Belize Bird Rescue

Two young Red-lored parrots taking in the world.

This year's wild-hatched fledglings are growing up fast and learning to forage, flock and find their place in the world.

The next generation. 💚

And don't forget your limited edition BBR "Let Them Fly Free" t-shirt/tank/hoodie. Link in the comments.

LET THEM FLY FREE!

We have some lovely new BBR merchandise!!!

Artist and parrot enthusiast Stephanie Casanova has created this beautiful "Let Them Fly Free" Amazon Parrots design for us, celebrating one of Belize's most iconic parrots, the Yellow-headed Amazon.

Every purchase helps support our work rescuing parrots from the illegal pet trade, rehabilitating them and, whenever possible, returning them to the wild.

Check out the variety of colours and styles - you can get the design on T-shirts, hoodies, tanks and more, with worldwide shipping available.

Thank you so much Stephanie for creating something so beautiful and for helping us spread the word!

Only 11 more days for the promotion, so get yours now!! (Link in the comments!)

Happy St. George’s Caye Day, Belize!

Looks like someone is taking the Battle of St. George’s Caye rather seriously.
Parrots may be colourful and charming, but they're also wild animals with strong personalities, powerful beaks and very definite ideas about territory.

Aggressive behaviour is perfectly natural for parrots, and it's one of the reasons they can be such challenging companion animals. They are intelligent, social and fascinating, but they haven't evolved to live in our homes. Their natural lives involve flying and foraging. They live in flocks, choose their own companions and defend their space and their mate.

So today, while we celebrate Belize's history, we're also celebrating parrots for exactly what they are: Wild birds.

Often rehabilitation surprises us!

This Black-and-white Owl arrived with a serious wing injury and a luxated eye that had to be removed. We expected that, even after healing, he might never fly or hunt well enough to return to the wild.

But six months later, he was doing both.

He proved that losing an eye didn’t mean losing his future, and reminded us once again why we never say never when it comes to rehabilitation.

Read his story, along with tales of long-awaited releases, surprising recoveries and birds finally getting their chance to thrive in the wild, in our September newsletter, Time to Thrive.

👇 Link in the comments.

A little curiosity is okay. 🦜💚

The latest group of releases are doing well. We’ve only had to bring one bird back because of inappropriate behaviour — that’s 50 parrots released in August, or 58 if we include the eight parakeets released this month!

Having spent their lives so far in captivity, it’s inevitable that they won’t be entirely fearful of humans. Some are a little more curious than others, but for the most part, they’re keeping themselves to themselves, learning their new environment and getting to know their territory.

This is why a safe, supported soft-release is so important.

We can keep a close eye on their immediate surroundings, and our local communities and neighbours let us know if they see anything concerning. We can also provide a stable food source while the birds figure things out and become more independent.

Eventually, they’ll disperse and become less frequent visitors. Until then, we’ll enjoy a few candid moments!
📸Jem Garcia

Happy (USA) National Hummingbird Day!

Hummingbirds are incredible creatures, and one of our favourite rehabs. Here's a few things you might not know about them:

Nectar isn't their only food. They also eat tiny insects and spiders, which provide essential protein, especially for growing chicks.

They are the only bird that can fly backwards. Their remarkable wing movements allow them to hover, change direction, and even reverse through the air.

They are important pollinators. As they move from flower to flower, they help plants reproduce.

Some hummingbird species migrate thousands of miles:
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds travel between North America and Central America, sometimes crossing the Gulf of Mexico in a non-stop flight of around 500 miles.
Rufous Hummingbirds can travel nearly 4,000 miles between Alaska and Mexico - one of the longest migrations in the world relative to body size. Imagine making those journeys weighing less than a teaspoon of sugar!

Tiny birds with a extraordinary lives!

📸This rufous-tailed hummingbird came to BBR as an orphan, was raised by our team, and returned to the wild earlier this year.