Love May Keep Them Together, But Without Feathers

Red and Jack are problematic parrots living at Garuda Aviary, a project of the Kunzang Palyul Chöling Temple in Poolesville, Maryland. David A. Fahrenthold writes about them in the Washington Post.

The aviary is home to about 35 birds -- parrots, macaws, and cockatoos -- that have been abused or neglected and are too unruly to be kept as pets. Many of the birds pluck out their own feathers or bite. Jack, a female scarlet macaw, is a plucker. Red, a male green-winged macaw, is a biter. The two birds are in love and spend all their time together. Red is happier and less aggressive; unfortunately, Jack is plucking out Red's feathers, too.