The Story of Us -
Who we are, where we came from,
& where we're going
Crossroads Bird Haven started by accident not so long ago. What started as a conversation about the possibility of buying a companion parrot as a pet ended in the rescue of two neglected Amazons roughly six months later. At that point, we had begun to feel the call to advocate for these creatures that we found so enchanting and amazing, even on their worst days!
In the beginning, we had an enormous work load. While Alan had experience with parrots throughout his life, I was limited to a less than positive experience with an untamed Parakeet. When we began discussing parrots, I flatly refused to consider the idea. But as I listened to Alan’s stories about parrots he’d owned, met, and worked with I became intrigued. Like many, I had no idea that parrots were so intelligent and interactive! The stories of funny antics, impressive vocabulary choices, and heartwarming charm caught me completely off guard and it wasn’t long before I wanted a parrot of my own!
In our search for a parrot to add to our family, we read story after story of parrots that were neglected, abandoned, and abused. Neither of us can remember who eventually started the conversation about rescuing, but we were on the same page from the start. I knew my lack of experience required me to get to work because one of the biggest reasons that captive parrots suffer is lack of education. Alan, fortunately for me and our first few birds, had a solid understanding and background. I had a lot to learn and in the first year and a half I spent more hours researching and studying than I did in two years of attending college full time.
It wasn’t long before I started describing Alan as a “bird whisperer” because it didn’t seem to matter what type of parrot, what issues it had, or what it had suffered – they all loved him. I soon learned enough to know that even though Alan had a lot of experience, what was truly extraordinary was his natural ability to connect with each bird and understand it’s unspoken language.
Looking back, we realize how fortunate we have been in helping each parrot. Alan’s instinctive, effortless handling and my propensity for absorbing immense amounts of information have allowed us to continue to grow and we feel blessed that we each have useful skill sets that complement each other so nicely to bring to rescuing. We often joke about our “Research & Development Department” – in reality I’m “Research” and Alan is “Development” sans “Department”.
We didn’t officially open the doors to Crossroads Bird Haven until we had successfully rescued, rehabilitated, and rehomed several birds. Through the first several months we went through a lot of growing pains and learned a lot from our mistakes.
Compared to many of our peers, we have some unique perspectives on several controversial parrot topics. However, in spite of struggling with some initial adversity, we have taken the time to carefully define who we are, what our mission and goals are, and how we plan to stay true to our vision. We believe that our value and the value of our work is determined by our actions and results and we proudly stand on our record. We hold ourselves to the expectations of the parrots whose lives are entrusted to us and we find our motivation and determination in the gorgeous, big-beaked faces of those we fight for.
Over the last year we have grown immensely. We were proud beyond measure to receive our first referral from a zoo and to be recognized by a number of parrot advocates. We have been approached by several other organizations for advice about parrot rescue and have also been given the title of “Approved Rescue” by Adopt-A-Pet.Com. While we learned to rely on our own perception of value, we feel honored and humbled when recognized, by expert and novice alike, for the hard work and dedication that we give our birds. The kind words we receive from strangers mean so much to us and we feel blessed that such caring people take time to share their thoughts. In addition, we always welcome criticism. This type of feedback is important to help us identify areas in which we have the opportunity to improve, learn, and grow.
In the last 12 months alone, we have cared for many different species, from Cockatiels to Macaws – we’ve even had Doves! At one point this year we had as many as 21 birds in our home and although it was hectic, each experience with each parrot is rewarding. We believe that we learn a lot about ourselves under stressful conditions and every learning experience is valuable.
In the next 12 months we hope to see comparable growth…and boy, do we have big dreams for our little rescue!
We are now working to raise money for a new facility. We feel strongly that a home-based rescue creates a warm, attentive, and healthy environment for our birds and our future plans reflect that. Our rescue is not a 9 to 5 job, it is our heart’s work and these birds, our adoptive families, and all the wonderful people that come to us for assistance become part of our extended “bird family”.
Our new facility will be integrated into our home and will include a large outdoor aviary and a sanctuary. Currently, we have very limited space and have no ability to provide permanent residence and care. We want to offer sanctuary to parrots whose life experience has made them “undesirable” as pets or who have gone through such trauma that the temporary stability they have experienced in our home should become permanent to prevent further damage. We are committed to providing all the love, expertise, and security we have to these birds and they will live out their lives carefree - as they deserve.
The facility will also provide space for grooming, an intake/visiting area, a dedicated quarantine area, and a “parrot gym” with specialized equipment for exercise and to work through issues with our “differently-abled” birds. This facility will also allow us to expand our services, such as grooming, training assistance, consultations for prospective parrot owners, and advice for behavioral issues – most of which are free of charge. We also hope to expand our toy and play structure line of products, which are much less costly than other options. We feel strongly that parrots should not be forced to go without because their owners are suffering from a difficult economic climate and for those in need, we open our doors and our hearts.
In addition, with this expansion we are in the process of preparing to file for our status as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Up until now we have rescued on a more limited basis and felt it was more important to fund our operation with adoption fees and our own financial resources rather than compete with larger rescues for donations. We are thrilled and excited to be increasing our reach and being able to provide more resources to those in need.
Alan and I have made a serious commitment to increasing public awareness about companion parrot welfare and are developing an education outreach program that will include visiting schools, community events, retirement homes, and other venues armed with educational materials and enthusiasm…as well as a parrot or two! We have discovered that parrots are very adept at advocating for themselves…and fortunately, a few of our birds soak up the spotlight like they were born to it! We attended the 2013 National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, MI with Niko, our fantastic “Spokesbird in Training” and were thrilled to introduce him and share some great information with roughly 700 people! We greatly look forward to sharing our passion and bringing a little feathered fancy to our neighbors!
Finally, once we reach these lofty though desperately important goals, we have other big “top secret” plans for the future. While our love and commitment for parrots knows no bounds, reality insists that we have the means to fund our dreams…and of our many, many blessings, independent wealth is not on the list! As time and resources become available we will have the pleasure of announcing some super exciting plans!
With a little bit of luck, a whole lot of hard work, and a touch of grace, Crossroads Bird Haven will grow and continue to help any bird or bird lover in need, but our ultimate goal and hope is that it will survive just long enough to help eliminate the need for parrot rescue and rehabilitation.
With the help and support of caring people, we can realize our dreams and together we can make a difference in the lives of parrots!
In the meantime, you’ll find us full of hope… “Beginning New Lives at the Crossroads.”
- Alan, Tracey, and the entire CBH Gang
In the beginning, we had an enormous work load. While Alan had experience with parrots throughout his life, I was limited to a less than positive experience with an untamed Parakeet. When we began discussing parrots, I flatly refused to consider the idea. But as I listened to Alan’s stories about parrots he’d owned, met, and worked with I became intrigued. Like many, I had no idea that parrots were so intelligent and interactive! The stories of funny antics, impressive vocabulary choices, and heartwarming charm caught me completely off guard and it wasn’t long before I wanted a parrot of my own!
In our search for a parrot to add to our family, we read story after story of parrots that were neglected, abandoned, and abused. Neither of us can remember who eventually started the conversation about rescuing, but we were on the same page from the start. I knew my lack of experience required me to get to work because one of the biggest reasons that captive parrots suffer is lack of education. Alan, fortunately for me and our first few birds, had a solid understanding and background. I had a lot to learn and in the first year and a half I spent more hours researching and studying than I did in two years of attending college full time.
It wasn’t long before I started describing Alan as a “bird whisperer” because it didn’t seem to matter what type of parrot, what issues it had, or what it had suffered – they all loved him. I soon learned enough to know that even though Alan had a lot of experience, what was truly extraordinary was his natural ability to connect with each bird and understand it’s unspoken language.
Looking back, we realize how fortunate we have been in helping each parrot. Alan’s instinctive, effortless handling and my propensity for absorbing immense amounts of information have allowed us to continue to grow and we feel blessed that we each have useful skill sets that complement each other so nicely to bring to rescuing. We often joke about our “Research & Development Department” – in reality I’m “Research” and Alan is “Development” sans “Department”.
We didn’t officially open the doors to Crossroads Bird Haven until we had successfully rescued, rehabilitated, and rehomed several birds. Through the first several months we went through a lot of growing pains and learned a lot from our mistakes.
Compared to many of our peers, we have some unique perspectives on several controversial parrot topics. However, in spite of struggling with some initial adversity, we have taken the time to carefully define who we are, what our mission and goals are, and how we plan to stay true to our vision. We believe that our value and the value of our work is determined by our actions and results and we proudly stand on our record. We hold ourselves to the expectations of the parrots whose lives are entrusted to us and we find our motivation and determination in the gorgeous, big-beaked faces of those we fight for.
Over the last year we have grown immensely. We were proud beyond measure to receive our first referral from a zoo and to be recognized by a number of parrot advocates. We have been approached by several other organizations for advice about parrot rescue and have also been given the title of “Approved Rescue” by Adopt-A-Pet.Com. While we learned to rely on our own perception of value, we feel honored and humbled when recognized, by expert and novice alike, for the hard work and dedication that we give our birds. The kind words we receive from strangers mean so much to us and we feel blessed that such caring people take time to share their thoughts. In addition, we always welcome criticism. This type of feedback is important to help us identify areas in which we have the opportunity to improve, learn, and grow.
In the last 12 months alone, we have cared for many different species, from Cockatiels to Macaws – we’ve even had Doves! At one point this year we had as many as 21 birds in our home and although it was hectic, each experience with each parrot is rewarding. We believe that we learn a lot about ourselves under stressful conditions and every learning experience is valuable.
In the next 12 months we hope to see comparable growth…and boy, do we have big dreams for our little rescue!
We are now working to raise money for a new facility. We feel strongly that a home-based rescue creates a warm, attentive, and healthy environment for our birds and our future plans reflect that. Our rescue is not a 9 to 5 job, it is our heart’s work and these birds, our adoptive families, and all the wonderful people that come to us for assistance become part of our extended “bird family”.
Our new facility will be integrated into our home and will include a large outdoor aviary and a sanctuary. Currently, we have very limited space and have no ability to provide permanent residence and care. We want to offer sanctuary to parrots whose life experience has made them “undesirable” as pets or who have gone through such trauma that the temporary stability they have experienced in our home should become permanent to prevent further damage. We are committed to providing all the love, expertise, and security we have to these birds and they will live out their lives carefree - as they deserve.
The facility will also provide space for grooming, an intake/visiting area, a dedicated quarantine area, and a “parrot gym” with specialized equipment for exercise and to work through issues with our “differently-abled” birds. This facility will also allow us to expand our services, such as grooming, training assistance, consultations for prospective parrot owners, and advice for behavioral issues – most of which are free of charge. We also hope to expand our toy and play structure line of products, which are much less costly than other options. We feel strongly that parrots should not be forced to go without because their owners are suffering from a difficult economic climate and for those in need, we open our doors and our hearts.
In addition, with this expansion we are in the process of preparing to file for our status as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Up until now we have rescued on a more limited basis and felt it was more important to fund our operation with adoption fees and our own financial resources rather than compete with larger rescues for donations. We are thrilled and excited to be increasing our reach and being able to provide more resources to those in need.
Alan and I have made a serious commitment to increasing public awareness about companion parrot welfare and are developing an education outreach program that will include visiting schools, community events, retirement homes, and other venues armed with educational materials and enthusiasm…as well as a parrot or two! We have discovered that parrots are very adept at advocating for themselves…and fortunately, a few of our birds soak up the spotlight like they were born to it! We attended the 2013 National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, MI with Niko, our fantastic “Spokesbird in Training” and were thrilled to introduce him and share some great information with roughly 700 people! We greatly look forward to sharing our passion and bringing a little feathered fancy to our neighbors!
Finally, once we reach these lofty though desperately important goals, we have other big “top secret” plans for the future. While our love and commitment for parrots knows no bounds, reality insists that we have the means to fund our dreams…and of our many, many blessings, independent wealth is not on the list! As time and resources become available we will have the pleasure of announcing some super exciting plans!
With a little bit of luck, a whole lot of hard work, and a touch of grace, Crossroads Bird Haven will grow and continue to help any bird or bird lover in need, but our ultimate goal and hope is that it will survive just long enough to help eliminate the need for parrot rescue and rehabilitation.
With the help and support of caring people, we can realize our dreams and together we can make a difference in the lives of parrots!
In the meantime, you’ll find us full of hope… “Beginning New Lives at the Crossroads.”
- Alan, Tracey, and the entire CBH Gang