T & A Parrot Rescue and Sanctuary

09/05/2026

🦜 ROGER IS READY TO FIND A FOREVER HOME! ❤️

Roger is a gorgeous Green-wing Macaw who will be turning 26 years old. Roger has spent their entire life in the same home, where they lived alongside a Double Yellow-headed Amazon in its 30s.

For most of those 26 years, Roger’s diet unfortunately wasn’t the greatest. It consisted primarily of Higgins Vita Seed, which is very sunflower-heavy, and over the years that poor diet contributed to some health issues.

But Roger has come a LONG way since arriving here. ❤️

Roger is now eating a healthy, varied diet and is a BIG eater! Fresh vegetables, healthy grains and other nutritious foods have become part of the daily routine, and we’ve also been supporting liver health while Roger’s body adjusts to a much healthier way of eating.

And let me tell you — I have put a LOT of time and effort into getting this bird eating well. 😂

Because of that, DIET IS NON-NEGOTIABLE. Roger’s adopter must be willing to continue offering a large variety of fresh vegetables and healthy foods. We did not work this hard to turn things around just for Roger to go back onto a sunflower-heavy seed diet.

Roger is also starting to PLAY! 🥹 Wood blocks are becoming interesting, and we’re starting to see more of that happy, curious macaw personality come out. Roger enjoys singing and is generally a pretty happy bird.

Now let’s talk handling…

Roger DOES know how to step up, but the command Roger knows is “perch” rather than “step up.” Roger can also sometimes be moved using a sturdy handheld perch.

However, Roger is particular about WHEN Roger wants to cooperate. 😂

This is not a macaw for someone who is intimidated by that giant Green-wing beak. Roger hasn’t had a tremendous amount of hands-on handling in recent years and needs someone confident, patient and consistent who is willing to continue working on handling and trust.

If you hesitate every time that beak comes toward you, Roger is probably going to figure that out pretty quickly. 😂

Roger reportedly had DNA testing many years ago and was said to be male. I’m not completely convinced that old result was accurate, though, because Roger certainly gives me some female vibes! So for now, we’re sticking with Roger and not getting too hung up on whether we’re dealing with a handsome boy or a beautiful girl. ❤️

Roger does seem to have somewhat of a preference for men, but has taken very well to me too, so I don’t consider that an absolute requirement.

🏡 THE HOME WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• A confident, experienced large-parrot person
• Someone who is NOT intimidated by a macaw beak
• Someone committed to maintaining Roger’s healthy diet
• Plenty of fresh vegetables and dietary variety
• Time and patience to continue working on handling
• Preferably an adult-only home
• No young children
• A dog may be okay with proper separation and supervision

Roger has spent 26 years in one home. That’s a very long time for everything you’ve ever known to suddenly change.

We’ve done the hard part of getting Roger moving in the right direction. The diet has changed. The appetite is fantastic. The toys are starting to become fun. The personality is coming out.

Now Roger needs someone willing to take it from here. ❤️

The three biggest things Roger needs are pretty simple:

GOOD FOOD. TIME. CONFIDENCE.

If you can provide all three and you’re ready for everything that comes along with sharing your life with a Green-wing Macaw, Roger may just be waiting for you. 🦜❤️

📍 T&A Parrot Rescue & Sanctuary — Gerrardstown, WV
🏡 Adopters must be within approximately 4 hours of the rescue.
📋 All of our normal adoption requirements and approval process apply.

09/05/2026

🥕🥬 22 POUNDS OF CHOP! 🫛🌶️

Yep… 22 pounds! 😂 That’s what feeding around 50 parrots looks like!

This week’s menu is packed with:

🥒 Zucchini
💛 Summer squash
💜 Red cabbage
🥬 Kale
🌶️ Jalapeños
🤍 Turnips
🥕 Carrots
❤️ Beets
🎃 Butternut squash
🌿 Curly mustard greens
🫛 Snow peas
🍚 Brown rice
🌱 Sprouted mung beans

I make our chop using a commercial chopper, because there is absolutely no way I’m standing there hand chopping 22 pounds of veggies every week. 😂 It makes everything quick, easy, and a nice consistent size for the flock.

If you want to chop like a pro, click the link! 😉👇

https://amzn.to/4gUOYss

Once it’s made, I store our chop in a large airtight Tupperware container in the refrigerator with paper towels to help absorb the excess moisture. That helps keep everything fresh and crispy instead of getting wet and soggy. I change the paper towels as needed throughout the week. 😊

And believe it or not, 22 pounds isn’t even making it a full week around here anymore! With around 50 mouths to feed, we are going through some serious groceries. 😂

But seeing all those bowls filled with fresh, colorful food every morning makes the work worth it. ❤️🦜

Eat the rainbow, babies! 🌈

09/04/2026

Two years ago today I made a post that popped back up in my memories, and I think it’s worth sharing again… but with a little update. ❤️

Some of you who have been here a long time remember this chapter. A lot of you who are newer probably have absolutely no idea.

In 2022 and 2023, I became deathly ill. There was actually a point where I truly thought I was going to have to shut down the rescue permanently.

I have life-threatening allergies, and several things basically collided at once. The change of seasons, a larger flock than I should have had at the time, smoke from the Canadian wildfires, medications that were no longer controlling things, and air purifiers that simply could not keep up. Eventually, my lungs basically said ENOUGH.

It took months of extensive testing to figure out all the pieces of the puzzle. One of the biggest discoveries was that the African Ringneck doves we had at the time were a major contributor because I was severely allergic to them.

My lungs became so compromised that it began affecting my heart. I was very, very sick and at one point even my pulmonologist wasn’t sure I was going to make it.

During those months, I did what I had to do every single day to take care of my family and the birds, but that was about all I had in me. Many days I crawled up and down the steps and basically lived on the couch. We stopped regular intake except for dire emergencies, adoption meetings basically stopped, and for about 18 months the rescue looked very different than it does today.

In April 2023, I went on oxygen. In July, I began a new treatment to get my allergies and lungs under control. By Christmas of that year, I was finally able to come off the oxygen.

And here we are in September 2026. ❤️

I’m still here.

And so is T & A Parrot Rescue.

Actually, we came back stronger.

I learned A LOT during that time—not only about my own limits, but about running this rescue better. I became more organized, more educated, more confident in saying no when I need to, and even more determined to give these birds everything I possibly can.

I was given another chance to keep doing something that means the absolute world to me, and I don’t take that lightly.

But there is another reason I wanted to bring this post back today.

AIR PURIFIERS.

If you have parrots, please don’t underestimate how important good air filtration is—for THEM and for YOU.

Look at the filter in these pictures. 😳 That is what the purifier pulled out of the air instead of leaving it floating around for us and our birds to breathe.

Parrot dander, feather dust, tiny particles from food and bedding, household dust and other airborne contaminants add up QUICKLY, especially in a multi-bird home. And if you have powder-down species, you already know how incredible the amount of dust can be.

An air purifier isn’t a replacement for good ventilation, cleaning or proper husbandry, but in my house it is an absolute necessity. I learned that lesson the hard way.

So if you get nothing else from my little trip down memory lane today, get this:

Protect their lungs. Protect yours. Clean your filters. Change them when they need changed. And don’t assume that because the air LOOKS clean, it is clean. 🫁❤️🦜

For those of you who were here through those really rough 18 months and watched me fight my way back—thank you. You stuck with this little rescue when I barely had enough energy to keep it moving.

And for everyone who has joined us since then…

Hi. 😂 I’m Crystal, the crazy bird lady behind T & A Parrot Rescue & Sanctuary, and I am still absolutely thrilled to be here living this life and saving birds. ❤️

For everyone who always asks which air purifier we use and recommend, here it is:
Our preferred air purifier on Amazon⁠

https://amzn.to/4iNyuVm

As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through this link, at no additional cost to you.

09/04/2026

It’s Friday! 🎉 I think that’s reason enough to celebrate — we made it to the weekend!

I’ve already been busy this morning making more chop because apparently 22 pounds of chop is no longer making it an entire week around here. 😂 We are SUPER full right now, so 22 pounds is lasting me about 5–6 days!

I’ll get back to the chop stuff later today. I’ll show you what we’ve got in everybody’s bowls this week, and I’ll show you the chopper I use again and explain why I love it so much.

But for now, I just wanted to stop by, say hello, and remind everybody to please go check out the GoFundMe we posted earlier today. ❤️

It is VERY rare that we share something like that on our rescue page, but these people are incredibly near and dear to us and to the parrot community. They could truly use some help right now. If you haven’t seen the post yet, please scroll down our page, read their story, and even if you can’t donate, please share it for me. Sometimes a share can make just as much of a difference.

And hanging out behind me in this picture are two of our personal birds — Marley, the Galah Cockatoo, and Buddy, our Red Factor African Grey. ❤️ They both live here in my retro-inspired vintage Coca-Cola kitchen because apparently even the birds around here need themed accommodations. 😂

I hope everybody has a blessed Friday and a wonderful start to the weekend! I’m off to do a quick meeting and then head to a doctor’s appointment, but I’ll be back later with our chop update!

Have a great day, everybody! ❤️🦜

09/04/2026

🚨 I NEED OUR BIRD COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER FOR SOME OF OUR OWN 🚨

Last night, severe storms and flooding hit the Pittsburgh area, and some people who are incredibly dear to us had their entire basement flooded. They have lost so much, and right now they are facing the overwhelming job of trying to put their home and their lives back together.

And I want to make something very clear—these aren’t just friends of another rescue. These people are my extended family. ❤️

Most of you know how close we are with the Breezy Parrot Rescue family. Amanda is like a daughter to me and one of my very best friends, but that relationship extends far beyond just Amanda. The Breezy family has become an extension of OUR family.

I speak to these people almost daily. If I need help with something, they are there. If there is a bird that needs help, they are there. If one of us needs advice, support, transportation, an extra set of hands or simply someone to lean on—they are there.

They show up. Every single time.

And they aren’t only part of our family through rescue. They are one of T & A Parrot Rescue’s own adoptive families and opened their home and hearts to one of our macaws. So when I say these are our people, I truly mean it.

They have devoted a huge portion of their lives to helping birds and supporting the avian community, and now they are the ones who need people to show up for them.

They have children. They have their own flock depending on them. They have a home that needs to be put back together. And in order for good people like these to continue being there for all the birds and people who depend on them, sometimes we have to take care of the people behind the rescue work.

A GoFundMe has been started to help their family recover from this devastating flooding.

If you are in a position to donate, please do. Even $5 or $10 adds up when a community comes together.

If you cannot donate, PLEASE SHARE THIS POST. Sharing costs absolutely nothing, and it may put this in front of someone who can help.

Our rescue community isn’t supposed to be about competing with one another. It’s about standing together, helping one another and remembering that none of us can save these birds alone.

It takes a village. These people are part of mine.

They have shown up for us more times than I could ever count.

Now I’m asking our T & A Parrot family to help me show up for them. ❤️🦜

👉 GoFundMe:
https://gofund.me/0b1c4fa01

Tonight, everything changed for my family. A devastating storm flooded our home and … Bo Wilson needs your support for Help Bo’s Family Rebuild After Flooding

09/04/2026

🦜 SPECIES SPOTLIGHT — NANDAY CONURE 🦜

We’re continuing our way through the conure family, and today we’re talking about the Nanday Conure! 🖤💚

If you’ve ever met a Nanday, chances are you HEARD them before you saw them. 😂 These guys are beautiful, goofy, intelligent, affectionate little parrots with a whole lot of personality…and an impressive set of lungs.

Nandays are sometimes called Black-Hooded Parakeets, and that black head is what makes them so easy to recognize. They have mostly green bodies, gorgeous blue flight feathers, a little reddish-orange on their legs, and that unmistakable dark face.

🌎 Where are they from?
Nandays are native to South America, particularly areas of Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. There are also established feral populations in parts of the United States.

📏 Size & Lifespan
Nandays are roughly 11–12 inches long and generally weigh somewhere around 120–150 grams. With proper care, they can live 25–30+ years, so bringing one home is absolutely a long-term commitment.

❤️ Personality
These guys can be absolute CLOWNS. They’re playful, curious, busy and usually very interested in whatever their people are doing. Many become extremely affectionate with their chosen humans and can be wonderful companions.

But that strong attachment can also mean they need to learn how to entertain themselves. A Nanday that expects to be attached to you every waking minute can quickly become a demanding little monster. 😂 Toys, foraging, climbing opportunities and learning independent play are important.

📢 LET’S TALK ABOUT THE NOISE.

Nandays are LOUD.

Not “my budgie gets noisy sometimes” loud.

CONURE loud. 😂

They have a very sharp, carrying flock call, and they are perfectly willing to use it. Morning and evening calling is normal parrot behavior, and excitement, wanting attention or simply joining in with household noise can get them going.

If you live somewhere that noise could cause problems, please think very carefully before bringing home a Nanday. You cannot train the natural vocalizations out of a parrot. You can work on excessive attention screaming, but you cannot un-loud a loud species.

🧠 They need something to DO.
Nandays are intelligent and active. They need plenty of toys they can chew and destroy, foraging opportunities, appropriate out-of-cage time and interaction with their family. A bored Nanday will happily find its own entertainment…and you probably won’t appreciate its choices. 😂

🥦 Diet
Like our other parrots, they should NOT be living on a bowl of seed and sunflower seeds.

A healthy diet should include a quality pellet, plenty of fresh vegetables and dark leafy greens, healthy grains and legumes, with fruit, seeds and nuts offered appropriately. Fresh clean water should always be available.

🦜 Are they good family birds?

They certainly CAN be, but remember that every bird is an individual. Nandays can be sweet, silly and incredibly loving, but they can also become territorial, hormonal, jealous and nippy—especially if boundaries haven’t been established.

And like every parrot, that beak deserves respect. Children and parrots should always be supervised together.

A Nanday isn’t the right bird for everyone.

But for someone who understands the noise, provides plenty of enrichment, has the time to build a healthy relationship and doesn’t mind sharing their home with a tiny feathered comedian who occasionally communicates at approximately AIR-RAID-SIREN volume…

They can be absolutely incredible companions. 🖤💚

Next up in our Species Spotlight series…we’ll keep working our way through the conures! 👀🦜

09/03/2026

A little behind the scenes of how we make this crazy thing called rescue work… 😂🦜

I get asked pretty often how I manage to run an in-home rescue, keep everything relatively tidy, and stay on top of the daily care of this many birds.

The answer? Organization, a strict routine, and help from my hubby and my son when I need it. ❤️

And I’d also like to personally thank my OCD. 😂

I am VERY organized. Our days run on a schedule. Breakfast, cage cleaning, water changes, out-of-cage time, outdoor time when the weather allows, quiet time, dinner and bedtime—it all has its place in the day.

With this many birds, a schedule is important because their day isn’t supposed to consist of sitting in a cage while I clean and feed everybody. They need time out, interaction, enrichment and, whenever we’re able, safe time outdoors too. I’m home probably 90% or more of the time, and honestly, my life pretty much revolves around their care.

Having a routine and knowing exactly what needs done and when is a huge part of how I’m able to manage it all while still making sure the birds get the individual care and attention they need.

But one of the biggest things that keeps this rescue running smoothly is simply knowing where everything is.

Over time, I’ve finally gotten things to the point where supplies are sorted into totes, everything has a designated place, and everything is labeled. Toys, toy parts, perches, bowls, medical supplies, cage supplies—you name it. If I need something, I know exactly where to reach for it.

We were also recently VERY blessed with a huge amount of toy-making parts, and I decided to take that as a sign that it’s time to seriously up our toy-making game. 😂 I’ve always made some of our toys, but now that I have an entire shelving unit designated to sorted toy parts, I’m hoping to start making a whole lot more of them.

So, in the photos, the single shelving unit with 8 totes is mostly toy-making components—different sizes of wood pieces, plastic toy parts and other goodies I can turn into toys for the birds. All of my actual toy-making hardware, chains, ropes and tools have their own designated toolbox because, of course, apparently even my organization needs organization. 😂

The double shelving unit with 16 totes is packed with finished toys sorted by size, perches sorted by size, and our hospital/medical needs. That way, whether I’m setting up a cage for a little conure or a giant macaw, I can go straight to what I need instead of digging through everything we own.

Not pictured is another shelving unit by our utility sink that holds totes full of extra bowls. We keep enough bowls in rotation that the birds can always get clean ones while the dirty set is being washed and sanitized. Again… boring little organizational things that make caring for this many birds SO much easier.

And that’s really the whole point.

If we suddenly take in several birds and need to set up cages, I don’t have time to spend an hour digging through boxes looking for bowls, perches, toys or whatever else we need. When everything is organized and labeled, we can get cages together quickly and get those birds settled.

Even better, someone else can walk in and help me without having to ask where every single thing is. It has a home. It has a label. Grab it and go.

It wasn’t always this organized. 😂 I always knew where everything was, but there was definitely a time when my organizational system was basically, “I know it’s in that pile somewhere.” As the rescue has grown, I’ve been fortunate enough to slowly build a system that really works.

And this is also something people may not think about when they wonder where adoption fees and donations go.

It isn’t always bird food, toys or vet bills.

Sometimes it’s totes. Sometimes it’s shelving. Sometimes it’s labels or other boring operational stuff that helps this rescue function better every single day.

Because the less time I spend digging through stuff, moving things around and trying to find what I need, the more time I have to actually spend caring for, working with and loving the birds. ❤️

Organization may not be the glamorous side of rescue, but it is absolutely one of the things that makes what we do possible.

So here’s a little peek behind the curtain at T&A Parrot Rescue. 🦜❤️

There is definitely a method to the madness around here. 😂

09/03/2026

📢 PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: YES, WE HAVE RULES. A LOT OF THEM.

And no, our rules are not going to make everybody happy.

Yes, we will deny an adoption. No, usually it is not personal. It simply means that, for whatever reason, your home or situation does not meet the standard of care that we have set for the birds entrusted to us.

Most of these babies did not come from people who didn’t love them. Quite the opposite. Many came from homes where they were absolutely adored, treated like children and surrendered through some of the hardest circumstances imaginable. Those people trusted ME to decide where their bird goes next. I take that responsibility very seriously.

So no, I am not going to change our rules because your house is bigger than mine. Because you make more money than me. Because you’ve owned birds for 30 years. Because you think your particular situation should be the exception. And I am certainly not going to be bullied into saying yes.

These birds are already safe. They are loved. They are family here. There is no emergency to get them out the door.

They leave when we find a home that can offer them what they need for the rest of their lives AND when the bird agrees that we found the right person.

Yes, we require a privately owned, single-family home. We do not adopt to rentals or townhomes. Shared-wall living brings things I cannot control—neighbors using pesticides, spraying chemicals, smoke, fumes, HOA landscaping treatments outside your windows, and even something as simple as a neighbor burning dinner. Parrots have incredibly sensitive respiratory systems, and I am not willing to gamble with that.

Noise matters too. Parrots are loud. I don’t care if we’re talking about a budgie or a macaw—they ALL make noise. Obviously not at the same volume, but every parrot has the right to vocalize in its own home without an angry landlord, HOA or neighbor becoming the reason that bird needs another home.

They are also messy. They are destructive. They chew things. They throw food. They scream. They have wings, and YES, we expect them to keep them.

And since we’re talking about rules, here are a few more:

🥦 Chop and a proper diet are requirements.

🪽 Keeping their wings is a requirement. We do not support routine wing clipping.

🏡 Appropriate housing and cage requirements matter.

👧 We do not place our large birds in homes with children under 12.

📚 Education, experience when appropriate, and the willingness to continue learning matter.

⏰ Having the time to actually devote to the bird matters.

❤️ And most importantly, THE BIRD GETS A SAY. You can be absolutely perfect on paper, and if that bird doesn’t choose you, it isn’t going home with you.

So yes, you can say T&A Parrot Rescue has a whole lot of rules.

We sure as hell do.

And guess what? The people who trusted us with birds they loved for 10, 20, 30 and sometimes even 50 years EXPECT me to have rules. They expect me to protect their babies after they can no longer do it themselves.

These policies have served our birds well, and I’m not changing them because somebody believes they should be the exception.

If our adoption requirements don’t work for you, that’s okay. There are other rescues with different policies, and I genuinely hope you find the right fit.

But here?

The birds come first. Every time.

They are safe here. They are loved here. And they can stay right here for as long as it takes to find the forever home that meets our standards. ❤️🦜

09/02/2026

🦜 JUNO IS BACK & LOOKING FOR HIS PERSON! 🦜

Juno recently spent two weeks in a foster-to-adopt home, and unfortunately it just wasn’t the right fit. There was really only ONE reason…

The voice. 😂

Juno is a Sun Conure, and he absolutely comes with the Sun Conure volume! His foster family adored him, but unfortunately his calls were just more than one member of the household could comfortably tolerate. And that’s okay — this is exactly why we do foster-to-adopt!

Aside from his very impressive set of lungs, they had wonderful things to say about this little guy.

Juno was easily handled by everyone in the family and absolutely LOVES people. He enjoyed flying between his cage and play stand, usually carrying a snack along with him. He loves head scratches, was starting to show his cuddly side, and enjoyed exploring the couch and burrowing around in blankets.

He’s perfectly capable of entertaining himself on a perch. He doesn’t necessarily need to be ON you all day — he just really wants his people nearby.

And therein lies the catch. 😂

If you leave the room, Juno wants the entire neighborhood to know about it.

He is a serious flock caller. If he sees you leaving, he may even fly over and land on your shoulder because clearly you have forgotten that Juno was supposed to be included in whatever you’re doing!

His foster described him as a vibrant, healthy, uncomplicated and well-adjusted little bird. He coexisted nicely in a home with dogs and a cat, although as always, parrots should never have unsupervised interaction with other household pets.

So here’s what Juno needs:

A home that understands conures — specifically the BIG voice that comes in that little Sun Conure body. Apartment living or a household where noise is an issue is probably not going to be a good match.

But if you already know and tolerate the sound of a Sun Conure, Juno has SO much going for him. He’s social, funny, affectionate, flighted, people-oriented and just wants to be part of the family.

Please don’t apply thinking you can teach him not to be loud. You cannot un-Sun Conure a Sun Conure. 😂

If the noise doesn’t scare you and you think Juno might be your little orange-headed sidekick, send us a message with your city and state to get started.

📍 T&A Parrot Rescue & Sanctuary — Gerrardstown, WV
🚗 Adopters must be within approximately 4 hours of the rescue.
❤️ As always, an approved application and in-person meeting are required — and Juno gets a say in who takes him home!

09/02/2026

Do we have any male followers within about a 4-hour radius of Gerrardstown, WV who love Timneh Greys? ❤️

We have a little female Timneh who is looking for a man of her own — and I mean that quite literally. 😂 She likes men. She does NOT like women. Not even a little bit.

She’s a timid, sweet girl who prefers life on the quieter side. She steps up nicely for men and will absolutely let you know when she thinks her water needs changed. 😂 She loves to destroy toys and is perfectly content just hanging out and sitting with the man in her life.

She isn’t looking for a loud, busy household or someone who needs a bird constantly in their face. She’s more of a quiet companion who just wants to be near her person and enjoy life together.

So if you’re a guy who has a soft spot for Greys and you’ve been looking for a sweet little companion, she may just be the one for you. ❤️

As always, she will get a say in who she chooses.

📍 Gerrardstown, WV
🚗 Adopters should be within approximately 4 hours.