Bird paradise
An Awahuri couple’s dream of opening a parrot park has become reality.
An Awahuri couple’s dream of opening a parrot park has become reality.
Kerry and Richard Dodunski held the official opening of the park at the back of their Tweeters and Friends pet store on Saturday in the Manawatu¯ town.
The 20-aviary park is one of the largest collection of parrots in the lower North Island and features birds from Australia, Papua New Guinea, India and South America.
The pet shop has been open for three-and-a-half years and the parrot park has long been in the planning process.
Kerry said they had been involved with birds for 25 years.
‘‘They are as bright as a dog. Training is a challenge, they are all very individual personalities. You go into each aviary and certain birds greet you and do all different bits and pieces with them,’’ she said.
‘‘We work on education in terms of feeding and diet and what birds need,’’ she said.
They also wanted to help those afraid of birds settle their nerves and feel comfortable around them.
‘‘What gene pool we have in the country, that is it,’’ he said. ‘‘So we work in with the other breeders over the country and try to keep that gene pool getting too congested.’’
That is particularly tough for the likes of their rock pebbler parrots and their twenty-eights parrots, which are rare in New Zealand.
But maroon bellied conure Cosmo and sun conure Nelly were already making plenty of friends at the front of the park, climbing on to the shoulders of visitors.
The undoubted star of the show was long billed corella Merlin who greets guests, ‘‘Hello ratbag’’, and challenges others, ‘‘You want to fight’’, before showing off his dance moves.
A pair of macaws, just 11 months old, also attracted plenty of attention.
The second stage of the parrot park is expected to be open next year and will include 15 to 20 more aviaries.