Parrots take refuge in Coombs
When I was little we had a canary that loved to escape and fly around the house. I couldn’t imagine over 700 birds having the run of the place, but that’s what you’ll find at the World Parrot Refuge in Coombs. Two giant wings of the building – if you’ll pardon the expression – allow these magnificent birds to have huge free-fly areas filled with ropes, branches, wooden contraptions and lots of stuffed toys.
I remember the first time I saw the sign World Parrot Refuge and I thought, that sounds like some brash marketing, but it turns out to be one of the largest facilities of its kind in the world and certainly the largest of its kind in North America. Co-founded by Wendy Huntbatch, the Vancouver Island facility opened in 2004 and the public was allowed in a couple of years later.
As well as visiting the facility or making donations, one way kids can help the parrots is to bring in donations of food (fruits and nuts are a favourite) and stuffed toys. Those stuffed toys are then “bought” by visitors for $2 and you give the birds the toy while walking through the facilities. One family from Surrey makes an annual trip to donate over 2,000 stuffed toys. And the birds love them, as we discovered – they spot you from quite a distance and fly over to be first in line. You can also do a virtual adoption of a bird as a way to help out.
Grace was curious about where the birds come from and Wendy told us that they’re from all over Canada and sometimes from the United States. And while there’s the occasional rescue bird, most 
are brought to the refuge by people who are moving and can’t take their pet, or they’ve had to move to a seniors home, or someone in the house develops an allergy. Wendy points out that parrots live for many decades and require a good deal of care, so it’s no small decision to have a parrot as a pet.
BTW, children are required to wear the ear-plugs provided by the refuge, while adults are encouraged to do so. Let me really really encourage you to do so, adults! I thought it wouldn’t be a problem until one or two extremely piercing cries convinced me otherwise.
