Our story

How CWA Became a Rescue

By: Sarah Newberry, Founder 

When I was a little girl, my father bought a used camper from a family.  When he brought it home he realized that the camper came with much more than just the essentials for camping, it came with a nest full of starlings who had lost their mother in the move.  Not sure of what to do, my dad brought me (Sarah Newberry) the starlings and explained the situation. I was always a huge advocate for animals, so at the age of 6 years old, I fully accepted the challenge.

 I contacted my local vet (who now refers to me as Charlie Brown), and I began raising the 5 little pink birds in the nest. Long story short, after many sleepless nights of waking up for feedings and making sure their temperature was right, they grew and grew.  My dad and I taught them how to fly.  Funny thing is, even after we set them free, they would still fly on random neighbors’ shoulders demanding to be fed. Eventually, they learned that they were wild birds and all 5 stopped coming around. 

  Fast forward 15 years or so.  My love for birds was still very strong.  I ran across a Facebook ad about a female eclectus parrot that was for sale ($900.00).  She looked so beautiful in the ad.  I told my husband that I wanted to buy that bird.  When we went out to see her, she did not look like the same bird that was photographed in the ad; she was “broken.”   She had plucked most of her feathers out and she was shaking. Every time I approached her she tried to bite me. I was about to leave and leave her there.  I had no experience with parrots and thought that there was no way I could provide the help she needed. 

I was about to leave the home, when the parrot screamed and the lady smacked her cage and screamed, “Shut up, and called her curse words.  I turned around and the lady said, “If you want this (curse word) you can just have her.”  I couldn’t leave her there.  We loaded up her cage and began the life changing journey.

 With time, love, better diet, and proper care the parrot named, Ylang Ylang became a healthy fully feathered parrot again.  She will never be a “tame” bird because she has lost all trust for the human kind, but she will never be abused or neglected again. 

After a few months of having Ylang Ylang, I started a Facebook group called, CWA (Central Wyoming Aviary).  I started this page so I could find other people with parrots in my state.  I shared my story about Ylang Ylang and soon after, people were messaging me asking me to take their “broken” birds.  I began the process of rehabilitating their birds, and finding them new loving homes.

 Pretty soon, I had dozens of people messaging me from Wyoming and the surrounding states, so I started to recruit help.  Long story short, CWA became a 501 c3 avian rescue.  CWA has rescued and rehabilitated hundreds of parrots large and small.  CWA has several volunteers, fosters, and board members throughout the state of Wyoming.  I am very proud to be a part of such a wonderful group of people who are advocates for these abused, neglected, and unwanted parrots.