The World Parrot Refuge is an educational facility that provides a "Home for Life" for previously owned pet parrots, and is operated by the "For the Love Of Parrots Refuge Society" (FLOPRS). The Refuge has over 700 parrots, a dedicated team of staff and volunteer carers, and 23,000 square feet of heated indoor free-flight aviaries with plans for 16,000 square feet of easily accessed outdoor flights for the warmer months. The Refuge opened to the public for educational purposes on June 11, 2005.

Click here for visitor information, including opening hours, admission prices and how to get to the Refuge.

Notice: For the Love Of Parrots Refuge Society AGM

11 May 2008, 12:27 am - Posted by Jane Mail - 182 views - Categories: Home, News and Events

This is a notice that the Annual General Meeting of the "For the Love Of Parrots Refuge Society", is going to be held at the Gift Shop at the Refuge on Saturday, May 24, 2008, from 3:00-4:00pm.

Tags: agm, floprs

Event: 2nd Annual SPCA Pet Show

10 May 2008, 1:12 am - Posted by Jane Mail - 119 views - Categories: Home, News and Events

If you are in the Nanaimo area this Saturday, May 10, how about heading out to the Country Club Mall for the 2nd Annual SPCA Pet Show? Sasha and Dixie will be there representing the Refuge, and will be chaperoned by some feathered ambassadors. Memberships and other goodies will be on sale. Sasha and Dixie will be looking for hard-working volunteers to join our team. They will also be providing information about the virtual adoption program, and other facets of the Refuge operation.

The SPCA asked Esther if he would make the draw for their raffle. Esther agreed graciously, and is getting his beak polished for the occasion.

Likewise, if you are in Parksville on Saturday, May 10, our founder, Wendy Huntbatch, will be operating a display at the Parksville SPCA open house, and will be available to answer your questions.

Clean! Clean! Clean!

8 May 2008, 4:19 pm - Posted by Grant Mail - 158 views - Categories: Home, Learning

Caring for 700+ parrots is a never-ending job. The dedicated staff and volunteers of the World Parrot Refuge start every morning at 7am and work continuously until 8pm, mainly with feeding and cleaning. It's a never-ending cycle of activity as I hope this two-part video will illustrate. And of course there are lots of winged "helpers" ...

Here is "All In A Day's Work (part 2)

Tags: parrot

Feed Me!

5 May 2008, 10:02 am - Posted by Grant Mail - 244 views - Categories: Home, Learning

Caring for 700+ parrots is a never-ending job. The dedicated staff and volunteers of the World Parrot Refuge start every morning at 7am and work continuously until 8pm, mainly with feeding and cleaning. It's a never-ending cycle of activity as I hope this two-part video will illustrate. And of course there are lots of winged "helpers" ...

Here is "All In A Day's Work (part 1)

A Home for Life!

29 Apr 2008, 9:29 am - Posted by Jane Mail - 433 views - Categories: Home, Learning

It's a pleasure to share this wonderful video with you, made by one of our special volunteers, Gene Gapsis. She takes us into the operations of the World Parrot Refuge, illuminating the many reasons why we exist, and explaining why this is a place worth preserving for the future of our flocks. Thanks, Gene!

For more information about why birds do not thrive in captivity, read Wendy's great article here, and be sure to share the video with all your friends!

The Nature of Parrots, and Implications for Parrots in Captivity

24 Apr 2008, 4:44 pm - Posted by Jane Mail - 203 views - Categories: Home, Learning

By Wendy Huntbatch

Many years ago, when we first opened our doors to a Lesser Sulfur Crested Cockatoo named Little Charley – who needed a home because his owner was going into permanent care for post polio syndrome – Horst and I had no idea what the future would bring. As the years passed, and more and more birds arrived, we kept expanding the facilities in our home, and then moved on to building the free-flight parrot houses on our farm in Abbotsford. When we moved to Coombs just under four years ago, after an outbreak of bird flu in the commercial poultry industry, we had 400 parrots. We built the current 23,000 sq foot facility as we could see that we had already outgrown the 10,000 sq feet we had in Abbotsford. Thank goodness for foresight! Since arriving in Coombs, we have increased our number of residents by a further 300, and I am sure this year that we can expect at least another 100 parrots who need a Home For Life.

What is behind this influx of birds? Homes are getting smaller; people are working longer hours; and the grandparents who have had parrots for years are moving into care facilities where parrots are not welcome. When faced with these situations, people who currently own parrots look to place them in a safe haven: a place they feel confident will provide the proper care for their beloved friend. Many other people purchase a parrot for a pet, especially cockatoos, only to realize that the parrot is a highly intelligent living being and that flightless incarceration is an unkind situation. When we understand that these living beings have needs of their own, our minds are opened. Let me share a few insights with you.

Read more »

Brant Wildlife Festival

14 Apr 2008, 3:31 pm - Posted by Grant Mail - 498 views - Categories: Home, News and Events

Volunteers Ann Neil and Margaret Trotter recently represented the World Parrot Refuge at the Brant Wildlife Festival

This year's woodcarver's competition featured some of our parrots. They did quite well, judging by the ribbons!

The carvings sprang from a presentation Wendy Huntbach gave to the Vancouver Island Woodcarver's Club.

If your group would be interested in Wendy's talk, aided by some feathered friends of course, please contact us for details.

Macaw House Progress

8 Apr 2008, 5:01 pm - Posted by Grant Mail - 330 views - Categories: Home, News and Events, Volunteers

Larry is another one of our volunteer group. Lately he's been assembling the frames for the new Macaw flight cages:

Getting there...

Dixie and Friends

8 Apr 2008, 4:17 pm - Posted by Grant Mail - 102 views - Categories: Home, News and Events, Volunteers


Dixie is popular with the Parrots, as you can see. She's one of many volunteers who help keep the refuge going. Currently, she's planning to develop the outdoor grounds into an organic garden that would become part of the World Parrot Refuge "experience." As well it would be a source for some of our bird's nutritional needs. (Seven hundred parrots go through a lot of food - more on that soon).

Dixie is looking for a volunteer master gardener who would like to help her with this project ... any takers out there?

Alex & Wendy

27 Mar 2008, 11:58 am - Posted by Grant Mail - 197 views - Categories: Home, Volunteers
Alex and Wendy

Refuge volunteer, Alex, presents two more of his hand-crafted bird toys to WPR founder, Wendy Huntbatch:

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World Parrot Refuge

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Virtual Adoption Gallery

Please click on the thumbnails below to learn how you can help some special birds have a home for life through our "Virtual Adoption" program! More stories coming soon!

Nikki
Lucky
Norman
Iago
PJ
Princess
Scarletta
Tiki


Birds who are now partly sponsored, thank you!

Nike has 50% sponsorship now
Gigabyte has 50% sponsorship now


Birds who are now fully sponsored, thank you!

Moon has 100% sponsorship now! Thanks!
Baby Ru
Cruiser
Daisy
PD


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"The World Parrot Refuge is a true sanctuary where parrots live out their lives in a loving, spacious and happy environment under the guidance of extraordinarily caring people. The many visitors destined to pass through the refuge will come to understand that parrots are not toys or trophies, but beings with needs and emotions as real as our own."

– Rosemary Low (author of more than 30 books on parrots)

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"This is, in a word, a great place and these miraculous creatures deserve no less, but few places can deliver it this well. It is, indeed, 'world class'."

– Stewart Metz (author and Director of the Indonesian Parrot Project), after his visit at the Grand Opening of the Refuge on August 13, 2005.

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