Grant lets Iowa Parrot Rescue make upgrades

The first thing visitors to the Iowa Parrot Rescue in rural Muscatine County are likely to notice is the noise.

Parrots are loud. More than 60 parrots in one place put up an almighty racket. And they're not just saying, 'Polly want a cracker.” They're screeching.

'I do wear ear muffs a lot,” organization founder Mike Hutchison admitted.

Though, if you walk inside and call out, 'hello,” you're likely to get a chorus of hellos back from the birds perched around the room. These birds are smart, Hutchison points out, and they each have unique personalities.

'All of them have their own story,” he said.

And he knows each of the stories by heart. He doesn't just care for these birds, he rehabilitates them when needed and befriends them.

One scarlet macaw named Bilbo nuzzled her head against him affectionately when he walked up. He said she previously lived in a too-small cage and suffered from depression when she arrived. He spent hours snuggling with her and feeding her, and now she's a different bird.

'She's bonded to me now, she's my guard dog,” he said as she wrapped a protective wing around him.

Formed almost 20 years ago, the Letts, Iowa, rescue center started almost by accident. His wife Abi Hutchison was given a canary and soon was asked if she could take in another. Things snowballed from there.

'Within six months there were nine parrots in our house,” Mike Hutchison said. 'Life puts things in your way, and you get to decide whether to pick them up or not.”

Over the years, about 1,000 parrots have been rescued and adopted through his organization.

Now, a $50,000 grant from the DJ & T Foundation will allow the center to dive deeper into its mission by paying for new cages, shelving and for installing air conditioning, as well as solar panels. Those are a long time dream.

'It's important to us to model environmental responsibility. Part of taking care of the birds is taking care of the environment the birds live in, worldwide,” he said. 'It's all about, if we take care of the planet, we can take care of the birds.”

He said he hopes, once the solar system is installed, the center can act as a demonstration project for how to live sustainably in Iowa. He built the 4,000 square foot space to be energy efficient, with passive solar design.

Volunteer Tom Hosmanek wrote the grant application. He said he started helping out at the center in part because he could see Hutchison's dedication.

'It's a quality operation,” he said. 'He's doing it solely for the love of the birds. He's always done a good job, but now he can really have more of the dream.”

Macaws, cockatoos, conures and Amazon parrots are just a few of the breeds Hutchison takes in, including several species that are endangered. They come to him from all over the country and from all sorts of circumstances. Some are seized by officials during drug busts or from smugglers. Others come from private homes which can't handle them anymore - birds whose owners didn't know what they were getting into. Parrots have powerful claws and beaks and can destroy furniture and bite their owners.

'People go for the colors and the interaction,” Hutchison said. 'And they discover what they've got. If a cockatoo bites you, you're going to the ER.

'These are wild animals, not domesticated ones. You're not going to train them. They're too smart. They are a permanent 3-year-old who will never grow up. And who can fly and carry a knife.”

Their longevity also contributes. Many outlive their owners; the oldest documented parrot is captivity is 116 years old, and Hutchison has one in his care that was imported in 1950. Other times, people preparing to move can't take their birds with them; many apartment complexes don't want such noisy tenants.

'All of them have their own story,” Hutchison said. 'I'm working with a family in Kalona who have had scarlet macaws for more than 30 years, and now they're in their 70s and downsizing.”

He worries about what will happen when he faces those realities himself someday. He retired from teaching in 2006 and knows he won't be around forever to care for these birds. He doesn't take a salary from the center, though it is more than a full-time job. Finding someone with the right skill set to either take over as a volunteer or finding a way to raise the money to be able to hire someone keeps him up at night, he said.

Despite the challenges, he said it's not hard to see the appeal of parrots.

'When your cat comes over and sits in your lap and purrs? A parrot does that, and says, out loud, 'I love you,” he said.