At Tallgrass, parrots are more than a flock.
They are family.
More than 35 parrots live at the Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary.
These are a just few of our feathered friends ...
TAZ
Male
Congo African Gray
​​Taz had it pretty rough prior to life at Tallgrass. We know he's blind in one eye after having been thrown against a wall. We can also see he had a broken wing at one time which was never properly set for recovery. But all that's behind him now! Today we are happy to report that Taz's life is filled with all the almonds he can eat, gentle baths to keep his feathers in good condition, and the friendship of his very own flock.
TICKLE
​Male
Umbrella Cackatoo
Years ago, Tickle lived in another sanctuary. When it closed he moved in with a family where he was well loved and kindly cared for. Unfortunately, he's a professional escape artist and his new humans weren't able to contain his outsized spirit. At Tallgrass he has his very own giant cage/condo which -- as you can see -- he routinely dismantles at will. Tickle is a willfull boy, but that's just part of what we love about him.
BOB
Male
Yellow Nape Amazon
​Bob is your run-of-the-mill male Amazon parrot - Which means he's filled with testosterone and incredibly ornery. Unfortunately, his first humans didn't realize what that meant when they got him and they were understandably freaked-out when he tried to bite off someone's nose. Luckily for Bob, the good people of Tallgrass know how to safely redirect these behaviors. We are happy to report that as of today, no one has lost any fingers, toes ... or even noses. Members of his former family still care for him deeply and visit him often.
RAINBOW
Female
Hybrid Macaw
Rainbow is a woman of mystery. She came to Tallgrass when the older woman who had her for years became afraid of her. Several specialty breeders have told us she may be a rare double-cross hybrid. All we know is that she's a big, beautiful girl who loves loves singing along with Judy Garland.
ZOE (left) & IZZY (right)
Both Females
Scarlet Macaw & Blue and Gold Macaw
During the recent economic downturn Zoe's and Izzy's humans lost their home. Not long afterwards their daughter was severely injured. They tried as hard as they could, but their new home just couldn't accommodate their daughter who needs round-the-clock-care, her two children, and these two lovely ladies. It was a tough decision for them to make, but the family knew they needed to find something better for their winged-members. Now all parties sleep better knowing that Zoe and Izzy are getting the time, care and attention they need.
Ruth
Female
Congo African Gray
Also know as Ruth "the Destroyer" or Notorious RBG, this loving little ball of destruction was dumped at an animal shelter in a cat carrier. Our best estimate is that she hadn't eatten or been given any water for three days prior. The good news is that a little TLC and a safe place to live have completely rejuvinated this special lady. Someone dearly loved her once, and we smile every time she says good night to us and tells us she loves us in the sweetest voice you ever heard. ... When she's not chewing up anything she can get her beak on, that is ....
RIO
Female
Mealy Amazon
Rio is Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary's very first rescue bird! She has a ruptured airsack that makes a little gray bubble bulge out of her otherwise flawless feathers. Rio's band is dated 1978, but she was kidnapped from Central America as a "wild caught" bird, we know she's probably than that. Because she's a senior citizen, we don't worry too much about little things like bulging airsacks. Rio's a happy and healthy Grand Damme, and we intend to keep her that way for the rest of her long life.
BABY
Female
Blue and Gold Macaw
A man contacted Tallgrass, worried that his grandmother's obsession with birds was getting out of hand. Upon arrival at her home, our volunteer found a tiny house in desperate condition filled with more 100 birds! Most were suffering from various levels of malnutrition, physical illness and mental distress. Although we negotiated with her for months, we were unable to secure the release of any bird save one: Our precious Baby Girl. Dispite Baby's obvious ailments, she lives a rather nornal life at Tallgrass. She spends every day on a specially padded platform in front of a large picture window where she watches life in the barnyard in rapt attention.
MATILDA
Male
Hybrid Cockatoo
​When Matilda's former human passed away his family said they didn't want him. They told us he would be living on the back porch until the weather turned cold, then they'd let him go to fend for himself. Needless to say, he immediately became a member of the Tallgrass flock. And we're so glad he did! A couple of years ago Matilda came down with the birdy version of Parkinson's Disease. It's our honor to give this loving little Goffin/Citron cross a safe and happy home for the rest of his life.
RADEN (front) & LOUIE (back)
Both Male
Blue and Gold Macaw & Hybrid Catalina Macaw
Raden and Louie were abandoned by humans who couldn't honor the committments they made when they adopted these colorful giants. Raden's human was a collage student who returned home to his country of birth after graduation. Louie was a gift for a teen-aged boy who was completely unprepared to give this stunning Hybrid Catalina the time and attention birds like this require. At Tallgrass, these two gents have room to roam, appropriate toys to destroy, and a generous helping of the human and animal compainionship they need to flourish.
MAX
Male, Lutino Mutation Indian Ringneck
Like so many members of our flock, Max first became homeless after his human passed away. At that time, a special friend of Tallgrass gave him a great home; and because he traveled a lot, she also got Max a budgie for company. Things were fine until Max's little buddy passed away and he was alone way too much. At Tallgrass, this unusually colorful 30 year-old boy is surrounded by Cockateils who adore him. He's never alone and is happy as can be!
ABBY
Female
Orange-winged Amazon
Abby's first human thought a pet bird was great ... Until she started doing what Amazons do best: Screaming greetings to the world every chance they get. Abby was then given to Nora, a special friend of Tallgrass' who adored her. When Nora passed away Abby came to live at Tallgrass. In recognition of Nora's loving spirit, we are honored to have Abby as a member of our flock for the rest of her life.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU!
Tallgrass Parrot Sanctuary is forever greatful to Nora for including us in her will. Her foresight and generosity provide for Abby's continued care, and help us maintain a superior quality of life for everyone in our flock.
LOLA
Female
Military Macaw
Like so many of our feathered friends, Lola came to Tallgrass after circumstances changed for her human. With a new job, Lola's "Dad" found himself on the road, leaving her alone far too often. At Tallgrass she has all the companionship she could ever want. Even though Lola is the smallest Macaw in our flock, we don't worry about her. She's a spunky gal and the queen of our jungle.
CRICKET
Male
Standard Cockateil
At 21 years old, Cricket one of Tallgrass' older Cockateils. He shares living quarters with 5 other 'Teils and Max, our resident Indian Ringneck. And while 'Teils may be tiny, we never forget the fact that Cricket's flock needs just as much attention as do our giants. Frequent pin-feather scratches, daily cuddles and lots of yummy fresh veggies help our little birds live long and happy lives.
Johnny (left) & Hector (right)
Both Male
Greenwing Macaw & Hybrid Catalina Macaw
Johnny & Hector came to Tallgrass after being rescued from a basement where they languished for years after their first human dies. Although originally from different homes, today they are a bonded male pair - each devoted to the other. Johnny (the large Greenwing Macaw on the left) is 72 years old. His mate, Hector, is a hybrid Catalina Macaw - intentionally bread as a combination between a Scarlet and Blue & Gold Macaw; he is at least 40 years old. Just think about it: Johnny was born while World War II was still raging, and Hector's been around since before the U.S.A's Bicentennial celebration! We wish they could talk and share their adventures with us. Oh ... the stories they could tell!
Sassy
Female
Goffin's Cockatoo
Don't let this little girl's size fool you. Goffin's are one of the smaller Cackatoo breeds, but Sassy has more personality and energy than a dozen giants. She's lived in the Sanctuary since her beloved human died of surgical complications. Since her first day at Tallgrass she has ruled the roost, but our lives would be much less joyful without her entertaining antics. We can't imagine life without her.
But wait! There's more!!
We will keep posting birdy biographies until
they are all up; we're working on it as fast as we can. Check back soon for more.
