By Amy Horton
UNION-TRIBUNE COMMUNITY NEWS WRITER
DEL MAR – Parrots can live 100 years.
That's one reason why a local family founded
Free Flight, an outdoor bird park.
Veterinarian Robert Stonebreaker and his wife,
Pam, have an estimated 80 cockatoos, hyacinths,
macaws and other colorful birds in their leafy
sanctuary.
Many of the parrots are residents at the
50-foot-by-80-foot park on Jimmy Durante Boulevard.
Some are there because they outlived their
owners. Others are guests, boarding while
their keepers are away. Several were bred
there.
For 14 years, the Stonebreakers have housed
parrots at Free Flight and they've encouraged
the community to learn more about the birds.
The park is open to the public, and associates
are on site to talk about how to handle and
behave around the birds.
Parrots are loving, smart and emotional creatures
that require a full-time commitment, Pam Stonebreaker
said.
"Birds have a lot of psychological and
physical issues," she added.
Visitors are asked to spray their hands with
disinfectant provided at the park's entry
to protect the birds from becoming ill.
People are asked to walk throughout the park
calmly and slowly. Rambunctious behavior could
threaten the parrots, who watch closely from
their wooden perches.
"They know your moves before you do,"
Stonebreaker said with a laugh. "When
(loud) kids come in, a few birds will ruffle
their feathers. Their eyes will dilate like
they're saying, 'Come here, let me bite you.'
"
What: Free Flight
Where: 2132 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar
Donation: $1
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily
Information: (858) 481-3148
Visitors are invited to hold the birds, except
for a few temperamental ones separated in
the "biting section." They've tried
to steal gold rings from women's fingers and
nip at red-painted fingernails.
The parrots often whistle, imitate sounds
and talk. One of the Yellow-naped Amazons
at the park mimics a baby's cry, and an African
Gray parrot frequently repeats phone conversations
she's heard.
Some of the parrots scream. Sometimes, that's
a result of being abandoned or victims of
neglect and abuse, Stonebreaker said.
Parrots need as much attention as children,
she added. Their diets almost mirror what
humans eat: fruits, vegetables, pastas, breads
and filtered water. Avocados, however, are
toxic to parrots and should be avoided.
Besides providing love and companionship,
parrots are investments. One royal blue at
the park is worth $9,000.
"The hyacinth are the Cadillac birds,"
Pam Stonebreaker said. "They are the
sweetest, the most loving, the best."
Robert Stonebreaker, whose veterinary practice
is next to the park, also volunteers for Project
Wildlife, a local group that cares for injured
or sick animals – and birds, of course.
Free Flight is at 2132 Jimmy Durante Blvd.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. For
information, (858) 481-3148.
Do you have a story idea for Del Mar? Contact
Amy Horton at (760) 476-8215 or amy.horton@uniontrib.com.
For special events, please alert us at least
four weeks in advance.
