Foster program teaches positive parroting

Racket awaits placement at the Hillcrest home of his foster-care provider, Eric Kern. — Andy WilhelmFoster care program finds, educates owners for these long-living, smart, social creatures

As Eric Kern sat on a couch in his Hillcrest home, he was surrounded by parrots.

Popeye, a double yellow-headed Amazon, was perched on his leg. Kiki, a Moluccan cockatoo with ornate plumage, and Racket, a mitred conure, were in a nearby sunroom, making their voices heard. And Angel, a Buffon’s macaw, was keeping quietly to herself across the living room, warily eyeing the human strangers who’d invaded her space.

For Kern, being part of a diverse flock is normal. He adopted Angel last year through San Diego’s Parrot Education and Adoption Center (PEAC). He then volunteered through the organization to provide a foster home for Kiki, Popeye and Racket. Now he’s in the process of adopting Kiki.

With patience and attention, Kern has opened his home and his heart to the birds and become their bridge to a new life. Though his affection is obvious for Popeye — who has overcome serious behavior issues since coming to him — Kern is looking forward to finding his friend a new home.

At a recent PEAC meeting he took Racket and Popeye, then watched a young woman considering adoption connect with Popeye.

“She was interested in Racket, and she actually walked up and passed Popeye,” says Kern. “And Popeye bent his head down so she could scratch it. That’s a huge indicator that he was OK and trusted her. For some reason she had some aura or vibe about her that he went for, and he was very adamant about wanting to be touched by her.

“That made me realize, ‘God, that is rewarding.’ To find a suitable home and a good match, it’s going to be wonderful to see him go to a home that’s going to love him and take care of him and give him everything he needs.”

The foster and adoption program is just one of the missions of PEAC, which was founded in 1996 and has about 150 members in its San Diego chapter.

Barbara Crouse, who’s been the executive director of PEAC for 4½ years and a volunteer for 12, says the other priority is education.

Often, people decide on an impulse to buy a parrot. Then they are shocked by the care it requires. Parrots are smart, social animals that bond with humans and thrive in good situations. A bad environment can lead to behavior or health issues. The result? It’s given away.

Because parrots live such long lives — 30 to 80 years — Crouse says many of the birds wind up having “multiple homes” and often outlive their humans.

By offering seminars to owners and would-be owners about behavior, nutrition, care and positive-reinforcement training, PEAC hopes to create more stable lives for the birds.

Crouse says it’s been a rewarding experience giving the birds a foster home, and also adopting Herbie and Bert.

Herbie came to them with a dislike of men that she’d picked up at a previous home. She screamed and bit men, and was given up for adoption. Through positive-reinforcement training and attention, Crouse and her husband now have a friendly, happy companion. It makes Crouse’s work with PEAC all worth it.

“Today’s a good day,” she says, laughing. “There’s the occasional day when I get a really rude email or phone call and it’s like, ‘Why am I doing this?’ But then you go home and you look at the birds, and that’s why we’re doing this. Yes, it’s worthwhile.”