The Shyne Foundation
Bob and Liz Johnson
South Florida

The Shyne Foundation is a non-profit parrot sanctuary for over 150 parrots. Bob and Liz Johnson have created a ¼ acre enclosed mini rainforest so that the parrots live as closely as possible to the way nature intended them to live. Habitat Immersion is the term used to describe an environment like this and it is now practiced by most zoos. The birds at The Shyne Founation are flighted and enjoy fresh air, sunshine and rain. They interact with each other amongst the plants and trees, playing games, foraging, and demolishing foliage much as they would in the wild.

Many of the “behavior problems” created by keeping birds in captivity may simply vanish when they are allowed to express themselves as birds. Aggression, screaming and feather picking improve and the birds develop self confidence and autonomy. The most fascinating aspect of The Shyne Foundation's free flight, rainforest sanctuary is the relationship between the parrots and people. Liz Johnson explains how your relationship with your bird can reach new levels when your bird enjoys such self expression, because you become a co-inhabitant sharing their world, instead of a captor restricting their world.

Many people with companion birds aren’t able to duplicate what the Johnson’s are able to offer their parrots. However, even with small spaces and tight budgets, there is always something you can do to make your bird’s world more natural and allow more self-expression. Both you and the bird will benefit from it. The NaturalBird List was created specifically for the discussion of this subject.

For more information about The Shyne Foundation please visit their website at www.shynefoundation.org. The site includes photos, video, informative articles, and a description of the how they constructed their enclosure.