Feathered Friends is rehabilitating macaws and parrots, giving them a second chance at living a wholesome life.
Through guided tours, it is hoping to transform the way future generations interact with and care for pet birds.
According to owner Johann Edwards, his love for birds led to the creation of the rescue, adoption and rehabilitation centre in Cascade, Port of Spain.
“How Feathered Friends all started was about ten years ago when I adopted my first macaw, called Rio. Since I was a baby, a child, as far as I can remember, I always loved macaws and parrots.”
Rio was given the best environment to thrive, eventually learning to free-fly, but as time passed, Johann observed that many macaws and parrots met with a different fate.
It was one he set out to change.
“So we made a post saying if you can’t take care of your macaw and parrot, we are willing to adopt it, and through that, guys, we got like 150 macaws till this date, but the condition the macaws were coming in, their feathers were fully plucked, so we had to find out why, and that was because of a poor diet and no mental or physical stimulation.”
At Feathered Friends, every bird has a story, and the sky is their stage.
The birds, some as old as forty, are fed a balanced diet, given proper medical care and attention, and once rehabilitated, are released into the skies, covering at least 40 miles per day.
Through guided tours, people can get to know and feed the crew: the African Grey parrot, known to be the smartest bird in the world; the Green-winged Macaw; the Scarlet Macaw; the Yellow-crowned Amazon; the Red-bellied Macaw; or the Blue and Gold Macaw.
Through school tours, Johann hopes to change the way children view birds.
“In ten years a child say, ‘Mummy, I want a macaw and a parrot.’ He don’t want that in a cage. He says, ‘Mummy, how we can train to be like Feathered Friends?’ and that is what we are trying to push.”
If you’re lucky enough to marvel at their splendour for a few fleeting moments as they glide effortlessly above the urban landscape, lighting up the skies with their brightly coloured feathers while their happy whistles fill the air, let it serve as a reminder of where they truly belong.