Providing life-changing care and environment for special needs avian species in Minnesota.
BREAK THE CYCLE!!
Across the country, parrot rescues and sanctuaries are seeing a rise in foundling birds. A parrot found outside with no one searching for them despite efforts to locate guardians. At MAARS’ sanctuary, The Landing, nearly our entire little bird flight room is made up of these foundlings.
Why does this happen?
Small parrots are often sold cheaply at chain stores, pet retailers, or rehomed after accidental clutches, making impulse purchases easy. Because they cost less upfront, people are often led to believe they are easier, quieter, or require less care. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Little birds are loud, messy, intelligent, destructive, social, and long-lived. They require the same commitment, enrichment, veterinary care, time, and financial investment as larger parrots. A smaller bird does not mean an easier bird.
When expectations don’t match reality, and rescues are full or have waitlists, some birds are abandoned outdoors. In places like the Upper Midwest, survival is extremely limited due to weather, predators, and lack of resources. Even where some species establish populations, releasing captive parrots raises serious welfare and environmental concerns.
How you can help:
• Don’t buy impulsively — avoid supporting stores that sell parrots and consider adoption first.
• Educate yourself — parrots can live 15–70+ years. Research the species, the costs, the behavior, and the lifelong commitment.
• Foster — rescues desperately need experienced foster homes to help birds in transition.
• Adopt — if you’ve done the research and are prepared for the commitment, adoption can change a bird’s life—and yours.
The more we understand the realities of parrot guardianship, the more we can help stop the market, surrender, and release cycle.
#MAARS #Parrots #Sanctuary #Cockatoos #Nonprofit
Anyone who’s shared their home with a parrot knows messy eating is par for the course. That behavior is hard-wired and in the wild, helps regenerate tropical and subtropical forests—especially after fires, storms, or logging—by dispersing seeds as birds drop uneaten food, defecate, or carry seeds while flying.
Parrots are more than colorful residents of our skies—they’re vital bio-indicators. Declines in their populations often signal habitat destruction, climate change, and deforestation. According to the IUCN Red List, about one-third of the world’s 389 parrot species are threatened or endangered, and their loss warns that ecosystems—and planetary health—are at risk. Here at MAARS, one of our featured birds, Ernie, demonstrates how messy he can be when eating beets with his fresh food😆
Click here to help: www.maars.org/support-cookie
#MAARS #Parrots #Sanctuary #Nonprofit
Some Amazons are feisty… these two are full-on fuego. Cookie and Ernie now rule their own private upstairs suite, where they cackle (often in Spanish) and chase off intruders with gusto. At MAARS, we honor their boundaries and give them the space to be exactly who they are - fiercely loyal, wickedly funny, and undeniably unforgettable.
Cookie & Ernie are medium-sized parrots, the cost for their food, medicine, and toys is approximately $80 a month or $960 a year for both. If you would like to contribute to their health and well-being, please click below. Thank you!
