AUBURN - Lynn Deuschle got involved with breeding exotic birds by accident.
About 20 years ago, Deuschle went to the Woolworth's with the intention of buying one pet bird. They had a sale, so she bought two - a male and a female, and the two birds ended up breeding.
Now, Deuschle has 40 birds. She built an additional building in her backyard to house many of them.
Deuschle had several of her birds on display at the annual Finger Lakes Cage Bird Association Pet Bird Expo at the Holiday Inn in Auburn Sunday.
"For some people, they're very good pets," she said. "But you have to know what you're getting into."
That was the general sentiment members of the club were trying to get across at the expo, said Mark Besemer, president of the association. Besemer said the expo was an opportunity to raise awareness about various rescue and rehabilitation efforts for birds and to teach people how to properly care for pet birds.
"People are vastly unaware of what they're getting into with these animals," Besemer said. "They have no knowledge ... they just say, 'That's a beautiful bird, I want it in my home.'"
Besemer said some of the larger birds can live for more than 100 years, making the pets a lifetime commitment.
"These are pets that you will place in your will to people," he said.
Members of the club brought in a variety of exotic birds for the expo from macaws to cockatoos to finches. It was also an opportunity for the owners to show off their animals to visitors.
Carol Aselin had one of her birds perform a somersault for a couple of the visitors. Aselin has 12 birds - she started raising birds as pets when her son wanted a parakeet 25 years ago and said, "from there, it just grew."
Aselin said the birds all have individual personalities - some of her pets choose to talk and others don't. One of them, she said, will tell her good-bye when she leaves and will say "brr, it's cold outside," when it's snowing.
"It isn't true that they just mimic," she said.
Therese McAdams, executive director of the Central New York Avian Rescue and Adoption Facility in Oswego, attended the expo to make people aware of the organization's efforts to provide foster care, rehabilitation and adoption services for rescued birds. McAdams said the non-profit organization has placed more than 200 birds in good homes since it was created three years ago.
As part of the adoption process, the organization has potential owners do an interview with the bird, she said.
"We watch them interact with the birds," she said. "Birds have unique ways of letting you know whether they like someone or not."
Right now, McAdams said the group has 14 birds available for adoption.
Winnie Reister came to the expo with her daughter and grand-daughter and was looking forward to hearing some of the birds speak.
"We wanted to come and see what it was all about," Reister said. "We're basically animal lovers."
Staff writer Anne Gleason can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or anne.gleason@lee.net
Now, Deuschle has 40 birds. She built an additional building in her backyard to house many of them.
Deuschle had several of her birds on display at the annual Finger Lakes Cage Bird Association Pet Bird Expo at the Holiday Inn in Auburn Sunday.
"For some people, they're very good pets," she said. "But you have to know what you're getting into."
That was the general sentiment members of the club were trying to get across at the expo, said Mark Besemer, president of the association. Besemer said the expo was an opportunity to raise awareness about various rescue and rehabilitation efforts for birds and to teach people how to properly care for pet birds.
"People are vastly unaware of what they're getting into with these animals," Besemer said. "They have no knowledge ... they just say, 'That's a beautiful bird, I want it in my home.'"
Besemer said some of the larger birds can live for more than 100 years, making the pets a lifetime commitment.
"These are pets that you will place in your will to people," he said.
Members of the club brought in a variety of exotic birds for the expo from macaws to cockatoos to finches. It was also an opportunity for the owners to show off their animals to visitors.
Carol Aselin had one of her birds perform a somersault for a couple of the visitors. Aselin has 12 birds - she started raising birds as pets when her son wanted a parakeet 25 years ago and said, "from there, it just grew."
Aselin said the birds all have individual personalities - some of her pets choose to talk and others don't. One of them, she said, will tell her good-bye when she leaves and will say "brr, it's cold outside," when it's snowing.
"It isn't true that they just mimic," she said.
Therese McAdams, executive director of the Central New York Avian Rescue and Adoption Facility in Oswego, attended the expo to make people aware of the organization's efforts to provide foster care, rehabilitation and adoption services for rescued birds. McAdams said the non-profit organization has placed more than 200 birds in good homes since it was created three years ago.
As part of the adoption process, the organization has potential owners do an interview with the bird, she said.
"We watch them interact with the birds," she said. "Birds have unique ways of letting you know whether they like someone or not."
Right now, McAdams said the group has 14 birds available for adoption.
Winnie Reister came to the expo with her daughter and grand-daughter and was looking forward to hearing some of the birds speak.
"We wanted to come and see what it was all about," Reister said. "We're basically animal lovers."
Staff writer Anne Gleason can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or anne.gleason@lee.net
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