What is Belize Bird Rescue?
Belize Bird Rescue is a rehabilitation centre for birds in Belize. It was established in 2004 by Nikki Buxton and Jerry Larder. It started primarily as a facility for parrot rescue and rehabilitation but has expanded over the years to cater to all indigenous species of birds in Belize such as raptors, owls, water birds, and passerines. The organization is registered as an NGO and is situated on a privately owned 50 acre reserve, most of which is used to support avian rehabilitation. Nikki and Jerry are also the owner of
Rock Farm Guest House.
Our Visit to Belize Bird Rescue:
Our time at Belize Bird Rescue was like no other. We got to see another point of view of
a day in a birder’s life. Nikki and Jerry both have a passion for taking care of Belize’s birds, especially those that have been injured or handicapped. They shared their heartwarming story with us, recounting how it all started when they realized the desperate need to establish a better care facility for confiscated or stolen parrots in Belize. The center has grown over the years, starting with the care of a handful of birds and today caring for over a hundred and seventy birds, including different parrot species, water birds, and raptors.
We made our way to the village of
Roaring Creek in the Cayo District, and met with the Belize Bird Rescue team, which included their full-time worker Oscar, a few international students from England, and some professors doing research. As we arrived in the morning, they were preparing an impressive buffet of fruits, vegetables, and seeds to feed all the birds. The birds’ breakfast included and arrangement of tropical fruits such as coconut, papaya, oranges, sunflower seeds, palm seeds, and a powder vitamin supplement.
The enclosures where the birds were kept are divided by sizes, which determines the amount of food and what assortment of fruits the birds receive. On this morning, Ms. Nikki waited to start the feeding because she wanted us to be part of their morning feeding routine. After all the baskets of fruits were ready, we took them out to the enclosures where we found some very ecstatic parrots waiting to eat. It was about an hour after their usual feeding time so the birds were both angry and excited that their food finally arrived. I watched as they ate. Some of the parrots would pick on the different fruits, before picking up something that they wanted to eat. I noticed that the sunflower seeds were their favorite as they devoured those in a matter of minutes. It's not an easy task, but a very rewarding experience especially knowing that these little guys were once in a lot of danger and perhaps without food.
While we continued to visit all the enclosures, we saw many different species of parrots, from Red and Yellow Lored Parrots to the endangered Yellow-Headed Parrot. The center houses an interesting mix of birds in addition to the parrots, including a whistling duck, Aracari Toucans, a Red-footed Booby Bird, a barn owl, and a couple of hawks.
After spending the past couple of weeks going bird watching at popular birding hotspots with very knowledgeable birders from the different lodges and resorts in Belize, visiting Belize Bird Rescue was just the icing on the cake. It was refreshing to know that a place like this exists, providing a sanctuary to rehabilitate injured birds here in Belize. It's amazing to hear how the local birding community, local citizens, volunteers, and local businesses come together to support the efforts of Belize Bird Rescue led by Nikki and Jerry. We got to see astonishing birds in the wild over the past few weeks, and now we got the chance to see birds that were just as marvelous in a facility aiding their recovery and releasing them back into their natural habitat.
Ms. Nikki, Mr. Jerry, Oscar, and the rest of the team at Belize Bird Rescue were very friendly and passionate advocates for the rescue and rehabilitation of birds in Belize. We'd like to give a massive thank you to everyone at Belize Bird Rescue for having us over. It was an exceptional educational and fun experience to be at such unique bird rescue and rehabilitation center in Belize.
Where is Belize Bird Rescue?
Belize Bird Rescue is located at Rock Farm Guest House in
Roaring Creek Village, which is only a 15 minutes drive heading West from
Belmopan City. You can either drive to the facility in your private vehicle or you can take the public bus which will drop you off on the main road in front of the Westar Gas Station. From the gas station you’ll see a dirt road on the opposite side. You’ll need to walk down this road for 20-25 minutes, until you see the entrance of Belize Bird Rescue on the left-hand side.
Who can visit Belize Bird Rescue?
Belize Bird Rescue caters to injured birds with the intention of releasing them back into the wild; and so, they limit the amount of interaction that these birds get with humans. It is not a facility that caters to a “show-and-tell” format for visitors. Those who wish to visit Belize Bird Rescue should be willing to do some volunteer work and adhere to specific rules. The center does not accommodate children or large groups to visit the facility for observation purposes.
How can you assist Belize Bird Rescue?
The facility of Belize Bird Rescue tries to be self-sustainable as much as they can by raising and farming their own worms, mice and chicks for feeding. The property is surrounded by many fruit trees that they pick from to feed the birds. Although some of these items are readily available for the birds, Belize Bird Rescue still needs your help to continue the awesome work that they are doing for the birds of Belize.
You can attend or support the
Annual Night Out for the Birds.
You can assist Belize Bird Rescue by donating items to the organization or by volunteering your time. Some of the items that you can donate to Belize Bird Rescue are:
- Towels
- Cleaning supplies
- Seasonal fruits
- Sunflower seeds
- Old newspapers/books
- Money
If you would like to find out more about how you can assist Belize Belize Bird Rescue or make a report of a bird in need, then you can contact them through these mediums:
- Phone call: (+501) 610 0400
- Membership: Sign up for a Fly Free Belize membership.
- Website: www.BelizeBirdRescue.com