KC Cares: Feathered friends get a much needed lift off at Beak n Wings
Aspen Ficken holds Hennessy, an African grey parrot, during a visit to Beak n Wings in Lenexa. // Photo by Beth Lipoff
From parakeets to macaws, when birds need help, Beak n Wings is there. The Lenexa-based bird rescue looks after feathered friends large and small.
Since 1999, the rescue has not only been housing birds but it has also been providing instruction for the care of these animals.
“People needed educating because of the things people were doing to birds. It’s lack of knowledge,” Beak n Wings Founder Dean Tyson says.
He’s heard of people getting their diets wrong and not practicing proper hygiene. Misunderstanding how to deal with a bird’s behavior is a completely different issue that the average person does not consider.
“A cockatoo—They’ll hold the bird to get it to quit screaming, because cockatoos are screamers. They’re a needy bird. And they turn it into a monster, so to speak,” he says.
Bird owners David Bunch and Michael Ficken have a conversation, accompanied by their birds, at Beak n Wings in Lenexa. // Photo by Beth Lipoff
When a bird comes in, they get it checked out at the vet, make sure their diet is correct and deal with any behavior issues before finding it a new home. The latter includes screaming and biting.
Although some birds live in their Lenexa facility, there are also about 15 foster homes.
If the bird doesn’t have serious health or behavior issues, it usually takes one to six months to get it adopted.
“We have taken in abused birds, and they are hand-shy,” Tyson says. “That means they’re scared of humans. But some of them actually do come around, and they will pick one person they like because they’re not hurting them.”
He’s even seen a bird that was blind because someone put a cigarette out in its eye.
People give up birds for all sorts of reasons. Some may be moving into a non-bird-friendly living environment or can’t handle the noise. Others inherited a bird they didn’t want or didn’t do their research before acquiring a bird.
Summer Hill sits with Jada, a blue and gold macaw at Beak n Wings in Lenexa. // Photo by Beth Lipoff
Over the years, Beak n Wings has taken in more than 2,500 birds.
Anyone who wants to adopt a bird from Beak n Wings must take at least one of the two education classes they offer in addition to having a home evaluation. The beginner class is one session of about an hour and 45 minutes.
“We don’t talk on specific species of birds in the courses, just mostly in general, because they’re all pretty much the same when it comes to behavior. Their diets are slightly different,” Tyson says.
Potential adopters also have to visit with the bird three separate times prior to taking it home to make sure they’re going to be comfortable with it.
Bird owner Renee Hochanadel enjoys spending time at Beak n Wings. She often goes there with her birds to socialize.
“I love the community, and I love how they try to take care of all birds and fit them with the right people,” she says.
Renee Hochanadel hangs out at Beak n Wings, accompanied by Agatha, a golden-capped conure parakeet, and Kirby, a Quaker parrot. // Photo by Beth Lipoff
Michael Ficken also finds pleasure in building community around caring for these beaked friends. He’s been going there every weekend for a few years.
“We interact with each other, but the birds also interact,” Ficken says.
Beak n Wings used to do a lot of public outreach education and is just starting to try it again after stopping during the pandemic.
Similar to many non-profits, funding is always a challenge. Tyson says many people won’t donate because they only help birds and not other animals. He’d also love to get in-kind donations like pellets and seed foods.
He can always use volunteers. Even if you can’t foster a bird, you can help clean cages and even play with the birds. Volunteers should be 16 years old, although Tyson says he will take younger kids if an adult relative stays with them while they volunteer.
Tyson says he highly encourages the youth to get involved so that Beak n Wings can continue to help put birds in flight for the foreseeable future.
For more information about volunteering, fostering or adopting, visit beaknwings.org. The facility at 9010 Rosehill Road, Suite B, in Lenexa is open for visitors on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Click below to read the February 2025 Issue of The Pitch Magazine:
