material, brittle plastic & rubber) can still be used & can offer Birds encouragement to climb. Exercise is still important & as caregivers, we need to avoid the urge of over-babying them by making everything easier than they need. Amputee Birds are often placed in enclosures greatly smaller in size & everything is put on 1 level, many are discouraged from moving. Amputee Birds aren’t made of glass & the need for space, challenge, mental stimulation & exercise are still ignited in their soul. Most leg or foot amputees can still fly with ease & enjoy safe fly time. The largest platform in their enclosure can be turned into a ‘toy station’ by placing a few Bird safe textures &/or foot toys for them to play with without having to pick it up. The Bird skewers mentioned above can also have Bird safe wooden blocks sold as Parrot toy making parts placed on them either with or in place of food to keep things exciting, stimulating & fun.

PERCH ADAPTION

Whilst platforms (non-abrasive) & flat perches (wood only) offer a great place to rest their leg & foot that takes extra weight, many amputee Birds also like 1 or 2 natural (safe branches complete with bark) to stand on too. Offering both allows them to learn when they need a rest & when they can perch for a while, this autonomy also gives them a sense of being in control of their own life after an altering situation that is becoming an amputee. Dowell (smooth), abrasive, calcium, concrete, sand covered perches & platforms should be avoided as this greatly increases the risk of foot health issues of all Birds, especially amputees who have extra pressure & a potential stump. Perches don’t generally need to be wrapped, natural wood perches of the right width & well set up platforms are usually enough to avoid pressure sores (consult your avian vet with your Bird’s individual case if you become concerned). Platforms should be disinfected every day with F10 wipes to remove any droppings.

MAUD’S STORY

Ping… ping… ping- this was the soundtrack to spending any time in Maud’s company. Maud is a 2 year old Budgie & she was also an obsessive bar pinger. Bar pinging like this has no goal or function, it’s a deeply ingrained form of stereotypic behaviour that comes about due to a lack of chewing opportunity. There are areas of cage bars that are entirely stripped of paint due to her obsession with stripping them.

MYTHS- There are so many myths surrounding this kind of behaviour & it only makes the situation worse for the Bird. Below are just a few myths, which I will correct.

1 IT’S CHEWING OUT OF IT’S PRISON BECAUSE IT WANTS TO BE FREE!- No, this could not be any further from the truth or the thought processes of a Bird who is domestic & comes from a long line of domestic Birds. They don’t know about living in the wild & they are unable to survive in the wild. To Maud, that cage is not a prison, it’s a safe haven. It has been the armor between her & the unpredictable people who scared her so much & it is the only constant through a tornado of unsettling change. The prospect of flying in a safe & secure room with the people she loves is too terrifying, the outside world would destroy her. She couldn’t cope & that should count more than a person’s ego & the views they force onto pet Birds.

2. SHE WANTS TO COME OUT FOR A BIT- This deep rooted behaviour goes far beyond this. It’s an obsessive behaviour that is carried out for significant time during the day & night too. Maud has never been out to fly before & her severe health issues mean that, right now, it isn’t possible either.

3. IT IS DELIBERATELY TRYING TO WIND YOU UP!- The behaviour carried out by ‘problem Birds’ who are trying to wind up their caregivers are never what they seem & there is ALWAYS a deeper reason that they are desperately trying to get you to understand. Maud only sees the world from Maud’s point of view, she isn’t even aware of what I may be thinking in response to her desperate attempt to cope. People so often come down far too harshly on a Bird & convince themselves that the Bird is spiteful or out to get them, it just isn’t so- they need love, help & understanding.

So, what IS going on there?- Chewing & stripping bark from natural wood is a natural instinct that has remained throughout the generations of domestic Budgies. With little exception, chewing & stripping is a deeply rooted natural instinct & is vital to maintain muscle tone & keep their continually growing beaks warn down. The environment we provide domestic Birds is almost always severely lacking in chewing opportunity. Maud was in a cage with a hard & smooth dowell perch with no bark to chew & 3 solid plastic toys. The floor was covered in tough & sharp abrasive sheets. There was NOTHING to chew.

Her instinct was telling her to chew something & the instinct to strip & peel bark was driving her to act. Then one day, in frustration, she bit the bar & a small fleck of paint came off. That peel & strip instinct was fulfilled more than ever before & she felt great! So, she did it more. The more she did it the better she felt & slowly, when nothing else filled her days, it became an unshakable obsession. This is the same situation when that ‘damn Bird’ chews & strips your furniture, door frames or wallpaper. People punish them, but it’s our fault because what we provide isn’t fulfilling that innate primal need that is driving their behaviour.

After introducing natural toys like this, natural wood perches & the platform you can see behind the toy, which is edged with natural bark, Maud & her sister Hedwig, have spent all day stripping bark excitedly from every surface, no bar chewing, no frustration. They were singing, flapping & bouncing their heads with uncontrollable excitement as their deepest soul felt fulfilled at last. They are heard. Felt. Understood. Forever.

And it was that moment they noticed- they are finally home.

Sometimes when we have pets, it can be hard to realise just what we can deny them. Birds are highly complex exotic animals who can have the intelligence levels & often lifespan of a human. Cognitive ornithology is starting to uncover the true magic of a Bird’s complexity of thought & many owners are now aware that their Birds actually have the ability to know themselves. In this article, we will ponder possible ways that we, as owners, can nurture a Bird’s sense of self, introduce the concept of choice to our precious flock & encourage healthy boundries. A lot of people believe that when we train or handle our Birds it must be done with total dominance & often a little force too. It will rarely cross the mind of some owners that their Bird actually has thoughts, feelings, opinions & boundries that may be breached in the process. Because many of my flock members come to me with a traumatic back story, I have had to completely re-think the entire daily life my Birds live & this has made everybody better off. I had to start noticing when a Bird doesn’t want to do something & see the signs of their personal boundries being breached so that I can step back & show them the respect & dignity they so deserve. I began to ask if they wanted a tickle or to step up & wait for the signs that told me yes or no. When offering treats I started to offer more than one & let them choose which treat they would like. Every time I noticed what their body language was trying to tell me, or every time I respected boundries, every time they were given choice, it’s like they came alive a little bit more. I now do this with every one of my flock members reguardless of background & the results are not what many expect. When I tell people about these methods of recognising their sense of self & handing them back some autonomy, they often picture out of control Birds with major behaviour issues who get away with doing nothing they are told. What actually happens may surprise you…

My flock are incredibly laid back & happy, there is always somebody singing or chatting away with us. I never actually have to tell them off because they don’t do anything wrong. Sometimes they will scream, but it’s never long lived as the inherant need behind the screaming is swiftly met & the Bird is happy again. They don’t often chew things that they are not supposed to as they always have access to things that they can chew. When I need to tell them to do something, it is with the knowledge of their boundries & what they are comfortable with strongly in mind & they don’t even put up a fight. When there is no confrontation a Bird rarely feels the need to be angry in return because they feed off our mood & behaviour. Biting is often seen as a given when you have a Parrot in your home, but since nurturing & recognising their sense of self I have only been bitten once in 4 years & I could see it coming. My Meyers Parrot Tommy wanted to play with his new toy, so I hung it up for him & swiftly noticed a peice of packaging that was still on it & this packaging could have hurt him. I had no choice but to grab hold of the toy, which Tommy believed I was stealing away, to make it safe. I know that grabbing toys of his is something very unsettling after living for years in a barren cage & I could see all of the subtle body language changes that told me it was coming. No Bird ever bites ‘out of nowhere’ they don’t ‘launch viciously’, they bite when we fail to notice all of their warning signs & they are frightened or angry & reach the last resort. Another common thing we do when stepping up a Bird is to push our finger or hand into their chest, this is a deeply unpleasant experience & they only grab us because we force them off ballence. Any of my Birds who have been stepped up in this way for years by previous owners don’t hesitate to step up for me when I simply offer a hand in front of them & allow them to step up on their own. My special needs Cockatiel Diddy came to me as a baby & she learned to step up instantly with no contact on her chest at all. I just offer a finger & say “do steps diddy” & she will step straight up. I taught her this & had her recall trained without using any force & by always giving her the choice to engage in training or do her own thing. It didn’t happen any slower, she was just happier because I recognise her boundries.

All of my Birds are completely relaxed because they feel heard, this includes Birds who would scream with terror & flap around if a human was even in the same room. When we get rid of the idea that they are there for us & see that they are our equals, Birds relax & feel at peace when we sometimes never realised they were stressed at all. So, how can we nurture their sense of self?

BOUNDRIES- Do you have boundries? If you were not in the mood to be social one day or if you asked somebody not to touch you, would you expect those personal boundries to be met? Your Birds are no different. All Birds will have times (some all the time) when they don’t want to be touched, a great way to nurture their sense of self is to recognise this & allow them that personal space. Some people worry that their Bird won’t feel a close bond with them if they do this, but think about it. If you met 2 new people- 1 respects your personal space & boundries & 2 constantly invades your space & is in your face constantly reguardless of what you say or do, which one would you choose to maintain a friendship with? Which one would cause you anxiety?

CHOICE- Imagine living a life that was entirely controlled by others. Every posession you had, everything you ate, everywhere you went, what freedom you had, who you could see & if you got to feel the sunlight on your face or a breath of fresh air was entirely down to somebody else & you had no say. Worse, they didn’t even care what your say would be. That is how most Birds feel. All the time. For Birds to truly thrive in our care & be happy as pets, we MUST give them their autonomy back. Wherever & whenever you can, give your Bird safe & healthy choices. Learn your Bird’s body language & the way they communicate their answer, then give them a choice & let them decide a little something. It could be 2 new toys & they get to choose which one they have now & which one goes in the toy box for later, do you want it in your cage or on a playstand? or perhaps the choice between 2 healthy treat items. Introducing elements of choice allows the Birds to feel more in control of their own lives & helps them have a better sense of who they are & what they think rather than just being an observer of their own life, they actually start to be heard & feel respected.

What can you do today to nurture your Bird’s sense of self?

I don’t really talk about being an Autistic Bird rescuer, not because it is a bad thing, but because I will be judged by others as not being good enough. Today however, I am going to change that, because in certain cases, being Autistic actually gives me a better underatanding of my Birds. I hope that this article will help others understand the Birds going through what I will speak about here- stereotypic behaviour- & perhaps not write off the Birds who engage in it. Stereotypic behaviour (like when a chained Elephant sways) is classified as ‘a repetitive, invariant behaviour pattern with no obvious goal or function.’ Birds who engage in stereotypic behaviour are chronically misunderstood, poorly supported & often not identified at all. Birds who engage in stereotypic behaviour are one of my absolute passions to help, support & love. Why? Because they are just like me.

Some Autistic people (me included) do something we call stimming, which is short for ‘self stimulatory behaviour’. This is also misunderstood & has huge amounts of stigma attatched to it. Scientists call this behaviour (you guessed it) stereotypic behaviour. It is the same thing. Society doesn’t understand it, but I do. There can be good stimming which gives us positive sensory feedback, like when I flick my fingers or tap my face & my Birds jump up & down or spend hours on the swing. There can also be harmful stimming which is a result of living in an environment not built for us, like when I was little & would smash my head against the wall & bite my arms & when Birds pluck or mutilate their skin & rock for hours to scare the darkness away. As an Autistic person who has overcome negative stimming & fully embraced & learned to celebrate positive stimming, I can help my rescue Birds do just this.

A lot of the ‘therapy’ or ‘treatment’ for both Birds & Autistic people in this area is incredibly harmful to us & often involves shaming, depriving, shouting, drugging & manipulating us into no longer being who we are. There is nothing wrong with who we are, just with the way people treat us & the environment we are in. I create therapy programmes for new residents who engage in forms of negative stereotypic behaviour which are tailored to their individual needs. I spend every moment by their side & learn every one of their micro movements which helps me to learn what their triggers are. I fix the environment, not them, because they are NOT broken, just like Autistic people are NOT broken. I set their environments up in a way that allows them to thrive as a whole & unique being. I treat every Bird as an individual species in their own right. If you have met one Autistic person then you have met ONE Autistic person & if you have met one stereotypic Bird, then you have met ONE stereotypic Bird, for we are all individuals even if we share some charicteristics.

Rather than shaming them, screaming at them or giving them an aversive & frightening sensory experience (all recommended ‘treatments’ for a stereotypic Bird) I work on building a strong bond. When we bond & they let me into their innermost soul, we can then work as a team to help them shine, not by turning them into somebody else, but by celebrating & nurturing who they truly are. I transform their environment, help them through their trauma, remove or limit their triggers & shamelessly champion who they truly are. This is the case for both Autistic people & stereotypic Birds- we are not broken, out of our minds or in our own worlds, we are whole, who we are meant to be & waiting to be loved & respected- we are waiting to be seen, appreciated & heard. Incredible things can happen if you realise we are your equals. We are not in our own worlds, we just experience this one differently.

1- THEY ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR- Many rescue Birds, especially those with special needs or cruel pasts need lots of help to reach their full potential. It is wrong to say caring for them is easy, but it worth every moment in order to give them the lives that they so deserve. These angels will show you more love than you could ever imagine if you dare to believe in their remarkable souls.

2- THEY ARE NOT BLANK- Birds who have previously been abused may be incredibly angry & inflict serious bites or be frightened & panic when you are near. Another rarely discussed reaction to abuse is a Bird who hardly moves or interacts & appears completely blank. They may ignore all attempts of play & fun or simply be baffled at how they are supposed to react. They may not appear scared, but inside they are petrified. All attempts to show their feelings & trust people have been met with ignorance, shouting & abuse, so they have stopped trying. These Birds are incredibly hard to connect with because they try everything to shut you out, convinced that you will abuse them too & their trust will be shattered again. It is common for uneducated people to take them on & then give up on them because “they are boring, they don’t do anything!” Not realising that this is a trauma response. These are one of the most rewarding Birds to love as they have so much hidden inside. The biggest thing these Birds want you to know is that although they appear blank, that is far from the truth they guard so strongly inside.

3- DIET MATTERS- The most important thing you can do for a Bird is feed them the correct diet. If you take in a rescue Bird & feed them meat, dairy, human food/drink, junk food etc, then they have not been rescued at all. Even the most occasional bit of junk food causes diet related disease & health problems you wouldn’t cope with witnessing. It can take years before the signs are visible, but every bite is doing harm. People who are passionate about healthy & species specific diets for Birds are not being control freaks, picking on you or believing they are better than you, we just know the importance of proper nutrition. All of my angels are fed a nutrient rich diet with no junk food or bites of our meals & the transformation in their health, energy levels, feather condition & behaviour when converted to the correct diet can be astounding.

4- THEY ARE NOT PAST IT- Birds with disabilities, or who are elderly, often get written off as damaged, broken or past it. Elderly & disabled Birds are my absolute passion & I can never begin to tell you of the wonders they hold inside. For Birds to have a quality of life, we must first GIVE them a quality of life, every Bird deserves to live, be loved & thrive. We may need to adapt their environment, diet or enrichment activities slightly, but they can have the most remarkable lives which are fun, loving, enriching & as far away from a tragedy as it is possible to go. I have rescued both elderly & disabled Birds who could do nothing but lay on the floor & clumsily eat or drink from floor bowls, being told that they will be dead in a few days, sometimes even by the time we are home. When they are surrounded by love, given unique therapy programmes & are fed nutritious food, some are still here more than 5 years later. They are completely unrecognisable & no longer lay helplessly on the floor with sunken eyes, no Bird is past the gift of love.

5- LOVE THEM AS THEY ARE- Some rescue Birds will be just like non- rescues, but many are different & will always have threads of their past woven into their identity. Some rescues will always be scared of certain people or objects, some will always have special needs & some will never be tame or utter a word. The most important thing for a rescue Bird’s happiness & sense of belonging is for you to love them EXACTLY as they are. Few things are as healing to these precious angels as radical & unquestioned love & acceptance. Many of them have been through enough & don’t need the constant pressure of living with a family who always wants more or is always questioning why they are not like the one on the viral video. So many rescue Birds have had a lifetime of people wanting them to be more, of people saying “I would love you, I would keep you if only you weren’t you” They need to come home, where they belong. They need to be told how amazing they are & how much you love them for exactly who they are, how you treasure them & wouldn’t change them for the world. Rescue Birds are so worthy of love, could you be the one to change the world for a Bird? & last, but by no means least, treat your Bird

as though they understand every word you say- because they do.