Blind Birds are a delight to work with. We have cared for Birds blinded by seniour cateracts & Birds blind or only able to see bright light from birth. With therepy & sensory sessions blind Birds just blossom, even a 30 year old Meyers Parrot called Perky who came to us because his fantastic carers wanted a special place for him.

 

SENSORY THEREPY- We lay down vet bed, newspaper & a mix of other Bird safe textures for them to walk on. During the sessions we use Bird safe jingling balls that are rung gently near their ears & they are encoraged to touch, play with & throw the balls. Soft tooth brushes are also favoured alongside scrunched newspaper.

 

Birds having this therepy are strongly encouraged to reach out & grab the ringing ball, we have found in every case that the blind Bird can locate in their environment much better, even perching again when it was a struggle. 'Reach out' therepy helps them locate sounds in their environment which enables them to learn the location of items based on their sound or how sound bounces off it, this sounds strange but has never failed yet.

 

It's really important for Birds with a lost or low functioning sense to have other senses enriched, this is a fun experience for the Bird & helps them function too. An enriching lifestlye for blind Birds is very posible if you get to know what interests them. When blind, their other sense become hightened to make up the difference, just like in humans. This can make the world a very scary place full of loud unknown noises that could be a threat. Sensory therepy can really help them get used to noises & how to feel their way around, touch can become their new eyes if you help them enough.

 

MUSIC THEREPY- Music is appreciated by all Birds but blind Birds just take it to another level, it enchants them as they tilt their head to get the best volume. Quietly play classical, native American or meditation music & sit them close to the speaker. Just let the music work it's magic & relax the Bird. Stress seems to be a big thing in the lives of our blind reidents before their arrival here, but therepy programs, love, patience & understanding work wonders with these sensitive creatures.

 

THE MYTHS- There are so many myths that surround the care of blind Birds. Many people claim that not only do blind Birds not know how to play but that toys in their enclosure is dangerous. Blind Birds need to be taught how to play because young Birds learn by watching peers & they obviously can't do that, teach them to play by feel. Toys in the enclosure are absolutely fine but just don't overcrowd them or use toys with long chains that could entangle them. Blind Birds can't live in with normal ones. Yes they can, in fact all but one of our blind residents have lived in with normally functioning Birds. As long as the Birds are gentle in nature there is no issue with being housed together, if it isn't working out then it will become very obvious very soon. The biggest myth is that they have no quality of life. Carers who say this lay them alone in an empty cage & act shocked when they don't have fun. To have a quality of life you must give them one & then it's fine. It isn't cruel to keep them alive, it's cruel to neglect them then kill them because you wouldn't show them fun.