Exotic birds need a lot of care and have big personalities which can lead them to be orphaned by their human families.
“Ive been doing this for 40 years, they teach me something new every day,” said Jamie McLeod, founder of the Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary.
In 2004, McLeod opened Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary to rehabilitate and rehome unwanted and displaced exotic birds.
“They don’t just change your life. If you do it right, they become your life,” explains McLeod.
Exotic birds can live 60 to 80 years, but most are given up within 2 to 3 years according to McLeod.
“People look at them and they are so attracted to their beauty. They’re intelligent. They can talk, you know. So oftentimes people get them and they don’t do enough research,” explains McLeod.
Around 50 abandoned birds call the non-profit home.
“This is Doodle. She was abandoned at the Santa Barbara Zoo and had a note that said: Please help me doodle,” said Jodi McLeod, a caretaker at Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary.
When Doodle was found she had a large self-inflected chest wound and had plucked out nearly all her feathers. Doodle, the Kakatu, is now a permanent resident of the sanctuary and is bonded with staff member, Jodi McLeod.
“We get to cuddle, and they like to prance around on the table, get their exercise,” said McLeod.
The sanctuary just received an exhibitor license under the USDA Animal Welfare Act, which requires more safety and oversight for the birds.
“This legislation is important because it’s developed to prevent things like the Tiger King and animal hoarders and situations where these creatures get exploited for money, they’re trafficked in, in the black market because they’re quite valuable,” explains McLeod.