Jan and Bob had a sa国际传媒渓ove connectionsa国际传媒� the first time they met, but most days she wishes he would fly the coop.

sa国际传媒淎 lot of people cansa国际传媒檛 handle Bob, he will bite them,sa国际传媒� Jan Robson says as Bob nuzzles into her chest.

sa国际传媒淚 can pretty much flip him upside down, do anything, and he wonsa国际传媒檛 bite me. Thatsa国际传媒檚 not because Isa国际传媒檓 fabulous with parrots. Thatsa国际传媒檚 because Bob and I have something.sa国际传媒�

Bob is a peach-coloured moluccan cockatoo, and along with 94 other parrots including macaws and amazons, hesa国际传媒檚 awaiting adoption at the Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary. It opened in a warehouse on the east side of Vancouver in July 2016.

Almost 600 parrots were rescued from the World Parrot Refuge in Coombs, B.C., on Vancouver Island after the death of a woman who operated the facility. Bob and his buddies are among those still waiting for forever homes, as are about 30 other birds kept at a house south of the city, in Tsawwassen.

A lease for Bob and the gangsa国际传媒檚 current abode, in a building thatsa国际传媒檚 up for development, has been extended several times and is set to expire on Feb. 28 so Robson is hoping that every bird, even her favourite, will tug on someonesa国际传媒檚 heartstrings.

Bobsa国际传媒檚 canoodling with Robson, spokeswoman for the sanctuary, isnsa国际传媒檛 going over well with his mates, who protest loudly from their cages, their wood-block mobiles and paper-plate toys are no match for the strokes and smiles hesa国际传媒檚 getting from a human.

sa国际传媒淗i there!sa国际传媒� says Gwenevere, a cat-calling cockatoo who repeatedly twirls herself upside down in her cage as Bob laps up all the attention.

A plastic tarp separates the cockatoos, which are prone to dander, from the macaws and amazons being chatted up by volunteers as a cacophony of parrots takes over, with green-winged macaws named Simon and Garfunkel leading the pack.

Medical records werensa国际传媒檛 available for most of the rescued birds so Robson doesnsa国际传媒檛 know their ages. She says parrots are known to live for up to 80 years, meaning commitment phobics need not apply to adopt them.

Anyone who thinks a parrotsa国际传媒檚 main purpose is to entertain them with human chatter should consider another type of pet, Robson says, adding staff have discouraged some of the birds when they start up with their sa国际传媒減otty mouths.sa国际传媒�

People who value their furniture should also think twice about bringing a parrot into their home because the birds with strong beaks are known to peck away at mouldings, Robson says, describing them as sa国际传媒渄estructive,sa国际传媒� not to mention noisy.

sa国际传媒淢oluccan cockatoos have been measured as being as loud as jet engines,sa国际传媒� Robson says, adding Bob is sa国际传媒渆xquisitely loudsa国际传媒� when hesa国际传媒檚 not gazing into her eyes.

While parrots are sa国际传媒漚ttention junkiessa国际传媒� that squawk endlessly if they donsa国际传媒檛 get their fill of love, Robson says theysa国际传媒檙e also smart and have sa国际传媒渏oy packed into their little bodies.sa国际传媒�

Once an adoption application has been vetted, a phone interview and a home visit would follow, she says, adding people need to know what theysa国际传媒檙e getting into instead of passing a parrot off to someone else if they cansa国际传媒檛 handle it.

sa国际传媒淥n average, these guys will be in seven different homes in their lifetime. And for a creature that bonds really, really closely with its family, thatsa国际传媒檚 abusive.sa国际传媒�

Erika Condon, 20, a volunteer at the sanctuary, adopted a parrot named Elton a year and a half ago and renamed him Lincoln.

Condon would miss his charms after not seeing him for a week so she decided to take him home to Langley, B.C., where he has mostly kept quiet between cuddles, she says, adding Lincoln may be an older bird.

As for Robson, she once had such a fear of birds that shesa国际传媒檇 cross the street to avoid a pigeon.

When her partner moved in with two birds, she laid down the law and told him: sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 clean their cages, I donsa国际传媒檛 go near them, you donsa国际传媒檛 have them out when Isa国际传媒檓 home.sa国际传媒�

A maroon-bellied conure named Basil and Clancey the budgie took the opportunity to escape from their cages when Robson was alone with them. She locked herself in the bathroom, her heart pounding sa国际传媒�100 miles and hour.sa国际传媒�

The birds eventually won her over and now, 26 years later, Robson shares her home with six parrots.

Camille Bains, The Canadian Press

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