This past weekend, Dixie and Sasha, along with Kiwi, Kelly and Ester represented the refuge at the Country Club Mall's annual "animal" day.

Dixie and Sasha got right into the spirit of the day with some beautiful face-paints. Kiwi's not too sure:

I wonder if Kelly and Ester would have wanted one too?

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.

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.

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)

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)

This article is part of a new series on parrot nutrition, using information kindly provided by our sister organization, Phoenix Landing, in North Carolina. We hope this will help you make the best nutritional choices for your feathered friends.

Vitamin A is very important for your parrot!

The darker the flesh (not the skin) of the vegetable or fruit, the higher the carotene content. It is carotene that converts into vitamin A when metabolized by the digestive system. Veggies can be provided in their raw state, but are sometimes more digestible if cooked (steamed or baked). However, be aware that overcooking can destroy vitamin content.

Green Vegetable sources of Vitamin A

Dandelion greens, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, broccoli, water cress, chicory, parsley, green peppers, fennel, arugula, romaine, brussel sprouts, beet greens, cabbage, and alfalfa.

Yellow-Orange Vegetable sources of Vitamin A

Yams, sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, hubbard squash, acorn squash, hot peppers, red peppers, pumpkin.

Fruit Sources of Vitamin A

Mango, peaches, nectarines, apricots, persimmon, cantaloupe, raw plantain, papaya, sour red cherry, pomegranates.

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!

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 »

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.

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

Getting there...

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!

Birds who are now partly sponsored, thank you!

Birds who are now fully sponsored, thank you!

"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.

"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)