Iowa Parrot Rescue

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Letts, IA
Iowa Parrot Rescue

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Founded in 1996, we are Iowa’s only state-inspected, 501(c)3 parrot rescue, providing shelter, rehab, and forever homes.
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Dedicated to rescue, adoption, and education, we put birds first. Founded in 1997, Iowa Parrot Rescue is a 501(c)3 certified and the only health-inspected rescue in Iowa. We are committed to placing our birds in the right homes for their needs. The Iowa Parrot Rescue philosophy is pretty simple… The birds come first, second, and last. We are dedicated to providing the best care possible, with the greatest amount of freedom.

10/14/2026

*This is a courtesy post. NOTE-this bird is NOT in our building. If you are interested, contact information for the owner is at the bottom. Do not contact us in regards to this bird please. As always, there is no charge for adopting them or anything they come with.*

Buddy and Tafiti:
Buddy and Tafiti are currently part of a flock with a complex history, a simple but high quality diet, and a pretty free range living setup. We are looking to rehome them due to complicated flock dynamics and a stressful situation involving one of the other cockatiels, who is blind, special needs, and experiencing a lot of pressure from the males to be bred. We believe removing Buddy and Tafiti from the environment will allow the others to live more comfortably.

A bit of background: Tafiti came into her current home with her brother shortly after her parents died in an effort to keep them together. They were adopted directly from the breeder in an effort to prevent further breeding and to give them a good home. At the time, they were living in a cage together with the current owners' two parakeets. Unfortunately, Tiki, Tafiti’s brother and ‘mate’ passed away suddenly and she became a bit withdrawn. This was also very, very hard on the owners. Tafiti is a nice bird, but flighty.

Buddy: A couple months passed and a close friend reached out - somebody who had bought birds from her mom was trying to rehome Buddy due to being unable to care for him. The timing was perfect. Tafiti was ready for another friend! Buddy took a while to adjust, but eventually came to find immense comfort with the flock. He now screams without at least one of the others by his side. Buddy steps up, but may bite to express his disinterest or frustration. He likely isn’t going to be a good bird around kids due to this.

The ideal home would be able to provide a MINIMUM of the following:
•a minimum if 1 1/2 hours of face to face or hands on interaction with both birds daily
•a diet of Zupreem pellets (or better) supplemented with treats - no fat based seeds! Goal of chop implementation. (They are picky.. this is a work in progress.. But important, and not for someone who will give up on them.)
•12/12 sleep schedule (full light/full dark) for hormone regulation
•parrot lighting (ideally with sunrise/sunset attachment)
•These birds currently live in a converted free flight area - not a cage. An appropriate sized flight cage would not be a deal breaker depending on the owner, but it must be adequately large.
•no cats/dogs unless the new owner has a dedicated bird room. The current owner lost a budgie to heart attack from prowling and cage smacking in the past, and made changes necessary for the safety of the birds and expects a future owner to adhere to the same standards. This is a firm boundary.

We are located in Des Moines IA. If you think you can provide a loving and dedicated home to Buddy and Tafiti, please reach out. We are not in a big hurry to rehome them, and at the same time want to ensure the comfort of the other birds in the house. You can reach out to Cory at [email protected]. Please include training experience, what kind of work you’ve done with your birds in the past, the kind of space you have to offer, the time commitment you intend to offer, ideally an avian vet reference, and anything else you might want to share about your life and birds. Please remember cockatiels are dusty birds and not great for people with asthma or other breathing issues. These birds are very dear to our hearts and rehoming them is not easy. We want them to go to a really special home.

10/13/2026

Well, we had an eventful day at the vet yesterday with Suavidad YNA, Captain BG, and Riley Hybrid Mac. This past week we took in 2 returns and 1 new kid from one of the same homes. 2026 is a big year for intakes and it keeps going. Your assistance with financial and in kind donations have been so crucial to supplying these birds with the support they need. Thank you!

Many remember Captain from just earlier this year. We placed him in June and unfortunately he became extremely unhappy despite the owner's best efforts. She tried absolutely everything from moving him to adjusting food, changing sleep hours, covering vs not covering the cage, more attention, less attention, more noise, less noise, etc... It just goes on. Ultimately he was always happiest in the dark, with little noise, and nobody bothering him. Which is exactly how he was when we picked them up from their home in 2024- a dark basement, alone, 9 birds getting fed and watered weekly while their owner was in the hospital and her friends tried desperately to help. Given Captain's very long, somewhat sordid history as well as medical complexities (also how content he seems to be at the rescue, as all of the behaviors and anxiety he exhibited in the home seem to have melted away), he is going to be one of our Permanent Residents, bringing our total permanent birds up to only 6.

Our other two kids came from another home, one is a return from early 2023 and the other was adopted via a courtesy post from us in 2021. Diega is a younger female BG adopted in 2023. She's a sweetie for some women though she has had a history of generally being a little picky. She usually just shows disinterest if she's not a fan. She really doesn't like men much. She's a typical macaw- noisy, destructive if you let her, a toe biter, opinionated to the max. But oh so lovely if she allows you to be a part of her life.
Bogart came from the same home and is an assumed female Double Yellow Head Amazon hatched in 1987. She's definitely got some "crunchy old bird" stuff going on, like a significant limp, arrived with an overgrown beak, a loud heart rate, and poor posture. I feel a little bad for roasting her but she has good qualities too! She's a good toy chewer, LOVES men (women will have to really win her over, but she'd rather not), cosplays as a bat in her free time, and loves to copy you. She's not a talker but she makes sweet noises. Also, one of the cutest faces ever.

As usual, these guys are NOT going to be ready for adoption for a while. We run full bloodwork, exams, and disease testing on each bird before they become available, assuming everything checks out, and Bogart will likely require some scans also. Each bird costs ~$300 to intake and we do NOT charge adoption fees, so your donations all go immediately into feeding, housing, and vetting these birds. If you're interested in learning more about supporting us and about adoption, PLEASE visit our website at iowaparrotrescue.org. The Get Involved tab has information on Donating and the Adopt tab has all kinds of resources and information on the process.

10/04/2026

This is a gratitude post! Zazu hasn't been himself lately. We've been toting him around to the vet, the poor chap, tomorrow will be his third vet visit in the past few weeks. The good news is that everything so far is checking out well and he puts on quite a show every time! He's chatty and adorable with just the right amount of spice. It's not too stressful an experience overall. The bad news, we still don't know why he's slowly losing weight, sleeping far more often in weird positions, shifting his weight more- aside from just being old. His bloodwork checks out well and everybody says he's in great physical shape, so no cause for his behavior changes.
That said, we don't know HOW old Zazu is, as like many Amazons here he is a wildcaught bird, one of 6 in the rescue right now (4 Amazons). We estimate he's likely in his 50's. So, hopefully we begin to get some answers soon and this nagging feeling that something more is going on will have a clearer meaning. One thing is for sure, we WILL find out!

I want to give a big thank you to Dr Jen at Quad City Pet Care for her endless dedication to our birds- she's our first contact whenever something goes wrong and often responds to me on weekends and off hours. In addition, Dr Wood at Whitehaven saw Zazu this week when Dr Jen was recovering from an illness and put up with a grumpy beak flying all over.. :-) I am repeatedly impressed with their level of care, explanation, and time taken to ensure the birds are comfortable.
And finally, for Jane... Zaz's greatest admirer, who generously donated to his vet care and donates so much time to the rescue. We love you.

09/29/2026

*This is a courtesy post. NOTE-this bird is NOT in our building. If you are interested, contact information for the owner is at the bottom. Do not contact us in regards to this bird please. As always, there is no charge for adopting them or anything they come with.*

******* An IPR note: These birds are deeply important to the owners and you must follow the owners’ provided instructions to email in order to be eligible to adopt. People who do not follow the instructions will be ignored/barred from adopting them. Reading comprehension is critical, which was proven the last time we attempted this post and WE also received several phone calls late at night after the post was paused because the contact information was removed. Please behave and don't make it so we cannot post courtesy posts for people in the future.******

A note from the owner: I have decided that it is best for me and my parrots to limit my considerations to those living in Iowa only, and to communicate by email. I am sorry for any confusion this may have caused and for those who reached out previously.

Charlie is a Greenwing Macaw that we estimate to be about 40 years old. I have had her for 30 years. She has a wonderful temperament and never bites. She was hand raised and never learned to fly (her wings are not clipped though, so should never be trusted outside unrestrained). She had her last vet check about 5 years ago, seems in good health, and has no special needs. She loves music and dances to it. She hasn't laid eggs in the last 5 years but she still goes through a nesting cycle on the bottom of her cage.

Glady is a Harlequin Macaw that is 18 years old. She is my problem child. She has a nervous temperament and is unpredictable. Her chest and legs are partially bare from biting herself. She does love to talk, I hear her practicing when I'm not in the room. I can handle her and let her climb on her cage but it is hard to get her back in. I have to wait her out and offer her peanuts. She likes her toes rubbed between the bars.

Dusty is a male Umbrella Cockatoo. I purchased him from a pet store about 30 years ago. He has no special needs but is missing one toe nail from an injury by another parrot. He has to have locks on his cage or he will escape and shred everything in sight. He loves to be held and rubbed under his wing, but does not like his head messed with. He loves to be sweet talked to and uses different voices at different times. He screams very loudly for lights out and his night time snack. He does quiet down if I sq**rt him with a water bottle.

The cages stay with the birds. We are in Cedar Falls, Iowa. My email is [email protected].

09/22/2026

Well... It's been an exhausting week 😅 we've taken in 5 birds since Friday, 3 littles and two mediums, all pickups/transports from their homes. The two mediums are returns from years ago due to absolutely no fault of theirs or their owners, just one of those times where everything awful hits at once and there's no good way out of things unfortunately.
These guys make 40 intakes since the beginning of the year and the requests keep pouring in. We can't do it without your support, and our monthly donors are the ones who keep up afloat and able to continue this work. Thank you so much!

The first 3 are a bonded pair and have already been introduced via courtesy post... Grey, Skye, and Delia are a funky little bonded trio of cockatiels and a single budgie that have been together for 2 years. They're mixed ages: 10, 6 and 2, and are all tame to some degree. Grey is exceptionally so and has a disability (wings damaged). Delia is tame but opinionated, what's new for a female tiel. Skye is tame when he wants, which is also typical of a budgie! Honestly these kids have been well cared for and so deeply loved and it shows in their demeanors.

Ditto is a return from 2018, he's one of my favorite Timnehs weve ever placed. He was hatched around 2000, is quite tame (not snuggly, but gentle), is curious, clearly a foodie as shown in the pics, a little mischievous, has a very small vocabulary when he feels like it, and overall is quite a good bird. He's not the kinda bird to sit and get head scratches from you, but he will sit and probably chew on your shirt, if you're into that.

Suavidad is a return from 2021. He's a wild caught Yellow Nape Amazon born in 1988 and has quite the cool history. You can search our page for "Suavidad" if you know how to do that- he is originally from Managua, Nicaragua and was shipped to Waterloo so he could continue living with his family when they moved back to the US. Suavi is not unusual for a male amazon- he has his territorial behaviors that come out in cage defensiveness. He can be snuggly and likes his head pet in his carrier and sometimes the cage, but when he gets comfortable he tends to really only want his cage to himself and will get aggressive with anyone inside of it. Outside and away from it, he's better! He is stick tame so he can be safely transferred even when he's feeling spicy. When Suavi first arrived, he hadn't been handled in some 20 years since his owners were aging but once he was adopted out in 2021, boy this guy has been living the life 🧡 we know Suavi really likes kids and has always been gentle with them. Caution will ALWAYS need to be taken of course, but he's had a long positive history with children and they light up his life.

09/19/2026

***PLACED- POST CLOSED***

*This is a courtesy post. NOTE-this bird is NOT in our building. If you are interested, contact information for the owner is at the bottom. Do not contact us in regards to this bird please. As always, there is no charge for adopting them or anything they come with.*

Ernie is a 26~ year old DNA sexed female Blue Front Amazon. She prefers men, as when she was young in a pet store, she was thrown across the room by an employee after biting them and didn’t really trust women after that. Ernie can be pet and come out of the cage when she wants to and mostly comes and goes as she pleases. She would be better in a home WITHOUT kids since she can get over excited. She would be best with someone who is experienced in an aggressive Amazon, she is definitely nippy but has never REALLY bit anyone. She just lunges at you while acting like she is going to bite you.

Trouble is a 30+ year old male (Red-Sided) Eclectus. He used to visit the pet store and stand on a stand and let everyone pet him but it’s been many years. He could probably be fine in a home with kids, with experienced adults. He can be all nice and friendly, climbing on you, then suddenly nip you. He only bites my son’s girlfriend’s ear, but we really watch his body language because he can be a little unpredictable.

They both eat seed mix. Ernie will eat pellets too, but Trouble doesn’t really care for them anymore. They enjoy occasional popcorn, crackers, apples, and love a cheese puff.
Ernie and Trouble are not bonded. They are located in Danville, Iowa, and you can contact Connie via email at [email protected] .

09/10/2026

*Edit, these kids will be arriving Friday. Stay tuned!

***** Repost*****
We are hoping to find these sweethearts a home soon via a courtesy post. The owner is having health issues and is unable to care for them much longer. We will step in, of course, if they can't find a home before the 18th, but if you're interested then please reach out via the contact info provided at the bottom of the post.

09/07/2026

Back in May, Abi told me to imagine an "assisted living" center for the ageing population-- parrots with walkers and wheelchairs. Parrot chair yoga! That's what we have become here over time... Parrot hospice, something we've grown into gradually, collecting the old, sick, and disabled. We give them peace and comfort in their final days and have become experts at doing just that.
Abi told me this the day we discussed darling Smoochy Quaker preparing to pass away as I was trying to cope with the inevitable and didn't want to.
This video of Benson, 60ish year old Congo Grey, was taken less than a week before she was to pass away with us... less than 2 weeks after she arrived to us. Not even a week ago now. There wasn't anything massively WRONG per se- we went to the vet, she did great. Clean disease testing all around. She had some elevated liver enzymes typical of a bird on the diet she was on but nothing outrageous. She was thin, but not horrifically so. Nothing indicated major systemic disease. The only thing that suggested that was her age, which is not itself a disease. She just went to sleep and fell off her perch.
Greys are notorious for heart disease, which is likely in her case given she was absolutely fine until the day she passed away. But the day she passed away is simply ONE single day in an entire lifetime's worth of stories, love, laughter, shenanigans, playtime, enrichment, family. Benson has been loved in every minute of her life, up until the very end. Not every bird is as lucky as she has been, but I am grateful to have known her.
Sometimes the hardest and kindest thing is to do nothing but be present with them as they let go.

09/04/2026

ADOPTED!!!!

*This is a courtesy post. NOTE-this bird is NOT in our building. If you are interested, contact information for the owner is at the bottom. Do not contact us in regards to this bird please. As always, there is no charge for adopting them or anything they come with.*

Mimo is an approximately 30 year old assumed male Double Yellow Head Amazon looking for his new chapter in life. I got Mimo in 2006 when he was 9 years old and we lived alone together until 2024, prior to that he did have another home in Missouri.
He likes kids’(girls) voices, but is vocalizing constantly when our baby cries, which has led to Mimo needing to live in an area where he gets a lot less attention than he used to. He loves to be where he can see all the action at home- in the dining room or kitchen, and enjoys the radio on when we aren’t home. I'm hopeful that someone will give him the life that he deserves - someone who will interact with him, talk with him, etc!

Mimo is a pretty boy and knows his name, he does a little bit of talking - Hello, Hi Babe, Mimo want supper (every meal is supper to him), Pretty Boy, to name a few. His favorite treats are popcorn, cooked pasta, and tortilla chips. Mimo is an alpha bird and I am not sure if he would do well with another bird… he can be a bit feisty when trying to hold him - the vet does have to sedate him to clip wings, beak, etc.
We are located in Ft Madison, IA and can be contacted at

09/02/2026

Today we got about 70 of these "Tiki Toys" from our friends over at Land of Illinois Parrot Rescue (Aledo IL) and sent them home with a bunch of Nutriberries and Avicakes that were taking up space we needed. Not only did Ash, DJ, and Zoey bring these toys to us and help unpack them, but they gave nearly every cage a toy!! Some birds got right to shredding and some will take their time, but this was such a wonderful mid week gift from friends. 😄 Not pictured was Tiki hybrid macaw who did in fact get a tiki. Tiki for Tiki.

Earlier this week we got in a new Timneh that I will be making a post about soon so keep your eyes ready for "George of the Jungle"!!

Address

2479 Golden Avenue
Letts, IA
52754

Telephone

+13193441700

Website

http://www.iowaparrotrescue.org/

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