A BirdTricks reader asked that we do a post in memory of a 1 year old Mexican redheaded amazon. His death is tragic and hard to think about, but it is something that we can all learn from. Thanks to this reader for sharing her friend’s story with us.
The story is uncomplicated, and could easily happen to any of us. This reader’s friend planned to take her Amazon to work with her. She loaded his carrier into her mother’s car for her ride to work. Six hours later, when her mother returned to pick her up, she asked her daughter why the Amazon was not with her. It was then that they realized what had happened, she had gone to her job and her mother to hers without realizing that the bird was still in the car. Their amazon parrot had passed away in the heat.
I can only imagine the heartbreak. It’s hard enough to lose your beloved companion, but living with the guilt of responsibility must be unbearable.Things can go so wrong, so quickly and so innocently. My heart goes out to them both.
We have all experienced the tremendous heat that can build up inside a car in the summer months. We leave our cars in blazing, un-shaded parking lots at the mall and find it impossible to climb into them when we return. We open the doors and windows and wait until it has cooled to tolerable levels.
A car becomes an oven in the sun. As sunlight streams in through the windows, it is absorbed by the interior of the car. Heat becomes trapped inside and temperatures begin to climb. A car left in direct sunlight during the hottest time of the day can reach temperatures if 140+ , much higher in certain circumstances.
People often make the mistake of thinking that cracking the windows a few inches will alleviate the heat. IT DOES NOT! Even cars with the windows fully rolled down retain too much heat to be safe for animals or humans.
For those of you who might question the gravity of this fact, and might feel inclined to leave your pets in the car while you grab a quick bite to eat, try this experiment: Go out for a drive in the afternoon on a hot day. At some point, turn off your A/C and keep your windows rolled up. You will notice within minutes that the cool air has dissipated, giving way to the oppressive heat outside. Within just a few more minutes, you will find yourself reaching to turn the A/C back on, not just for the sake of comfort, but because you are finding it difficult to breathe. It happens that quickly.
If you ever come across an animal that has been left in a car in the heat (even 80 degrees turns into 110 quickly), immediately call the police – time is not on the animal’s side.Document the incident with your cell phone camera.Unless you want to risk prosecution, don’t try to break into the car. You can be charged, as unfair as that seems, even though trapping an animal in a closed vehicle is illegal.
Author Patty Jourgensen specializes in avian health, behavior and nutrition and has been working with and caring for rescue birds since 1987.
41 comments
What a heartbreaking,needless waste of a precious pet’s life.In this case,I have to agree with Mike and Cookie – it is onconceivable that this bird’s owner should have left it in a locked car in the searing heat for all that time. What on earth possesseded her to do such a thing? Accidents do happen ,yes with all too often tragic consequences,but what a price to pay for such a foolish oversight..Sad for those responsible, but I hate to think what poor Shooter must have suffered.
I am so sorry to hear this story-we all are so busy all the time that no matter there are times we just forget things that are not in the norm of our day. I don’t even like to take my birds outside in summer or winter; only spring and fall, and then only with heat permits. Living in Houston Texas is VERY hot and humid and you can’t drive out of your own drive way without AC!! I am crying for this loss of your friend/baby but you do have to go on and please don’t let this keep you from having another parrot in your life!!! I have lost/passed away parrots/birds in my life of 56 years and no matter the reason-even old age- it is devastating to say the least but I would never stay without that companionship again!!!! You have already been forgiven so forgive yourself now.
Hi, I’m a constant reader of bird tricks blogs but have not bought any products of Chet yet. However I emailed the team to post this story of my bird that passed away about 10 months ago but I don’t think they did. I had a beautiful 8 month old Indian Ringneck when it suddenly died because of another cause many bird owners don’t know about, well at least I didn’t at the time. My mom bought a a brand new non stick pan to cook with while the bird was in his cage eating. When my mom cooked on it, the bird instantly fell to the bottom of his cage and had a seizure, my mom took him to the vet but died 5 minutes later. Note that it was only her and the bird at the time. After some research, I realized that TEFLON coating kills birds by the smell that we don’t catch but birds do. Teflon comes in many names such as PTFE and others but is on all non stick coating pans, they will kill your bird instantly as other bird owners shared the same fate as mine. Buy green pan, iron or stainless steel cooking ware to save your bird’s life. I hope the bird tricks team makes this post open to the public so that everyone doesn’t loose their pet. Now I have a 7 month old Yellow nape amazon and we very careful with everything now.
My birds are like my children. I would never leave them in a car in the hot summer. I know how hot it gets in a car so very quickly. It’s a shame the poor bird was left behind.
Dear Lorna, I am sorry for your loss. Please be assured that birdies get to heaven! The pain will last a long time but please consider getting another parrot. There are so many that need someone’s love. There are risks for including our parrots in our daily lives but the interaction, socializing and learning do make them happier. We take our parrot out on our sailboat (with a foot leash/safetyline hooked on to the boat) . He also sits in trees and talks to the wild birds: “Hello” “Step up!” . He is not our first bird and I wondered if it was right to become a parrot parent again. He tells me “I love you! You’re my sweetieheart!” I am so happy he is my son.
The only time a bird has been in my car is when I am taking it to a vet. I don’t stop anywhere else on the way there or home. I can always go out after.
Very sad……But veryyyyyyyy stupid. How could you even load a bird in a car in this heat. I would not even take him anywhere. I have three birds, all I moved next to my living room window and I think everyday, are they too hot? I make sure they are a ways away from the window and I put a light blanket in the corners of there cage to make a shade area. If you know it is too hot for you, it is too hot for them. I feel so sorry for Shooter, He did not deserve that.
Please don’t buy pets and don’t have children
I take my amazon everywhere and yes I need to be very aware of him in the car. When I go hot places I shoot him down with water and keep mim happy and cool. In hot weather maybe even 6 times a day. If I leave him in the car is no more than 5 min with the windows cracked and him cool. I usually take him on my shoulder when I leave the car. Driving he loves the a/c. I would die if I ever hurt him in any way. He is my kid…
Birds is like kids you got to take care of them the same way .
Wow, I really hope nothing like this happens to any of you. You all sound extremely harsh, judgmental, and heartless. Accidents happen, we get side-tracked in our busy lives. There’s no mistaking that things like this happen every day. The school teacher who’s routine is changed for a day and forgets her baby in the back seat, the busy father who usually doesn’t take the kids to school, but forgets the one day out of 365 that the sleeping toddler is in the back, the police officer who, tired from a 3rd shift, forgets his sleeping dog in the back seat. I think it took a lot of courage for this person to tell their story and I can see why – all the harsh criticism. You know what – it will happen to you one day. You will feel like this person, you’ll never be able to forgive yourself and when you reach out for help, everyone will turn away from you.
Always happy to read your emails especially with life saving tips for bird owners!
How can ANYONE “forget” their beloved furred, feathered or human children!!! To me, that’s TOTAL irresponsibility. That person should NOT have dependent companion animals, PERIOD!!! SICKENING!! We’ve heard the warnings again and again and again. My birds and dogs are in air conditioned comfort and I only walk my dogs early in the day and late in the day because of the heat. I know I sound judgmental but this is HORRIFIC!!!
Leave your bird at home. Theres really no reason to take your biird out other than thats what YOU want. You taking a chance. I put Cookie in tree once, I turned my head for a second and the next thiing I know a cat had her. I don’t know where it came from but it was up in that tree in a New York second. Cookie thought it was playig with her. Cookie suffered raw marks under one wing, the other wing a feather broke off and never grew back. All because I thought thought it would be nice to put Cookie up in tree. And she did love it. And thats what it got me. Had I been further away it would have been worse. They make a stroller for Parrots. Its a baby stroller with a perch in it and it has a plastic front so the Parrot is inclosed and safe. If you want to stroll around with your Parott, get one of those. Its only 1000.00 bucks.
This is sad as you hear this every year, children, dogs, cats and now birds get left in the car with windows rolled up. If you can not safely take the animal with you to were you are going make sure you leave them home. As I would rather deal with an animal who is upset that you left them but it alive then a dead one. And as for the children being left in the car I just don’t even have words for that. Sorry for the loss of Scooter, may this tragic loss be a reminder to others about summer heat.
I am so sorry for her loss. That is really sad and it takes no time at all in the summer heat.
Leave a comment