LIVE: A Rainbow in January

WEST FARGO, N.D. — We’re usually seeing sundogs, not rainbows, in early January here in the upper Midwest.

But thanks to the hard work and dedication of the volunteers of CAARE Avian rescue, we’re seeing a whole rainbow this New Year’s Day, right here in the studio.

Candi Willey and Gwen Sailer are longtime leaders of the organization and frequent guests of the show.

They took time out of their holiday celebrations to bring in two birds looking for forever homes, as well of two of Willey’s personal pets, just to make it a New Year’s party.

Bishop is the African Gray you see in the carrier.

He’s got a foot injury which makes him a little unstable, so anyone who adopts him will need to be aware of his need to be on steady, level surfaces (he particularly enjoys sitting on people’s heads).

African Grays are also very intelligent and learn a wide variety of sounds and words, so you’ll need to keep his intellectual stimulation requirements in mind.

All parrots need a lot of environmental enrichment, though, and a lot of companionship, and Simon, who is also up for adoption, is no exception.

Simon is a Blue-fronted Amazon who in general prefers men, although you can see from our video he’s taken quite a shine to Gwen.

Simon’s previous pet parent was a man, and parrots often develop a preference for one sex over the other accordingly.

However, Gwen’s taken some time to work with him, and now he quite evidently enjoys her cuddling, scratches, and other interaction.

It just goes to show that with time and patience, these birds can and do learn new behaviors and can become very rewarding companions.

For information about their care and adoption requirements, check out the link here:

https://www.caare.net/