Free To Fly Birds exists because birds deserve better than guesswork, shortcuts, and “close enough” care.

I've grown up alongside animals my entire life, but I fell in love with birds in 2022 -- their completely unique personalities, attitude, curious natures, and their endless bounds of intellect. That year, I adopted my first pet bird, a beautiful budgie named Fish.

Our family soon grew larger, when I adopted two baby Quaker parrots who were sold to me as “weaned”. They weren't.

Content warning: the next section references illness and loss, but it explains why ethics and long-term welfare are central to this work.

Within days, they showed signs of malnourishment and infection.

At SASH (Ryde), I was told they might not make it the next 24 hours. One, Salt, passed away. The other, Pepper, pulled through with intensive vet care and a strict medication plan—and is still thriving today (now with a boyfriend, Grouch).

That experience changed the direction of my life.

Why I do this

Since then, I’ve encountered the same pattern too many times:

• Bird owners being given incorrect or incomplete advice

• People being told “we don’t really treat birds”

• Birds being sold or rehomed without the right support for nutrition, housing, enrichment, or medical care

Instead of being disheartened, I committed to becoming an avian advocate—someone people can come to for honest information, practical support, and bird-first care.

What I’ve built (and what I’m building)

Over the past few years, I’ve developed hands-on skills through real experience, deep research, and ongoing study, including:

• Training and handling aviary and companion birds (with patience and respect for body language)

• Extensive research into nutrition, dietary requirements, common myths, and safety hazards

• Enrichment planning to support confident, healthy, mentally-stimulated birds

• Ethical breeding practices and hand-raising when appropriate, with a focus on long-term welfare

• Supporting birds through common ailments and care routines learned through industry experience

I’ve also worked in environments that taught me a lot—but also showed me how easily welfare can be compromised when sales come before ethics. That only strengthened my commitment to doing things differently: truthfully, carefully, and with the bird’s long-term wellbeing as the priority.

My promise

Free To Fly Birds is here for people who want to do right by their birds.

Whether you’re looking for support, guidance, or bird-safe solutions, my goal is to provide:

• Clear, honest information (without sales pressure)

• Practical, welfare-first recommendations

• Care that respects the bird as an intelligent, sensitive, lifelong companion

On our way to becoming a not-for-profit

We’re working toward building Free To Fly Birds into three branches, so we can continue supporting clients while also developing a not-for-profit pathway aimed at helping people access avian care—through education, support, and assistance where possible—and providing safe outcomes for surrendered birds.

My goal is simple: to be a place people can trust for honest guidance, ethical care, and bird-safe solutions.