Saving Belize's Birds 2024

The first 3 months of 2024 brought us 46 new patients of 26 different species. These included 11 parrots, 17 song and forest birds, 8 waterbirds and 7 raptors. We had 3 non-bird species, one of which was Corky the squirrel, who is doing so well and is close to release.

Of the 11 parrots, 7 are undergoing rehabilitation for release. All were ex-captive surrenders or ‘lost pets’ and we gained 2 new sanctuary parrots this quarter. Although this was not why BBR was formed, we rapidly came to realize that there is a need for the provision of a safe and wild environment for these non-releasable parrots to spend their lives and enjoy natural behaviors. Thanks to your continued support we are able to provide that facility for them, alongside our rehab for release services.

The waterbirds included the 3 red-footed booby chicks from Half Moon Caye. Sadly one has a wing fracture, which was pinned and set by the wonderful vets at Animal Medical Centre, but we need to wait and see if it is strong enough for flight once his adult plumage grows in.

Our raptors were barn owls, roadside hawks and one vulture. Known locally as ‘John Crow’ the vulture has a fused wing fracture and cannot be released. We are talking to our friends at the Belize Zoo for a permanent home for him. Some of the roadside hawks are in for a long rehab, one with a wing fracture and two with clipped wings - sadly a common occurrence these days as people try to keep them as pets.

Our facility upgrades this quarter included a new low-maintenance pool and refurbishment of the waterbird enclosure, relocating and upgrading parrot rehab enclosures and a much-needed extension of the white-front rehab area.

We also took delivery of our new Parrot Protection Team truck initially for the yellow-headed Amazon monitoring program. The team headed out for the first time in march and will be working through the breeding season to rescue and protect as many parrots as possible from poaching and nest mortality.

Please check out BBR’s April Newsletter for a few stories and updates, and our social media feed for more regular posts of our activities. For more stories you can see our archived newsletters here.

As of March 31^st we are caring for 182 birds and one squirrel. It’s quite the houseful and we still have baby season to look forward to!

We keep saying thank you but they are inadequate words to express our gratitude for your generosity and support. We literally couldn’t do what we do without you. So many second-chance birds are flying free, thanks to you.

With warmest regards and our very sincere thanks,

Nikki and all at BBR

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