Urgent appeal · Active now

Save the world's most trafficked birds

Every year, tens of thousands of macaws, parakeets, and Amazon parrots are torn from the wild for the illegal pet trade. Help us grow the rescue network they desperately need.

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Rescued parrot in a quiet recovery enclosure after seizure

75,000+

Parrots trafficked annually

Planned programme countries

26%

Species threatened with extinction

50%

Die before reaching buyers

The Parrot Crisis

Parrots and macaws are among the most intelligent, long-lived, and socially complex creatures on earth. They are also among the most mercilessly exploited. The wild parrot trade drives capture, transport and sale of tens of thousands of birds per year across Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil and Indonesia.

Most birds die in transit. Those that survive are sold into private hands, often in terrible conditions, or seized by customs at ports and airports — only to discover there is nowhere suitable to take them.

WARN is building the infrastructure gap: triage centres, soft-release aviaries, species-appropriate sanctuary care, and rapid-response veterinary deployment at the point of seizure.

Step 1

Triage & Intake

First response when birds are seized. Fluids, antibiotics, quiet recovery boxes, veterinary assessment.

Step 2

Rehabilitation

Flight conditioning, natural foraging, social housing with conspecifics, preparation for soft release.

Step 3

Soft Release

Graduated reintroduction to protected wild habitat. Monitoring for 6–12 months post-release.

Step 4

Lifetime Sanctuary

For birds unable to return to the wild due to imprinting, injury, or species misidentification.

What Your Gift Does

£15

Triage Kit

Funds a single intake kit — fluids, antibiotics, and a quiet recovery box for a trafficked parrot arriving in shock.

£40

Soft-Release Aviary Day

Covers a day of food, enrichment, and aviary maintenance for parrots learning to fly and forage again.

£120

Customs Response

Helps fund a rapid-response veterinary deployment when a wildlife seizure happens at a regional airport or port.

Donate to the Parrot Appeal

Questions About This Appeal

Why parrots, and why now?

Parrots are among the most heavily trafficked wild birds on earth. Tens of thousands of macaws, parakeets, and Amazon parrots enter the illegal pet trade each year — many die before they ever reach a buyer. Survivors arrive at customs and rescue centres traumatised, malnourished, and often with clipped flight feathers. There is a critical shortage of triage capacity in the regions where the trade is most active.

Where does WARN's parrot work happen?

Our parrot programme operates across Colombia, Peru, and Indonesia — three of the most active source and transit regions for the wild parrot trade. We work with local sanctuaries, veterinary teams, and customs authorities so that seized birds have somewhere humane to go.

Can rescued parrots be returned to the wild?

Many can — but only with months of careful rehabilitation. Birds with intact flight feathers and natural behaviour can often be soft-released back into protected habitat. Birds raised in captivity, with clipped wings or severe imprinting, will need lifetime sanctuary care instead.

Is WARN operating?

Yes. WARN is an active global animal rescue charity. UK charity registration is in progress, and we publish our financials annually. Every donation goes directly to our parrot programme and the wider rescue network.