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 benefited 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.

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!

Birds who are now partly sponsored, thank you!

Birds who are now fully sponsored, thank you!

"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)

"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.