FROM taking in a poorly pigeon at her daughter’s request, to amassing a collection of more than 40 neglected and unwanted parrots five-years-later, Tricia Phillips’s somewhat accidental role as bird saviour reached a major milestone this week.
Tricia, of Morndyke Farm and Parrot Sanctuary near Thirsk, was granted planning permission on Wednesday for a 313.54sq m aviary in the farm grounds which, when built, will likely be among the largest private aviaries in the country.
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It will house the ever-expanding collection of exotic birds that Tricia ‘can’t stop’ taking in due to her passion for parrots and her dismay at the conditions that many of these vibrant, intelligent birds are forced to live in across the UK.
From rescuing a caged African Grey mourning the loss of his partner, to taking in more than a dozen caged birds from a pensioner unable to care for them anymore, Tricia is determined to do what she can to give neglected parrots a brighter future.
Her endeavour began with a slightly less exotic bird – a scrawny pigeon on the farm – whom her daughter Anna, then aged 12, insisted needed nursing back to health.
From there, a visit to a pet shop where Anna was looking to work, left Tricia upset at the way birds with complex needs were being housed in cramped cages.
She went back the very next morning to buy one and so began years of her scouring pre-loved websites to buy parrots in need of rescuing.
Tricia says: “I just couldn’t believe the amount of birds that were being sold on a site where you’d buy a used washing machine.
“Parrots are incredibly intelligent, sentient beings and they have complex needs, but they’re just being shoved in tiny cages, not being fed properly and can develop all sorts of problems.
“I don’t want to anthropomorphise them, but they have the intelligence of a six-year-old child, they feel emotions like us and as far as I’m concerned they’re better than us, I think animals generally are.
“They mourn the loss of their partners for months, sometimes even years, and they mourn the loss of their offspring, they’re mostly flock species so it’s heart-breaking how so many are kept alone in horrendous conditions.”
Tricia recalls one particular trip to a Bradford home after she enquired about a bird she spotted on a selling site.
Once there, she saw a conservatory stacked full of caged birds, obviously being used for breeding for financial gain.
“The sound from that room was horrific, those birds were so stressed,” says Tricia.
She bought the initial bird but said she ‘couldn’t leave behind’ a solitary African Grey caged at the bottom of the stack who was mourning his dead partner.
Tricia said: “It was such a sad sight and I thought, whatever happens I can’t leave that bird there.
“He has had at least four owners that I know of and has had the most horrific life.
“When they breed them, they lift them by the neck and force them onto the female.
“It would be horrific for any animal, but these are the most sentient, intelligent creatures probably of any species.”
After spending thousands of pounds buying abused and neglected parrots over the internet, Tricia’s collection of rescued birds has grown exponentially, hence the need for the bigger aviary.
Tricia has accepted that she can’t continue buying up neglected birds and has now paired with rescue centres to take on the ones that they can’t rehome.
The new aviary will not be open to the public for good reason, as Tricia explains: “These birds have mostly been treated badly by humans so they don’t need or want to see people.
“I know the people who would like to come have good intentions towards the birds, but they just need to be left alone to be parrots.”
Gaining planning permission was a landmark hurdle for Tricia to overcome, but the next comes in the form of building costs for the aviary – estimated at around £36,000.
Tricia is realistic about how much funding she can raise, saying: “The country is on its knees, people can’t afford to put petrol in their car to go to the supermarket so I can hardly expect them to give money to save a bird that belongs in Brazil.
“But we will make it happen, somehow, I have no doubt about that.”
Tricia has launched a ‘sponsor a parrot’ scheme for just £1 per month where the donator will receive a picture of the parrot they are sponsoring.
There is also an Amazon wish list where supporters can buy items at a range of prices, from a £300 tree to a £4.99 parasite treatment.
Tricia joked: “I need to win the Lottery,” adding: “But I don’t want the fundraising to take away from the message of what we’re doing here and why it’s so important to care for parrots properly and treat them with the respect they deserve.”
And reflecting on her brood of once-neglected souls, Tricia said: “They are all a bit special, each and every one of them.
“I can’t save them all but I can do my best to give these ones the best life possible.”
- Details of how to sponsor a bird or buy a wish list item can be found via the 'Our Birds' section of the website morndykeparrotsanctuary.org.uk
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