Sometimes the most rewarding rescues are the ones everyone said couldn’t be done. That’s exactly the story of the Hawaiian 12 — a flock of 12 Blue and Gold Macaws rescued by the Hawaiian Feathered Friends Network from a potentially dangerous situation right here on Oʻahu.

As featured in Parrots Magazine, Issue 213, October 2015  ·  ↓ Download full image

The rescue began when a fellow club member spotted the macaws being sold on Craigslist and alerted HFFN President Angela Rezentes. She got on the phone immediately. It quickly became clear that the owner had passed away the year before, and the flock’s caretaker — though well-meaning — knew little about parrots and had never properly cared for any type of animal. The birds were not tame, re-homing them individually was out of the question, and the entire flock needed veterinary care and de-worming before they could travel anywhere.

Oʻahu has no bird sanctuary, so finding the right home meant looking beyond Hawaiʻi. Through their connection with Betsy Lott of Mollywood Avian Sanctuary in Washington, HFFN was introduced to Bob Dawson, owner of Macaw Rescue and Sanctuary. Mr. Dawson was not only willing — he was eager — to take the entire flock and keep them together. For birds who had lived as a family for over 20 years, that was everything.

Negotiating possession of the 12 birds took time and care. The macaws had been living in makeshift cages of rusted scrap metal with no toys, no stimulation, and no names — their ages unknown.

The conditions the Hawaiian 12 lived in before HFFN intervened — rusted scrap metal, no toys, no stimulation, no names.

One bird in particular stood out immediately: a male with a severe open beak injury who had never seen a vet. The team named him Bugsy.

Bugsy — his beak injury had gone untreated for years. He had never seen a veterinarian.

Getting 12 large macaws from Honolulu to Seattle in the middle of one of the hottest summers on record was no small feat. United Airlines Pet Safe scheduled the flock across six different flights over four separate nights. HFFN club members Nadine Onodera and Carl Juban fostered 11 of the birds, while Bugsy was cared for at the home of HFFN Vice-President Melissa Bayles. Dr. Cheng, DVM of Aloha Animal Hospital, and Dr. Brian Walsh, DVM of Feather and Fur Animal Hospital, generously donated the entire veterinary bill for the flock.

To help cover the cost of plane tickets and transport, HFFN turned to their Facebook community. Bugsy quickly became a beloved figure — a GoFundMe campaign launched, and support poured in from around the world. Jeff Leach of Leach Grain and Milling, Jeff Peterson of Purina Animal Nutrition, Kyle, Julie, and Aaron Kodama of Waimānalo Feed Supply, and many generous donors contributed to making the journey possible.

One by one, every bird arrived in Seattle safe and sound. Upon arrival, all 12 were placed together in one large aviary at Macaw Rescue and Sanctuary — the only exception being Bugsy, whose beak still needed time to heal before his reunion with his ʻohana. The photos tell the rest of the story.

Left to right: playing with a toy for the first time · touching the ground for the first time in its life · settled and happy in their new home.

The Hawaiian 12 — together, thriving, and finally home.

Bugsy healing — finally receiving the veterinary care he had always deserved.

Originally featured in Parrots eMag, Issue 213, October 2015. Written by Jeff Nash, HFFN.