Not Ready to Adopt But Want to Get to Know a Bird

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Fostering a bird saves lives.

At Central California Mermaid Avian Rescue Center, fostering is a vital part of our rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming work. Foster homes give birds a safe, calm environment to heal, learn, and prepare for their next chapter—whether that’s returning to the wild (when appropriate) or finding a permanent home.

Birds in rescue often come from neglect, displacement, disasters, or emergency situations. A foster home provides:

• A low-stress, home-based environment
• Individualized attention and observation
• Emotional stability and socialization
• Space at the rescue for incoming emergency cases

Fostering allows CCMARC to help more birds while ensuring each one receives the care they deserve.

We place a variety of birds in foster care, including:

• Parrots and companion birds
• Injured or recovering birds needing quiet care
• Birds displaced by fires or environmental disasters
• Birds needing socialization or behavior support
• Birds transitioning toward adoption
• All birds available for adoption are available for foster.

Each foster placement is carefully matched to the bird’s needs and the foster’s experience level.

CCMARC provides guidance, training, and support. Foster homes typically provide:

• A safe, clean indoor space away from other household pets
• Daily feeding, cleaning, and enrichment
• Basic observation and reporting on behavior or health
• Transportation to veterinary or follow-up appointments (when possible)

Medical care, specialized diets, and supplies are often provided or reimbursed by CCMARC, depending on the case. Cages provided by CCMARC.

To keep our birds safe, foster caregivers must:

• Be 18 years or older
• Complete a foster application and screening
• Participate in foster orientation or training
• Follow CCMARC care protocols and guidelines
• Communicate regularly with the rescue team

Prior bird experience is helpful but not always required—we welcome first-time fosters with the right environment and commitment.

Foster placements can range from:

• A few days (emergency or short-term care)
• Several weeks (medical recovery or observation)
• A few months (socialization or adoption readiness)

We work with your availability and comfort level—every foster situation is temporary but life-changing.

If you’re ready to open your heart and home, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply to Foster: Email us at: joi@ccmermaidavianrescuecenter.org

Questions? Email us at: joi@ccmermaidavianrescuecenter.org

Together, we can give birds a second chance—and a softer place to land. 💙