Belize Bird Rescue

A rare moment of good behaviour from Kat, who is usually far more interested in testing everyone's reflexes than posing for photographs.

Kat is a Catalina Macaw – a hybrid of a Blue-and-gold Macaw and a Scarlet Macaw.

Unlike the native parrots we rehabilitate and release, Kat can never be returned to the wild. He is not a wild Belizean bird and was almost certainly bred in captivity somewhere outside the country.

He was found flying free in northern Belize near Corozal Bay. While we'll never know his full story, it's possible he escaped captivity elsewhere before making his way across the water into Belize.

While much of our work focuses on giving wild birds a second chance at freedom, we also provide lifelong sanctuary for birds like Kat – individuals who cannot safely survive in the wild but still deserve the best life possible.

And we have to admit, Kat makes sanctuary life look pretty good.

This World Environment Day, we celebrate the habitats that sustain Belize's remarkable biodiversity and the importance of protecting them for generations to come.

Healthy ecosystems provide food, shelter, nesting sites, clean water, and everything wildlife needs to survive.

Protect our environment – it's home to all of us.
📸 Nico - Scarlet Studios

Our June newsletter is now available!

This month's issue includes released parrots, growing owls, conservation successes, community rescues... and one very unusual foster family.

When a lone chachalaca chick arrived at BBR after losing his siblings, we faced an unexpected problem: he was lonely.

We contacted birders, rangers, conservation partners, and even the zoo, hoping to find another chachalaca family or companion.

Nothing.

Then came an unexpected suggestion: chicken chicks.

As soon as his new companions arrived, the constant distress calling stopped. While he doesn't exactly spend all day hanging out with them, he seems reassured knowing he's no longer alone.

It's certainly one of the more unusual cases we've encountered – and just one of the many stories featured in our June newsletter.

Read the full story, plus updates on released parrots, owl chicks, field conservation, rescues, and rehabilitation successes.

Newsletter link in comments.

Not every recovery is dramatic.

Sometimes it's just one good day, followed by another. 💚

This Collared Aracari came to us after being hit by a vehicle. His recovery has been slower than we'd hoped, but he's steadily gaining strength and reminding us that healing takes time.

He's also incredibly lucky.

As daylight was fading, some sharp-eyed members of the public spotted him on the road as they were leaving a restaurant and stopped to help. Had they passed by a few minutes earlier or later, he may never have been found.

We're encouraged by his progress and hopeful that the day will come when he can once again take to the skies.

A big thank you to his rescuers for taking the time to stop, care, and make a difference

Happy World Parrot Day!

Today the world celebrates some of the most intelligent, charismatic, and fascinating birds on the planet.

We celebrate their right to be parrots.

To fly.

To choose their own mates.

To raise their young.

To live as part of a flock.

To wake each morning to a forest instead of a cage.

Every day at Belize Bird Rescue, we are fortunate to give rescued parrots the opportunity to rediscover what it means to be a bird.

Because the happiest ending for a parrot is freedom.

📸Janine Hans-Harbers

Someone has some sass this morning!