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!

Nikki is a precious Moluccan Cockatoo who came to live at the Refuge as a result of a seemingly innocent environmental change at her former home. Nikki had been comfortably settled in her home for ten years, until one day her human owner installed a new linoleum floor. Many people are unaware that parrots are particularly sensitive to environmental changes. When parrots are in the vicinity of many synthetic substances, e.g. teflon pans used in cooking, and in Nikki's case, the toxins given off by new linoleum, they can become very ill and in some cases, die.

Nikki didn't know how to explain the toxic overload on her system to her human owner and began to self-mutilate. She over-preened herself in her distress, plucking out her feathers and tearing at her sensitive flesh. Her owner turned to the Refuge for help. Nikki now has a new home and is beginning to heal. With time, we hope she will learn that she is now in a parrot-safe environment, and no longer needs to pluck.

If you want to Virtually Adopt Nikki and contribute to her care, you may do so in a few ways:

• Click on the "Donate Now" button below to make a secure one-time, annual or monthly credit card payment with CanadaHelps.org, the national non-profit organization that collects charitable donations on behalf of Canada's registered charities. This very safe method is our preferred choice as it reduces overheads and helps us focus our efforts on caring for the parrots.

  
• OR Visit our donations page to learn about other payment options for contributing to virtual adoption.
• OR Click on the button below to fill out a simple virtual adoption form. We will contact you as soon as possible by means of the contact e-mail you provide, if you have further questions.

PD has been fully sponsored by the wonderful people at Family Games Inc. Thank you so much - it's great to know that there are so many people who care!

PD is a beautiful Green-Winged Macaw who has just arrived at the refuge. PD's great tragedy is that while he was cared for by his human family, the family were afraid of such a large parrot and his enormous beak. So for ten years he sat in his big cage, alone and completely untouched. Can you imagine how isolated he felt - without sun, touch, or companionship? Wendy, our founder, has already won his trust and is able to scratch his head. Birds can't preen this part of their own body, so their new feathers - the pin feathers - can remain bound and itchy. Wendy has been able to preen most of the feathers on his head, and you can see in his picture how handsome he looks now!

He is surrounded by lots of activity in the Incoming Section and is starting to climb around and explore his environment. I'm sure it won't be long before he has made lots of wonderful friends for life!

Daisy is now fully sponsored, thanks to the generosity of Elizabeth McIntosh. Thank you!

Hello to you all! My name is Miss Daisy, but please call me Daisy.

I can't tell you how happy I am to be at the refuge. Before I got here I was so lonely. My human flock was out all day and I had no-one to talk to or return my calls for company. When they got home in the evening, my human flock was tired and weren't interested in talking to me. I thought it was better to be quiet, so I just sat in my cage and began chewing on my feathers. It gave me something to do and kept me busy. After a while, I didn't even notice I was doing it. When I got to the Refuge and saw many other birds with chewed feathers, I was surprised, and I was even more shocked to realize that my once lovely plumage was almost chewed away.

Here at the Refuge, I learned that it was not my fault. We aren't meant to be alone all the time. Well, that's not a problem anymore. In my new home in the Special Needs Unit, I'm never alone. I always have someone new to talk to, and people are always visiting and telling me how beautiful I'm looking. I've forgotten about chewing my feathers so much because I have so any other things to do, and birds and people to see and visit. I've even invented a bit of a dance to show off how my new feathers are growing back in. If you haven't seen Grant's video, have a look now!

If you want to Virtually Adopt Daisy and contribute to her care, you may do so in a few ways:

• Click on the "Donate Now" button below to make a secure one-time, annual or monthly credit card payment with CanadaHelps.org, the national non-profit organization that collects charitable donations on behalf of Canada's registered charities. This very safe method is our preferred choice as it reduces overheads and helps us focus our efforts on caring for the parrots.

  
• OR Visit our donations page to learn about other payment options for contributing to virtual adoption.
• OR Click on the button below to fill out a simple virtual adoption form. We will contact you as soon as possible by means of the contact e-mail you provide, if you have further questions.

Hey there! I'm Gigabyte. If you wonder about my name, I used to hang out with a bunch of computer geeks. The only trouble with computer geeks is they don't have time to look after a beautiful Blue and Gold Macaw like me. I got used to eating lots of junk food, which seemed good at the time, but it's not really a good thing if I want to live a long and healthy life. I didn't know any better then, so I used to get really excited at the sight of the pizza delivery guy.

Here at the Refuge, I've been getting a whole range of different foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, lots of different nuts and seeds. I've also got lots of friends to hang out with, and a whole lot of different toys - which are much more colourful and exciting than a stack of compact discs, let me tell you! LOL!

The humans at the refuge pay me a lot more attention too, and make sure I have everything I could possibly need to be healthy. Sometimes when they work late though, I see them eating pizza, and I can't help but shout at them, "Is that REAL FOOD?"

TTYL, Gb.

(Translating Gigabyte's 'netspeak: LOL is "laughing out loud" and TTYL is "talk to you later".)

If you want to Virtually Adopt Gigabyte and contribute to her care, you may do so in a few ways:

• Click on the "Donate Now" button below to make a secure one-time, annual or monthly credit card payment with CanadaHelps.org, the national non-profit organization that collects charitable donations on behalf of Canada's registered charities. This very safe method is our preferred choice as it reduces overheads and helps us focus our efforts on caring for the parrots.

  
• OR Visit our donations page to learn about other payment options for contributing to virtual adoption.
• OR Click on the button below to fill out a simple virtual adoption form. We will contact you as soon as possible by means of the contact e-mail you provide, if you have further questions.

All of Moon's sponsorship needs have been met - with many thanks to Catherine Stansfield!

Moon is a Moluccan cockatoo, who was caught in the wild about 30 to 35 years ago. He has had a home for life at the Refuge for six years now. Moon is a gentle, sweet bird who enjoys spending time with all of his friends in the Special Needs Unit.

About 10 years ago, we heard about a breeder of Eclectus parrots who reportedly was not as caring as one would hope. During an investigative visit on the pretext of purchasing a baby Eclectus, Horst came upon a male in a 20” x 20” cage on the floor of the man's garage. The breeder readily furnished information that the bird was intended for breeding purposes, and would be used as soon as he had the right female available. The Eclectus had been waiting in this empty cage – with only seed and water – for almost 5 years. His only company was the family car. In an area of Canada where the summers are very hot and the winters, very cold, the concrete floor under the cage had caused much distress for this poor bird. After much discussion, we purchased him to relieve him from any further suffering.

Watching him scurry across the floor after anything that moved was a delight, knowing that he had sat in just one place for so many years. We named him Cruiser. He soon made friends with Java, a female Eclectus, and they spend all their days together. As a result of his earlier incarceration, Cruiser suffers from arthritis and cannot grip a perch very well. The greatest danger for Cruiser is that he could seriously damage himself with a fall onto the floor. We couldn’t put him into a cage again, however, as this would stress him terribly.

The solution was to build a specially raised floor in the large compound that Cruiser and Java occupy in the Judy Langille Wellness Centre. They have lots of room to scurry around, lots of perches running just above their special ground level, and a sliding glass window that leads to their own summer patio for those warmer days.

Cruiser has benefitted greatly from regular application of a non-scented arthritis ointment that does not change his skin temperature. Combined with regular bathing, a good diet and vitamins, his overall wellbeing has greatly improved and he no longer rips his feathers out.

Although Cruiser's mobility has been affected by the cruel conditions he was once kept in, by someone who saw him only as a money machine, he is surrounded by love and care, and his quality of life has much improved since his arrival at the refuge. It takes time to get close to him, but like any gentleman, Cruiser is a real charmer and very affectionate with his kisses.

If you want to Virtually Adopt Cruiser and contribute to his care, you may do so in a few ways:

• Click on the "Donate Now" button below to make a secure one-time, annual or monthly credit card payment with CanadaHelps.org, the national non-profit organization that collects charitable donations on behalf of Canada's registered charities. This very safe method is our preferred choice as it reduces overheads and helps us focus our efforts on caring for the parrots.

  
• OR Visit our donations page to learn about other payment options for contributing to virtual adoption.
• OR Click on the button below to fill out a simple virtual adoption form. We will contact you as soon as possible by means of the contact e-mail you provide, if you have further questions.

Baby Ru has been fully sponsored by Ingrid Pedersen - thank you so much!

Hi, my name is Baby Ru. There was a a time I went by the name Rudiger, which is the same name as a well-known soccer player I'm told. However, after I came to the Refuge, they realized that I was a girl, and I became Baby Ru. That doesn't mean I'm not as tough as any boy though!

I'm somewhat of a survivor. I have escaped from an eagle, not once, but twice! Both times I thought I was in big trouble, but my friend Wendy helped me out. The last time I was outside with Wendy going for a walk, when the eagle swooped down to get me and carry me away. But when Wendy yelled "Bite him, Ru!", I remembered how strong I could be, so I did bite him, and he let me go. I fell a long way to earth. The vet had to mend me as I had nine holes from where the eagle grabbed me, even more than the first time!

Wendy says that I'm a miracle, and I'm not quite sure what that is, but I am just so happy to be alive and to be free, and to snuggle up with anyone who wants to spend time with me. I think getting my own sponsor would be even better. Maybe someone could come out just to spend time with me, and let me sit on their shoulder. Bye, with love from Baby Ru.

Joey, the African Grey, upon arriving at the Refuge.

Joey is now fully sponsored - thank you so much, Christa!

Hello, my friends. My name's Joey. I live in the Special Needs Unit at the Refuge. As you can see, I've had a bit of trouble with malnutrition and depression. Although I'm sure my owners tried, they didn't understand how intelligent parrots are, and how we can get depressed like everyone else if we don't have lots of positive interaction and good food and freedom. When I started feeling sad, I started plucking my feathers. They're growing back now, because I'm no longer alone, and surrounded by lots of good friends. There are lots of other members in my Special Needs flock to talk to, so I'm never alone any more.

I am what they call a rescued parrot. The home I stayed in didn't care too much about me. Maybe they were busy. I'm told by my friends here that it happens all the time. People get parrots for pets, and at first they mean to care for us, but they don't understand how much time and care we need. My friends tell me it's not my fault that I had to get rescued and come here. I still get scared sometimes, but I'm starting to feel more happy and hopeful, now I'm here. I'm hoping to get better and grow back the rest of the feathers I lost. I have to do a lot of work on not hurting my tail feathers any more.

I know I'm not as handsome as some of my friends, but I would love to be able to have my own sponsor. I don't want to have to ever worry about not having this safe place to live in. Bye-bye for now. Love Joey.

Elvis, the Molluccan Cockatoo.

Elvis is now fully sponsored - with many thanks to Richard and Donna Mackey!

Hi, I'm Elvis! I hail from the island of Seram in Indonesia - although most folks call me a Moluccan cockatoo. A long time ago I was caught in the wild. What a sad day that was! One day I was flying free and the next I was trapped, sent on a terrible journey, and put in a cage - the first of many. My life wasn't easy. Each time I started getting used to my new flock I was sent to a new one. I didn't mean to be any trouble, but it seems that my new flocks didn't like the way I talked or sang or played.

In my last home, I got to eat lots of pasta and olive oil. Gosh, it tasted good, but I didn't realize how bad it was for me. When I got to the refuge the doc said I was a very sick bird. They didn't expect me to make it, but I did! The doc was great - she didn't give up on me. When my new friends told me that the refuge was a home for life, I was determined that I was going to get well. Even though I'm over sixty years old, I'd love to live for another twenty years or so.

Being old is a bit of trouble. Just like happens with some older people, I've gone blind from something the doc calls macular degeneration. I have to live in a cage, just to make sure I don't get injured. However, I don't need my sight to know that I'm a pretty good looking bird these days. I've got wonderful feathers, and my feet are no longer swollen and aching. I can hang on to my cage branches really good! My new friends give me cardboard boxes to chew up, and little stuffies to pull to pieces. Pretty good for an old guy, huh? Maybe you'd like to sponsor me and help me continue to have a wonderful life!

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)