Foster a Parrot
Open your home. Help a parrot move toward a safer future.
Foster caregivers provide parrots with a safe, stable home while they await adoption or another appropriate long-term placement. Fostering also gives us an opportunity to learn more about each bird’s personality, preferences, behavior, and needs in a home environment.
Our goal is not simply to find an available home. Our goal is to make the right match between each parrot and a foster caregiver whose experience, household, schedule, and abilities meet that bird’s individual needs.
Applications are submitted securely through ParrotTrax. You will be redirected to ParrotTrax to complete the application.
What Fostering Involves
Every parrot is different, and foster responsibilities vary depending on the bird and placement. Foster caregivers may be responsible for:
- Providing a safe, appropriately engaging home environment
- Following individualized feeding, care, and enrichment plans
- Providing daily interaction and opportunities for choice and enrichment
- Observing and communicating changes in health or behavior
- Transporting the bird when needed for veterinary care or other appointments
- Maintaining regular communication with The Georgia Aviary
- Following all foster, safety, and veterinary-care policies
The Georgia Aviary remains involved throughout the placement and provides guidance and support to our foster caregivers.
Getting to Know You
Before fostering, prospective caregivers are required to complete approximately 15–20 volunteer hours with The Georgia Aviary.
This allows us to get to know you, observe your comfort and experience with parrots, provide hands-on education, and make thoughtful placement decisions.
It also gives you the opportunity to become familiar with our care standards and determine whether fostering is right for you.
Finding the Right Match
Foster placements are based on much more than availability.
We consider the parrot’s species, personality, medical and behavioral needs, previous experiences, and relationships with other birds, as well as the foster caregiver’s experience, household, schedule, other animals, and ability to meet the bird’s individual needs.
Not every foster home will be appropriate for every parrot—and that is okay. A good match protects both the bird and the caregiver.
How the Foster Process Works
1. Apply
Complete our foster application through ParrotTrax and tell us about yourself, your household, and your experience with parrots.
2. Volunteer & Learn
Complete approximately 15–20 volunteer hours with The Georgia Aviary so we can get to know one another.
3. Home & Safety Review
We will discuss your home environment, other animals, and any changes needed to safely accommodate a parrot.
4. Matching
When an appropriate bird needs foster placement, we will determine whether your home may be a good match.
5. Placement & Support
If everyone is comfortable with the match, we will complete the foster agreement, review the bird’s individualized care plan, and remain available for support throughout the placement.
Before You Apply
Please be prepared to tell us about your household, schedule, other animals, experience with parrots, and the type of care you are able to provide.
Foster homes must meet The Georgia Aviary’s safety and care standards, which include requirements related to household fumes and toxins, other animals, doors and windows, safe cookware, smoking or vaping, and other potential hazards.
We do not expect foster caregivers to know everything. We do expect a willingness to learn, communicate openly, and follow each bird’s individualized care plan.
Ready to Foster?
Fostering can make an extraordinary difference in a parrot’s life while helping The Georgia Aviary create space to assist other birds in need.
If you are willing to provide a safe home, follow individualized care plans, communicate openly, and put the needs of the bird first, we would love to get to know you.
You will be redirected to ParrotTrax to complete the secure foster application.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Will I Foster a Parrot?
It varies. Some placements may last only a few weeks, while others may continue for several months or longer. We will share as much information as possible about the anticipated timeframe before you accept a placement.
Who Pays for the Parrot’s Care?
Responsibilities vary by placement and will be clearly discussed before a bird enters your home. The foster agreement will explain what The Georgia Aviary provides and any expenses the foster caregiver is expected to assume.
Foster caregivers should never be surprised by an expected financial responsibility.
What Happens If My Foster Parrot Needs Veterinary Care?
Contact The Georgia Aviary promptly if you notice an illness, injury, or significant change in behavior. Veterinary care must be coordinated or authorized by The Georgia Aviary except as otherwise provided in the foster agreement or emergency procedures.
Can I Choose Which Parrot I Foster?
You are never required to accept a foster placement. We welcome your preferences, but placements are ultimately based on compatibility and what is in the best interest of the individual bird.
Can I Foster More Than One Parrot?
Possibly. This is considered on a case-by-case basis based on your experience, available space, and the needs of the birds. Bonded parrots may sometimes need to be fostered together.
What If I Have Other Pets?
Having other animals does not necessarily prevent you from fostering. We will evaluate the household and potential risks when determining whether a particular parrot can be safely placed in your home.
What If the Placement Isn’t Working?
Please tell us as soon as possible. Asking for help does not mean you have failed as a foster caregiver.
Sometimes a bird and foster home simply are not the right match. We would much rather know about a concern early so we can provide support, make adjustments, or arrange another placement if necessary.
What If I Can No Longer Foster?
We understand that circumstances can change. Contact us as soon as possible so we can make appropriate arrangements for the bird. Foster parrots may not be transferred, rehomed, or placed with another person without authorization from The Georgia Aviary.
Can I Adopt My Foster Parrot?
Fostering does not guarantee adoption. If a foster parrot becomes available for adoption, foster caregivers may express interest; however, all permanent placement decisions are made case by case and according to what we believe is in the best interest of the bird.
Do I Need Parrot Experience?
Some parrot experience is preferred, but the level required depends on the individual bird. All foster applicants must first complete 15–20 hours of hands-on volunteer service with The Georgia Aviary, which helps build practical parrot-care skills and allows us to assess readiness for fostering. Birds are matched carefully with foster caregivers based on their experience, comfort level, and the bird’s individual needs. Parrots with complex medical or behavioral needs are placed only with appropriately experienced caregivers.
Will I Receive Training and Support?
Absolutely. The volunteer requirement provides an opportunity for hands-on learning before fostering, and The Georgia Aviary will provide information and guidance specific to the bird placed in your care.