Flying Feathers make Hearts Soar at Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary

Animal lovers and San Diego locals all know and love this adorable little spot in the heart of Del Mar. The Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary houses over 20 birds that are available for people to come and interact with. The sanctuary strives to not only educate the public on exotic birds, but also adopts out some of the resident parrots to good homes if deemed fit, and for those who do not find homes or are not fit for adoption, they are welcome to stay for their lifetime in the sanctuary. 

There are so many different kinds of birds in the sanctuary that are happy to talk and interact with visitors. Of course, the birds’ moods change daily, as well as by the minute, they are extremely complex animals that require a lot of maintenance, interaction, and social time. Speaking with some of the avian care associates that are always walking around the grounds is a great way to learn more about the birds and how to handle them safely. 

Interacting with the birds really gives you a sense of their personalities, but it can be hard to tell some of them apart. Avian Care and Visitor Enrichment specialist, Diane Huff says that there’s "small things we look at" to tell them apart, for instance, "Rosque has feathers that flare out around her legs, kind of like a little skirt. And Circe plucked the feathers around her legs, so I call her ‘sexy legs’." Rosque is a blue and gold macaw that lives at the sanctuary and is very talented. She can ask for water, give kisses, and shake her head no.

All the birds have their own schtick too, and you’ll kind of get to know them that way. Casper is an umbrella cockatoo who is always happy to greet you with a sweet, high pitched, "Hi Casper." While some of the other macaws will dance with you, and Mona the scarlet macaw will happily greet you in either English or Spanish. Or go up and say hello to the oldest bird there, and umbrella cockatoo named Obi who is 68 years old! Needless to say, these are long-term pets and most parrots will end up outliving their owners. This is why a place like Free Flight is so wonderful and necessary. A lot of the birds that live at the sanctuary were surrendered, and when a bird’s owner passes, the bird still needs a place to stay. 

The sanctuary is open to children and adults of all ages, they encourage visitors to talk, sing, and dance with the birds since they thrive on social interaction. Some of the birds will even let you pick them up and pose for a picture or two. Some of the more kid-friendly birds are the smaller, sun conures, Mezzy and Aruba. But parrots aren’t all they have, they even house a beautiful East African Crowned Crane, appropriately named Princess. Although Princess is not suited for public interaction or adoption, she is still a stunning bird that is available to view. 

A companion bird can be your best friend for so many years, consider adopting one of the birds in the sanctuary and you might find your family member for years to come. Free Flight offers many different learning opportunities for all ages, including their Junior Docent program, Parrot Camp, and Senior Docent program. The sanctuary is open daily to the public and more information about donating and birds available for adoption can be found on their website freeflightbirds.org.