Sask. parrot rescue takes in 26 birds since opening in May

Shayla Leier says she and her husband were "naive at the time" when they bought their parrot Cortez from a Regina pet store.

It was 11 years ago and Leier says it took years to truly understand what a parrot needs. Now the couple has opened its doors to many more birds.

They need to be a part of your family and when they're not included, that's when behaviour problems start.- Shayla Leier

Matt and Shayla Leier have been running Keeper of the Stars Parrot Rescue & Sanctuary since May of this year.

They say they noticed a need for a parrot rescue in the last few years, particularly when they looked at online classifieds where people were trying to sell and get rid of their pet birds.

"It's just unreal," Leier said.

Now they have 26 parrots living indoors on their acreage near Regina.

The parrots come to them for many different reasons. Some have had good owners that had to surrender them because of changes to their health and finances.

In some cases, the birds will outlive the owners. 

"The macaws, you're looking at probably 60 to 80 years," Leier said.

Many birds though have arrived in bad condition with missing feathers and warped beaks. 

The couple helps rehabilitate the birds and works closely with Saskatoon Parrot Rescue and a local Regina veterinarian.

Parrots as pets

Leier says she loves her parrots like children but they are a lot of work.

Some of the rescued parrots are up for adoption. Leier warns people that these birds take more attention and care than dogs and cats.

"They need to be a part of your family and when they're not included, that's when behaviour problems start," Leier said.

Stressed parrots might pluck out their feathers, scream or be destructive.

Leier says when people do contact her about adopting a parrot, she's very open about what is involved in caring for these birds and subsequently most lose interest.