A Wing and a Prayer
Rhode Island Parrot Rescue is a lifeline for exotic birds in need of shelter . By Paula M . Bodah
CityState : Current l Edited by Dana Laverty
PHOTOGRAPHY : COURTESY OF RHODE ISLAND PARROT RESCUE .
The sound is almost literally ear-splitting , a nonstop cacophony of screeches and squawks , chirps and whistles . That din is music to Corrie Butler ’ s ears . It means the birds that fill this room at Rhode Island Parrot Rescue are happy and healthy .
Butler , the nonprofit organization ’ s executive director , moves from cage to roomy cage , each one home to a colorful species of tropical bird . Nectar , a thirty-year-old Moluccan cockatoo the color of a creamsicle , jumps up and down with excitement . “ He likes you ,” Butler tells me . “ You probably remind him of his mama ,” she adds , referring to the woman who owned him .
Nectar , like so many of the sixty-seven colorful birds residing at RIPR on this particular day — from tiny budgies in pastel blues and greens to giant macaws sporting vibrant feathers of red , turquoise or yellow — is here because his owners , a couple who doted on him , found themselves unable to care for him any longer .
“ A lot of people buy or adopt a parrot when they ’ re empty nesters ,” Butler explains . A fifty-year-old may enjoy having a pet bird for the next two or three decades , then pass away or move into senior living . Because many birds in the parrot family can live anywhere from thirty
to 100 years , it ’ s a sad reality that even the most beloved bird can find itself in need of a new home .
Unfortunately , some are refugees from large-scale breeding operations . In 2016 , the organization was contacted by animal control in Connecticut about dozens of exotic birds abandoned by a breeder . Butler , who was facility manager at the time , recalls the overwhelming stench and the sorry state of the 117 birds who were well enough to bring back to Rhode Island to save . “ We spent more than $ 20,000 on veterinarian bills , but ninety-nine of them survived ,” she says . “ It took us five years to find homes for them all .”
Most of the residents at RIPR are awaiting adoption , while a few elderly ones are living out their remaining years in comfort , doted on by Butler , her staff of three and more than sixty volunteers . On average , the organization adopts out eighty-five birds each year . For as long as they live here , each bird enjoys a nutritious diet , twice-weekly showers , continual cleaning of their cages and plenty of mental stimulation . “ They ’ re as smart as a five- or six-year-old child ,” Butler says . “ Their cognitive skills never cease to amaze me . They need a lot to keep them busy so they don ’ t go insane .”
The organization is steadily growing . Earlier this year it moved from its cramped Warwick headquarters to a spacious twostory building in West Warwick . Fundraising efforts are underway to continue renovations on the facility , but if the sound of birdsong is any indication , the residents already seem to be enjoying their new digs . riparrots . org
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l SEPTEMBER 2024 17