The staff at the Lincoln County Animal Shelter in Edgecomb have been hearing whistling while they work lately.

It's coming from a larger than usual number of parrots who have come to the shelter in need of new homes.

Shelter office manager Carrie Koskela isn't aware of the parrots coming out with any words, but there has been the whistling and, yes, some dancing by the sociable birds.

They are interested in people and like to know what's going on, Koskela said.

The parrots all came from different situations, including an owner moving and another one no longer being able to care for them, Koskela said. Typically, the shelter may have one or two, but at one point recently the count was up to nine.

As of July 23, three had found homes; five remained at the shelter and one other was in foster care, Koskela said.

Only approved prospective owners can meet the parrots, to minimize their stress. They can be somewhat harder to place than cats and dogs due to some special considerations, Koskela said. For one thing, they can live a very long time, maybe 80 years, she said.

Some of the parrots in the shelter's care are in their teens or 20s; the ages of the others are entirely unknown, Koskela said.

Anyone considering a parrot should either be experienced with owning them or otherwise knowledgeable about them, Koskela advised.

If interested in adopting a parrot or other pet, contact the shelter at 207-882-9677.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or susanjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com