Wild Parrot Shot, Injured With Pellet Gun

A wild parrot is recovering after it was shot with what officials believe was a pellet gun in Imperial Beach.

SoCal Parrot says a man discovered the injured yellow-headed Amazon in his front yard Monday evening. The bird was taken to the SoCal Parrot Sanctuary and Rehab Facility, where it was treated for an entry/exit wound, traumatic injury to its left wing, bruising and swelling.

Caretakers stabilized the parrot, put it on mild pain medication and monitored it overnight.

The next morning, X-rays revealed pellet and BB projectiles lodged in the animal at its neck and toward its right wing. The left wing suffered multiple bone fractures.

shot wild parrot radiograph
SoCal Parrot
This X-Ray shows a wild parrot with metal and pellet projectiles lodged in its body, as well as a broken left wing.

SoCal Parrot officials said it will continue to monitor the parrot’s condition and discuss surgery, but they do not believe it will ever be released back into the wild.

This incident is similar to one several months ago, when another wild parrot was also shot with a pellet gun, according to the organization.

Contact Us