As I sat down for the first time today and looked out of the window, I noticed that the flags were starting to rest too. The bright colourful rainbow fabric sails that flap so wildly during the day also needed to sleep. Sadly, resting will not help the flags to heal: the wind has shredded them this year. Maybe we should get some new ones. It seems to be such a short time since we bought them and proudly put them on display to show people where to find us. So much has happened since that week. In fact so much has happened since our last newsletter that I decided to try and pull it all together, so that others could glimpse the busy life we have here at the World Parrot Refuge.

Larry Neil, one of our special volunteers, erected all the steel piping and chain link fencing in the new Macaw House. He did an incredible job and stretched the fencing really tight. Even with cuts, bruises, and very sore hands he didn’t give up until it was finished. Thank you Larry from all of the humans here at the sanctuary. When the Macaws finally get in there, you will hear the cheers as far away as Victoria!

The newly constructed Macaw House, thanks to Larry Neil and Andy Breslin.

The next step is to get trees and branches for the compounds – especially arbutus. If anyone has some that they don’t want - we will be happy to put it to good use. We have a large number of Macaws all waiting to move into the new Macaw House - but we have to build forests first. We can use fallen trees of all kinds, except cedar. Parrots need to have family roosts to call their own. Each small flock that makes up the larger flock prefers their own special home in the forest.

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What an eventful and wonderful week it has been! We have many thanks to give to some wonderful people who are helping to make a real difference by providing a home for life for our psittacine friends.

The very generous benefactors who donated the money for the new Macaw House visited us again and made another incredible donation! These dedicated bird lovers, who wish to remain anonymous, have changed the lives of so many birds. We are so grateful and indebted to them for their kindness.

Al and Ria - two of our special volunteers who come in five nights a week from 5.30 pm to 9 pm to hand feed more than 100 incoming and special needs birds, and then take those who cannot fly out for a walk in the evening sunshine - made another huge commitment. They donated $2000 to pay for Chi Chi Macaw's surgery. They are now her virtual adoption sponsors. Thank you so much, Al and Ria.

We also received a further $584 from the great people at Postal Depot 4, Langford, and Postal Depot 1, Victoria. These funds are the proceeds from the goodie stores that these special folk operate on behalf of Ben, Maggie, and Andy Macaw. Well done and thank you, everyone!

The owners of the Century 21 Real Estate office in Slave Lake, Alberta, came to visit the four birds that they have rescued over the years and brought to the sanctuary to live in a flock lifestyle. They were thrilled to see how well the birds are doing. They also donated $500 for each bird for their annual virtual adoption support. Thank you - you are fantastic!

In more wonderful news, Teko, the Citron Crested cockatoo, has a new virtual family. Heather Clarkson - the full virtual adoptive mom of Moses the Greater Sulfur Crested cockatoo - is now paying a further $20 a month towards Teko's support, and supplying all the peas he can eat! Huge hugs and thanks to Heather.

Christa Kangas has taken on the incredible responsibility of assisting with the cost of supporting Joey, the Congo African Grey. Thank you, Christa! You'll be thrilled to know that he has beautiful red tail feathers now. We'll post a new picture soon. Joey is so happy about it that he wants to show them off to you all!

Jane and Carmen, our volunteer webmasters, are now full virtual adoption sponsors who are helping to support our huge flight of beautiful lovebirds, including the fourteen new lovebird arrivals. This monthly pledge goes a long way towards all the food and cleaning care they need.

The staff, volunteers, and the parrots of the World Parrot Refuge send a huge thank you to everyone, and hope to see you at the Refuge soon!

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.