Fallen Sparrow

A safe place for all species of parrots, finches, canaries, and other types of pet birds to find rescue and sanctuary, and a safe place for pet bird enthusiasts to serve alongside one another.

What’s with the name Fallen Sparrow? The Bible teaches us that God is aware of every life and cares for those of us made in His image, yet He also cares for all His creatures. The name Fallen Sparrow is an allusion to Matthew 10:29 and surrounding context. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.” Thus, God cares about the parrot, too. It is estimated that 85% of pet parrots are abandoned, given away, or resold within two years of being purchased. Parrots get passed around from one home to another because they are loud, messy, and they bite! They don’t cuddle on demand, and they need to sleep twelve hours a day. Many of these pet birds will live in up to seven homes in their lifetime. Parrots are emotional, and they need to build trust with their human caregivers. When trust is broken, they experience trauma and rebuilding of trust takes a lot of time and effort. The need for us to care for them is great. Parrots are beautiful and very intelligent, but they are not domesticated animals. As wild animals they fail to satisfy many people’s expectations as companion pets. Why a rescue? Why a sanctuary? What’s the difference?

Making a contrast between a rescue and a sanctuary is not altogether straightforward. There are situations where the determination of what is best for the parrot may require time and input from staff and volunteers who have worked with the bird. In some cases, people may stipulate in a will or otherwise make their wishes known that sanctuary is what they want for their parrot and an endowment is provided to secure its future. While the needs of all birds in rescue and sanctuary are met, birds in rescue may be re-homed, whereas those in sanctuary are not entered into the re-homing process. They have found their forever home!

Social media bird groups are rife with posts such as, “My green cheek conure was a perfect angel at first, now he won’t stop biting!” “My Amazon is gentle with me, but he attacks my boyfriend every time he enters the room.” My cockatoo screams incessantly until I let him out of his cage and then he destroys the house. I am going to have to re-home him as much as I hate the thought of it.”

In each such circumstance, the behavior of the bird could have been predicted. If people were educated about parrots in general, and certain species specifically, fewer people, and birds, would end up in such desperate situations. Fallen Sparrow endeavors to provide basic education about pet birds and their care requirements, their longevity, and their suitability, or lack thereof, as companion pets. Our hope is that people will become fully aware of what they are getting themselves into before taking in a parrot or other bird as a pet.

Social media and other technologies have replaced real social interactions for many people these days. Having a venue where pet bird enthusiasts can serve together caring for the birds in rescue and sanctuary provides opportunity for lasting friendships to be forged. People of all ages, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic status with the common interest of pet bird welfare can work alongside one another for the dual purpose of meeting needs of the birds and fulfilling our heartfelt needs and desires for friendship. Providing such a place for establishing and developing such friendships is not limited to people with a love for parrots and other birds, but individuals, families, and small groups can also find a way to serve together to help meet the needs of the birds at Fallen Sparrow.

Gardeners can work together to grow vegetables; cooks and bakers can serve together in the kitchen to chop vegetables, cook legumes and grains, and bake breads to feed the birds; folks with construction and electrical skills can work together to build aviaries and install proper lighting to meet the birds’ needs; folks with arts and crafts interests can form small groups to make toys, foraging boxes, and perches for the birds; volunteers with great people skills can identify and vet potential adopters for parrots in rescue; cleaning cages, target training parrots, and simply spending time socializing them for rehoming possibilities are areas of service; and there is a need for people to collect newspapers to line cages and others to organize a store room for supplies. Skilled and unskilled people alike can find service opportunities with Fallen Sparrow.

It is our goal to provide a safe haven for the birds and all the aforementioned service activities. As God provides the means to establish such a place, these will come to fruition. Until then, there are many birds already in a state of rescue and sanctuary in a private residence, and there are already some people serving in various capacities to meet the needs of these birds. Prayerfully consider joining the team.

Fallen Sparrow aspires to be a safe place not only for the birds in our care, but also for our volunteers. We aim to provide not only a place, but also a meaningful reason, to meet and serve alongside one another, and our ultimate goal is to glorify God in caring for His creatures and each other.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” I Corinthians 10:31