Achi news desk-
Exotic birds aren’t a common sight in Alberta, but dozens of residents at the Airdrie Care Community got a chance to get up close and personal with a flock of colorful parrots on Sunday.
“What we like to do with our members is we like to visit older homes,” said Brian Ford, vice-president of the Calgary Parrot Club.
Ford and fellow club members brought a wide variety of tropical birds for residents to admire and interact with, from Kiwi the tiny Pineapple Conure to a giant Moluccan Cockatoo named Max, who has become quite the media influence. social.
“It’s a lot of fun going out to events like this,” said Nicole Hankel, Max’s ‘mother-ager’.
“It’s good for Max to see other birds, visit people and make new friends.”
Recreational therapist Cindy Ward says she’s seen the Calgary Parrot Club visit other retirement homes and thinks bringing the birds to residents at the Airdrie Care Community would make a lasting impression.
“Residents came who sometimes don’t come to anything else,” said Ward.
“Definitely a unique experience. Lots of smiles, lots of laughter.”
While the visits are enjoyable and educational for the residents, they are also beneficial for the birds.
“Birds are not tame,” explains Heidi Komnick with the Calgary Parrot Club. “To keep them tame you need to interact with them, and getting them to interact with people they don’t know helps establish a better bird all the way around.”
The Calgary Parrot Club visits Airdrie Care Community on Sunday, May 5, 2024.One of Ford’s favorite parts of these visits is seeing the smiles he puts on residents’ faces.
“For many of them, this is the first time they have ever held a parrot, and very often you come here and they have had birds in their life and they are so excited to see the parrots.”
The Calgary Parrot Club has about 65 members and they hold meetings every month.
The Calgary Parrot Club visits Airdrie Care Community on Sunday, May 5, 2024.Anyone interested in learning more about the club and retirement home visits can visit their website at calgaryparrotclub.ca, or email them at [email protected].
