Support Yondu

Long before you notice Yondu, he’s already noticed you.

Perched high above the free-flight room, Yondu quietly watches over everything below. New volunteers, unfamiliar sounds, breakfast arriving, another parrot taking flight—very little escapes his attention. While many of the room’s residents make their presence known the moment you walk in, Yondu simply watches, carefully assessing the world around him. There’s a good chance that if you’re seeing Yondu, he’s been watching you for quite a while already.

Human attention has never been what he’s sought. An Indian Ringneck and one of the residents of our free-flight room, Yondu is happiest surrounded by his flock, where he spends his days flying, exploring, and quietly keeping watch over everything happening around him.

Yondu was among the parrots rescued following the closure of the Mayagüez Zoo in Puerto Rico. Having spent their entire lives there, the birds in this flight room arrived at MAARS with a profound distrust of people, a pattern that was remarkably consistent across the flock. While every bird’s story is their own, the effects of that environment remain evident today.

Over the past year, however, we’ve also begun to see small but meaningful changes.

As we clean, distribute food, refresh water, and provide enrichment each day, Yondu and the other former zoo residents have gradually become more comfortable with our presence. Instead of immediately retreating or feeling they need to defend themselves, many now remain nearby as we go about our daily routines.

The trust is quiet.

It hasn’t changed who they are, but it has changed how safe they feel.

Don’t mistake Yondu’s distance for indifference.

From his favorite perch, every unfamiliar sound, movement, or person entering the room is carefully assessed. If something doesn’t seem right, Yondu is often the first to sound the alarm, his call echoing through the aviary as if to say, “Our flock is watching.”

And perhaps that’s our favorite thing about him.

While many parrots in human care are expected to seek out people, Yondu reminds us that healing doesn’t always look like wanting human affection. His trust and loyalty have been placed exactly where they belong, with other parrots, not with us. Here, he has the freedom to simply be: flying with his flock, maintaining the relationships that matter most to him, and expressing the instincts that have always made him who he is.

For Yondu, that’s what sanctuary is all about. We’re honored to provide a place where he’s free to make his own choices, remain with the flock he trusts, and simply be a parrot.

Yondu is an Indian Ringneck, small parrots whose costs for food, medicine, and toys are approx. $25/month or $300 per year each.  If you would like to contribute to his health and well-being, please click. Thank you!