Villa Park Exotic Bird Shelter Seeks Donations Ahead Of Giving DuPage Day

VILLA PARK, IL – A Villa Park-based exotic bird shelter is seeking donations ahead of Giving DuPage Day as it works to cover rising medical costs and overhead.

The Greater Chicago Cage Bird Society, a nonprofit organization with roots in a bird show club formed in the 1930s, operates an adoption program for surrendered, abandoned and found birds. People can contribute online.

The shelter said birds in its care range from finches, canaries, parakeets, cockatiels and lovebirds to conures, quakers, African greys, amazons, cockatoos and macaws. According to the organization, birds arrive after being surrendered, found outside, abandoned, or brought in from animal control, police or fire departments.

The group said birds are evaluated after arrival by a veterinarian from Niles Animal Hospital, and many need ongoing medical care because of poor diets or previous injuries.

The shelter said it is usually at capacity with around 140 to 150 birds, plus another 15 to 20 birds in foster care for medication administration. It said new birds can be taken in only as others are adopted out. Volunteers handle administration and daily staffing, while the shelter’s annual budget is now over $120,000, with medical costs alone around $70,000, according to the organization.

“Jacko is one of our recent additions. He is a 15-year-old Catalina Macaw that came to us a few months ago when his owner passed away. Unfortunately, this is a very common scenario as these birds can live 80 years,” the organization said.

The group said its volunteer staff provides daily care that includes cage cleaning, food, water, fresh fruits and vegetables, toys and social interaction. It reported about 100 adoptions yearly. According to the organization, the adoption process includes an application, a video of the home, and multiple visits with all people in the home, with the final decision based in part on the bird’s response to a potential adopter.

“Many birds come in having plucked their feathers due to stress. This may make it harder to find a new owner, but Peri here was one of the lucky ones as he was recently adopted,” the organization said.

The shelter said it operates entirely with unpaid volunteers and relies totally on donations. It is taking part in Giving DuPage Day on May 1, an online fundraiser that the organization said aims to raise more than $300,000 for local nonprofit groups serving DuPage County. The bird shelter said it is fundraising to offset an increase in medical costs and overhead.