Eternal Flights Parrot Rescue + Rehab

***WINDSOR ON + SURROUNDING***

Zuzu is lost!

Zuzu the Congo African grey, he was last seen flying from 499 Morgan Cres and puce road area in belle river. He is missing a toe on his right foot. He would be very scared so I’d prefer if people would call me directly at 226-260-6188. He knows his name and would probably be looking for a place to shelter right now.

A bird in need in Windsor Ontario ❤️

It is with deep sadness that I must announce the closure of Eternal Flight Parrot Rescue + Rehab. Unfortunately due to the increase of costs happening right now, the cost of vet care and food costs we can no longer continue to run. We held on as long as we possibly could, and as you know many rescues are struggling due to a variety of things in our current world.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being so passionate about these beautiful creatures and helping me make a difference in the lives of birds all across Ontario. We would love to continue the way we have been but unfortunately all things must eventually come to an end.

As of May 31 2023 we will no longer be taking in birds, birds currently in fosters will be adopted out so you may see them from time to time but unfortunately if you are on a waitlist we can no longer accommodate due to a variety of factors and for this we are very sorry.

Thank you to our amazing volunteers and fosters that have helped throughout the 6 years of our operation, perhaps in the future we can reopen but as of right now we do not have a way to continue.

We wish you all the best in the future, give your birds a beak rub for me ❤️

- Eternal Flights founder Shanna

We absolutely LOVE when adopters update us on the progress of the birds they have adopted, finding good homes can be challenging and so when I get to hear success stories it truly makes it all feel worth it.

I am a small rescue and because of this can only take in a few birds at a time (most birds are in fosters until adopted) but I still more or less run Eternal Flight by myself.

It has been disheartening that we have had many returns this year, we can do everything in our power to find good homes but sometimes things just don’t work out…it is disheartening at times.

Thankfully things tend to work out in the end ❤️

This time of year we start receiving a lot of calls about geese who have chosen a nesting site that's hard for us to understand. But think about a parking lot from a goose's point of view - it's an open, flat space where they can see predators coming from far away and usually there's a patch of grass perfect for nesting. As long as there are no barriers more than a foot high to prevent the babies from leaving, they will likely hatch and make their way to water. And remember, dad is probably sitting nearby looking like he can't move...but that's because he's keeping an eye on mom and eggs and has no desire to move! Learn more from our friends at the Toronto Wildlife Centre here: https://www.torontowildlifecentre.com/wildlife-emergency-rescue-hotline/conflicts-with-wildlife/common-canada-goose-problems/geese-nesting-in-a-parking-lot/

*ADOPTED*

Hello I am Nexus! You have probably already seen me looking for a home on here, although I have had some amazing applicants apply for me, unfortunately due to my noise level Eternal Flight didn’t think that any were a perfect fit. The great thing about this place is they always put me first!

During my time here I have been downgraded from a level 2 bird, to a level 1! So what does this mean? This means I have worked through some of the behavioural problems I came with, and have become a model Birdie citizen!

There are some things you need to know about me, firstly I am a vocal bird! I love to make my presence known as I am a super sweet and cuddly baby, I love to dance and love to ride on your shoulder on all of your adventures. I can be a little protective of my toys, but I just love them so much and don’t want people to take them away…but I would never run towards you aggressively if you put your hand in my cage…it’s only if you hold your hand close to my toys for an extended period that I get upset. You wouldn’t want me trying to take your toys would you ?

Other birds running up on me can make me nervous, but I would be ok in a home with other conures or similar sized species as long as they give me the space I need while I get to know them. I have been around many conures and I’ve never had an incident… although the conure residents do get a bit jealous and can bully me a bit…I let it roll off my back.

I would do best in a home where there were no young children, 13+ only please! I am ok with animals such as dogs and cats, but for safety please keep us seperated as I am not a super skilled flyer yet.

If you are looking for a snuggle bug and don’t mind that I am a little vocal please message the rescue directly

It’s no easy feat to get so many birds watching you at once for a group photo!

What a lot of people don’t know about me and how I run my rescue is that I utilize a flock mentality when rehabbing birds. For the most part birds rely on a flock to keep themselves safe, it is hardwired into them to watch and learn from others of their species which I use to my advantage.

Once birds are cleared medically, I try and integrate them into a flock setting so they can learn beneficial behaviours from their peers, they learn manners, how to coexist with others, how to interact with people and of course how to eat a good diet! When new birds watch me interact with other birds they learn that I’m not a threat but also learn how to interact properly with humans. There is often a little bit of squabbling, new birds may be defensive or territorial and sometimes my own flock will push back but my flock is fair and they know what I will and will not tolerate.

I would not be able to do what I do without my two flocks, the conure flock who help me with larger birds, and the lovebird flock who helps with with my smaller rehabs or birds who are a little more scared as the smaller birds are rarely seen as a threat.

I’m so proud of my birds, they don’t realize it but they help save a lot of lives.

Below from left to right we have:
Yoshida aka Mama Yosh, below her a current rehab named Nexus, Mama Yosh’s mate Ronin, Jafar a current rehab, Tango and her bestie Osiris

Hello I am a parrot, prized for my colours and for my beauty, a proud species as wild and proud as the mighty lion.

You saw me one day, peering through the invisible object I could not pass, my intelligent gaze beaming with curiosity as our eyes met. I had seen many like you pass me by, some big some small but you were the first who seemed to actually see me. I watched as you smiled and pointed your weird wings at me, then all of a sudden the door behind me opened and I was thrust into darkness.

When the light returned I was in an unfamiliar place, my little heart beat louder than the sound of the weird creatures who would often tap their weird wings against the thing I couldn’t see, I hated that sound. The creature held me tightly and out of fear I let instinct guide me, my beak dug into the creatures soft skin they let out a yelp but then I was free! I fluttered as hard as I could and landed up high, high is safe, I know this. I watched as the creature below me began to grow agitated their face red…what a funny thing. They looked so upset and I could feel their anger as they began to climb towards me which caused me to panic…I tried to get away but they caught me “stupid bird” they said. But what does that mean? I do not understand this language they speak…all I know is I do not trust this creature, not one bit.

How much time has passed? I do not know, I miss my friends from where I came from, I try and call to them but the only response I am met with is silence and the occasional word from the creature although I do not understand what “shut up” means I know that when the creature says it my heart beats fast and I feel uneasy. I do not trust this creature, I wish they would let me go.

The creature seems tired of me, they rarely even gaze my way anymore and now the bars around my heart are just as strong as the bars around my body. I begin to lash out not only at the creature but at myself for I am a shell of the regal creature I once was. My feathers are brittle and dull and some are missing due to my picking…but I cannot help it, it helps me pass the time and seems to soothe me. The creature does not look at me like they once did, did I do something to anger them? I am simply being me, I am a parrot proud and wild…did they expect me to be something else? My beak is made for biting, my voice meant to be a beacon to help my flock return home…what have I done to deserve the prison that has become my only friend?

The creature is agitated today, they are looking at me but it I do not like the way their gaze meets mine. They are speaking but I do not understand the words, what does “useless” and “set free” mean? I do not understand. Roughness surrounds me I panic and bite it hurts when the pressure surrounds my body…but then I am weightless I am flying! so many sounds and sights I see tall things bigger than anything I have seen…I feel so free…finally I am free! I hear other birds, I do not understand their language but they are birds! The world is so big, too big. I gaze around why is there nothing familiar? Where is the creature and where am I? Why am I all alone? My instinct tells me to hide and so I will hide as there is danger around. I am scared and I am alone but at least I am free.

Darkness has come and gone many days, I feel heavy, I am very tired. From where I am I can see many creatures like the one who took me walking below…I do not want to go back, but I am more afraid of being alone. My strength is failing and I fear my time is running out, I pray that the creatures will be kind to me this time.

Gentle wings caress my body as the creature picks me up, this creature seems different their eyes are kind, I am so tired so I do not struggle as they pull me against themselves…it is warm I like this feeling. The gentleness of their voice soothes me even though I do not know what “poor thing, you are safe now” means, but I have learned that these creatures are not to be trusted. I bite as hard as I can and the creature yelps, I brace for the anger…but it does not come instead the creature smiles at me, their eyes crinkling in discomfort as my beak pieces their skin.

Curious, this creature is not like any I have met but I still do not trust them.

The light comes and goes and although I am confined the creature visits me often, they bring me gifts and their voice seems to soothe me. They say unfamiliar words like “beautiful” and call me a “pretty bird” I do not know what this means but they way they say it makes me preen with happiness. This creature is different, they do not scream at me to “do something” they simply enjoy my presence and I am beginning to enjoy theirs. I now trust them enough to take yummy treats and that seems to make them very happy, I wish the first creature treated me this way.

I have learned that these creatures are called humans from the birds that live here, after a while the human introduced me to them and so I do not feel so alone. They say that this human is good and that it is ok to relax and feel safe, they say that we are not yelled at here for being birds. They have told me that they ended up here because of humans like the creature who first took me, humans with unreasonable expectations, humans who brought us home and wanted us to be something we were not. This human is different, when I am scared they leave me alone…when I am brave they speak softly and give me yummy things to eat.

I like it here.

It took a while for me to remember this but I remember now.

I am a parrot, prized for my colours and for my beauty, a proud species as wild and proud as the mighty lion.

-Shanna Marin

*ADOPTED*

Hi there! I’m Jafar! I am now available for adoption ☺️

I am a 5 year old Senegal parrot who’s got a lot of love to give. I am a relatively quiet lad who likes to simply watch the world go by. I’m not huge on snuggling but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be apart of whatever it is you are doing. I’m a pretty chill guy, but I’m not a huge fan of other birds although I will tolerate their presence as long as they stay away from me. I would definitely do best as an only bird, but if I could have my own space and am introduced SLOWLY like I’m talking snails pace…I might be inclined to be around other birds.

I do have a bite history, I am a Senegal and we are as beautiful as we are independent and sometimes that gets me into trouble, but at my core I am a sweet boy…just a little misunderstood. I do not fly to attack, and I’m not mean, I just like my space. I love it when people talk and sing to me, I will even bob my head because I love to interact! I’m also super smart, but don’t tell the humans that 😉

It’s not often that Eternal Flight reaches out to the public for help but when we do it is always met with such kindness and enthusiasm.

A little while ago I got news that an adoption from years prior was no longer working out, and being that they had moved hours away from me I was unable to get to them so I asked for help and within hours I had so many kind people offering assistance.

Two incredible volunteers drove over 200km (125 miles to my American friends) to bring these birds to London Ontario to stay at Jungle Services until myself and another amazing volunteer can pick them up in a couple days.

A big thank you to Vicki (left) and Julie (right) for donating their time to help, it is because of the kindness of others that I can continue doing what I do ❤️ I cannot thank you all enough.

Also, a huge thank you to jungle services for boarding them until I can get to them!

So beautiful ❤️

His eyes met mine as he walked down the rows of cages peering apprehensively into each one. I felt his need instantly and knew I had to help him.

I lifted my crest, not too exuberantly, so he wouldn't be afraid. As he stopped at my cage I sat very still and was very quiet, I didn't want him to know that I hadn't been out of my cage today. Sometimes the workers get too busy and I didn't want him to think poorly of them.

As he read my card I hoped that he wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.

He leaned forward and began to talk to me. I shoved my wing and the side of my head up against the bars to comfort him. Gentle fingertips caressed my head; he was desperate for companionship. A tear gathered in the corner of his eye and I raised my foot and touched his finger to assure him that all would be well.

Soon my cage door opened and his smile was so bright that I instantly jumped onto his arm.

I would promise to be his companion.
I would promise to always be by his side.
I would promise to do everything I could to keep that radiant smile and sparkle in his eyes.

I was so fortunate that he came down my row and to my cage. So many more are out there who haven't walked the rows. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.
Snooki bird And his human chris
I rescued a human today.

Little bean got a clean bill of health! I was a little worried because he had been sneezing, but I was assured that he’s totally fine. I tend to always err on the side of caution when it comes to birds in my care, because I’d much rather be safe than sorry.

Nexus was apparently a very good boy for everyone at Emeryville Animal Hospital ❤️ and Dr. Jeun and the R.V.T Tiffany were amazing with him. I very much like taking birds to Emeryville as the staff are always so kind and helpful, it’s just that they are a bit of a drive!

Nexus has a date with the vet for a check up and blood work on the 20th with Dr. Jeun of Emeryville Animal Hospital! Avian vets are sometimes very busy, so I alternate between three local vets depending on availability…and sometimes I have to drive to Emeryville which is 30 minutes away.

It is very important that every bird that comes here gets checked out for:

PFBD- Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease, this disease It attacks the feather follicles and the beak and claw matrices of the bird, causing progressive feather, claw and beak malformation and necrosis. In later stages of the disease, feather shaft constriction occurs, hampering development until eventually all feather growth stops. There is at this time, no cure.

F***l Parasite checks

Psittacosis- Avian chlamydiosis is a systemic, bacterial infection caused by Chlamydia psittaci. The disease varies from asymptomatic to high morbidity and mortality. Clinical signs are nonspecific and include anorexia, apathy, drop in egg production, diarrhea, ocular discharge, and respiratory disease. Diagnosis is achieved using serology, culture, and/or PCR. There is treatment for this, birds can be given antibiotics such as tetracyclines and usually improve It is commonly spread by inhaling or ingesting contaminated f***l matter and can be spread to humans.

Polyoma Virus- Polyoma is a disease caused by a very small stable virus called a Polyomavirus. The virus is associated with feather changes in young birds. It is also associated with immunosuppression and can affect multiple organs in the body including the brain, liver, kidney, spleen and heart. Transmission is by the eating or breathing in of the infected bird's droppings or feather dust but parents may also pass it to chicks during feeding. There is no specific treatment for Polyoma. The secondary infections need to be treated in a non-stressful environment combined with a balanced diet may help during the course of the disease, In birds under 16 weeks of age with no natural immunity to the virus the disease may be fatal. Older birds that produce an antibody response often recover and/or become carriers of the virus.

At Eternal Flight a birds health is of utmost importance so every bird adopted out is tested for these. This is why running a rescue is so expensive!

Everyone please welcome Nexus to the rescue ❤️

Nexus unfortunately has a very sad reason for why he has come, his owner passed very close to him and he was found in some very bad conditions by a family member. He seems like a very sweet boy, but he is definitely very scared and has had a VERY long journey.

Nexus was driven here from the Toronto area which is a 4 hour journey, his caretaker reached out to me wanting the best for Nexus after his experiences and wanted someone who could help him become the bird he was meant to be after his ordeals.

He is a very vocal boy and seems to be in good spirits ❤️ I cannot wait to start to work with him!

Hello everyone! As you know, Eternal Flight is run on donations! If you would like to support what I do, please consider donating to our new GoFundMe ❤️ many rescues are struggling, with the increase of birds in need our funds are becoming dangerously low once again…If you like what we do please consider donating to the link below ☺️

Your donations allow us to expand and take on more birds in need, they help cover emergency vet visits for new rehabs, allows us to pay for the things the birds who are currently in fosters need, and allows us to provide quality care with the rising costs of living.

Thank you so much for supporting Eternal Flight ❤️

https://gofund.me/670db4db

*ADOPTED*

there! My name is Cleo!

I am a lovely 2 year old greencheek conure with so much love to give. Being a conure I do have a little bit of an attitude but I am a social butterfly! I enjoy my time with people but I can get a bit snippy if you try and tell me to do something I do not want to do so I will need a home with conure experience. I am not afraid of animals and enjoy watching dogs but I would like a home with no other birds or a home where I can be kept away from a flock until I’m ready, which I may never be. I do get a long with some birds but definitely not all!

I do have a bite history, but I am very affectionate ❤️unfortunately it did not work out with my previous adopter so I am back up for adoption!

Please note, adoptions are not first come first serve. This means that even if you apply you may not be selected, adoption interviews are a requirement as we like to make sure our birds are matched with the best homes possible ❤️

First off I know that this is not something people want to hear, and some may be upset over it but at this time I can no longer add people to the waitlist into the rehab/rescue as I have begun to wear myself too thin both physically and financially.

Rescues are struggling right now, not just me but almost every rescue out there. I have recieved frustrated messages and emails asking why I haven’t been able to get their birds into the rehab to which I have to explain that I simply do not have the time, finances or space to take on more than two at a time (waitlists I now estimate are going to take at least 2-3 months to clear) I am a single individual who works with about 20 volunteers across Ontario, I do not receive government funding and rely heavily on donations to provide care for birds and unfortunately like many other rescues due to the state of the world people simply cannot donate how they used to which means we are stretched extremely thin.

Because of this, I have come to the conclusion that I will now have to begin asking for surrender fees. Every bird needs to see a vet which costs upwards of $180 EACH bird, thankfully I get a bit of a break from my main vet as I do run a non profit but it still costs about $180 just for the check up and a few tests. I take in 2 birds at a time which means I’m spending $360 on vet costs alone and that’s just a check up, that doesn’t include medication if they come to me sick, and this does not include food and toy cost.

Surrender fees are not a new concept, most humane societies have one and after speaking to small animal rescues in the area I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that I too will need to start. I never wanted to have to, but if I want to continue to operate I will need to.

Thank you all so much for understanding and being patient with me. Should you wish to support the rescue please click one of the links below.

https://linktr.ee/BirdTails

Today Oscar had a little bit of a beak trim! He was an angel!

Sometimes certain birds do not wear their beak down fast enough whether that be because they have health issues or because they just don’t chew as much as they should! Whatever the reason it’s important to keep up with maintenance on their beak if you see it getting a bit long!

Please do not do it yourself unless you know what you are doing, a parrots beak is very sensitive and there are nerve endings if you cut or file too far!

ADOPTED*

Hello everyone, this is just a reminder that the messaging system through email is not for followers from TikTok or instagram to message me. In the past couple weeks I’ve received a total of 15 messages through my email that have not been rescue related.

Please do not email the rescue for anything other than things that pertain to the rescue, getting messages constantly asking for bird advice, tips on care is not what the email is deigned for and it causes clutter in my inbox which sometimes prevents me from seeing important messages from volunteers, people looking to surrender and former adopters.

If you need advice on bird care, consider supporting the rescue by becoming a Patreon, there you are able to message me with questions. Any messages sent through the rescues email that don’t pertain to the rescue are read and then immediately deleted, I do not respond to them as I simply do not have the time. As much as I appreciate the support, the rescues email is not a place to message unless it’s directly related to the rescue.

Thank you!

Dropping off a family member is hard, at Eternal Flight we understand that.

This is why we utilize code phrases. So what is a code phrase? A code phrase here is a way for an owner to let me know how they wish for the drop off to go.

When I greet someone when they drop off a bird and they say “𝗜’𝗺 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗳𝗳” I understand that to mean they would simply like to drop off and not have a conversation in person, this means I will simply take the bird and go inside, any items they have come with will remain there until I see they have left. If I do not hear the phrase I assume they wish for me to come back out and talk with them, but at any point they can break the conversation and say “𝗜’𝗺 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁” and I will simply wish them a good day and head inside.

By having code phrases it allows an owner who is surrendering to have an out if they feel like they need it, it’s important to understand that most people who surrender really do love their birds…they simply have little to no options left. Surrendering is emotionally and sometimes physically painful for those who have to rehome, so I try my best to make everyone feel comfortable as not every person is the same.

Compassion is important in this line of work, and if I can make it any easier I try to, I thought of this idea a while back but just recently started to implement it but I really think more rescues should do it as I’ve found it makes people much more comfortable during the process.

I appreciate everyone being so patient with me when it comes to messages, I am currently dealing with losing one of my senior birds Lima Bean who has been with me a very long time. She was one of the first birds I rescued, and thus holds a super important place in my heart.

Through the years Lima has been an invaluable bird in the process of rehabbing over 23 small parrots, she has helped me desensitize and temperament test many birds over the years.

Unfortunately Lima Bean is aging and has taken a sudden serious decline in balance and mobility due to a recent stroke, she is now having issues with getting to food and water so I believe it is now time. Part of rescuing is knowing one day you will lose them but it doesn’t make it any easier.

Thank you for being patient with me at this difficult time. I promise I will resume regular duties as soon as I can, this means I may not respond to messages or inquiries as fast as I normally would.

Thank you for understanding.

Did you know Eternal Flight offers on location nail care for smaller parrots? Today we had Tonka and Toby in for nail maintenance

*ADOPTED*

Howdy! The name is Oscar! I am the next face at Eternal flight.

I am a 7 year old African Grey parrot, I’m not a huge talker but I love to mimic the sounds around me. I haven’t quite made it to Eternal Flight yet but I will be set to arrive in the next couple weeks! I do tend to lean towards liking men more than woman, hey I’m just one of the bros ok? But I am a very sweet and curious boy.

I will not be available for adoption for a bit after I arrive as I have to be assessed and perhaps learn a few things to help me in my new home.

Keep an eye out for updates on me for when I become available for adoption!