Adopting an older bird is a generous act with a long horizon: a senior macaw, cockatoo, or grey may live for decades more, and she arrives with a whole life already lived. The rescue's answers to a careful set of questions decide whether this is the right match and how smooth her first month with you will be. Ask them before you fall completely for her, and get the answers in writing.
Her history and health, as far as anyone knows
Start with what is known rather than guessed: her age or best estimate, species confirmation, how she came to the rescue, and how long she has been there. Ask for every vet record they hold, including recent blood work, any disease testing the rescue performs, beak and feather condition, and any ongoing issue such as arthritis, poor vision, or a chronic respiratory problem. Ask whether she has been seen by an avian vet specifically, and when. Gaps are not disqualifying — many surrenders arrive with nothing — but you need to know which gaps your own vet visit must fill.
Diet and daily routine, in exact terms
Ask what she actually eats today: the pellet or seed she is on, the fresh foods she accepts, her treats, and the foods she refuses. A sudden diet change on top of a move is a classic route to a bird who stops eating, so plan to feed her rescue diet at first and change it later, slowly. Ask about her day — when she wakes, when she is covered, how much time out of the cage she is used to, whether she steps up, showers, or plays independently — and who her favourite person has been, since many older parrots bond strongly and grieve a particular human.
Behaviour, asked about plainly
Ask directly about biting and what triggers it, screaming and when it happens, fear of hands, sticks, or new objects, and how she reacts to children, dogs, and other birds. Ask whether she has plucked or self-harmed, and under what circumstances. A good rescue answers honestly because a returned bird suffers most; vague reassurance is a reason to slow down, not to sign faster.
The rescue's terms and your first weeks
Clarify the adoption fee structure without fixating on it, any home-check or education requirements, the policy if the match fails, and whether the rescue stays available for advice after adoption. Ask what cage, perches, and toys she will bring, since familiar objects ease the move. Plan a quiet first fortnight at home: same food, same cover time, no crowd of visitors, and an avian vet check booked early so her baseline is on record while she settles. Bringing the rescue's notes, vet papers, diet, and routine into KinsLe's Transferrable Profiles from day one means her whole history travels forward with her, and nothing the rescue knew about her gets lost in the move.