Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary in Del Mar

All summer long I have been wanting to take a road trip down to San Diego.  There are many unique places to visit and numerous activities for families to do.  You can easily spend an entire week exploring the area and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!  Last Friday, I finally had a chance to pack up the kids and head down to San Diego to explore a few tourist destinations.  Our first stop was a visit to Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary in Del Mar, California.

Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary was originally established in 1981 as a boarding and breeding facility by Dr. Robert Stonebreaker.  However, after sometime Dr. Stonebreaker noticed that some of his clients were unable to care for the birds and brought them back to him.  Hence, Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary eventually evolved into a one of a kind exotic bird sanctuary in San Diego where birds and people interact together.

Dr. Stonebreaker dedicated his entire career to providing a special and unique environment that would create awareness and encourage public interaction with their exotic birds.  Over the years, many birds have come to Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary and have been given a second chance to find a new life and special home.

Visitors to Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary see first hand all the love and care that their dedicated staff and volunteers provide the parrots.  They adore them and it is evident everywhere you go throughout the bird sanctuary.  Most of the parrots that we met were happy and enjoyed interacting with people.  On the other hand, a few of them were a bit stand offish, but that’s normal with any type of animal species.  The volunteers gladly showed us which parrots were friendly and liked to be held and which ones didn’t.

Feed the Parrots at Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary

For .50 a scoop, visitors are welcome to feed the parrots.  Each bird has their personal preference in regards to what they like to eat.  Some like tropical fruit, while others prefer vegetables such as brocoli.

Field Trip Boy immediately bonded with a parrot named Birdie, a beautiful yellow bird.

Field Trip Girl and I were mesmerized by this little green parrot that loved to talk.  Take a listen!

I also fell in love with this beautiful white parrot that enjoyed sitting on my arm and dancing.  Each parrot truly has their own personality at First Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary.

Field Trips to the Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary in Del Mar

Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary offers field trips for schools groups, homeschoolers and scout troops year round.  The cost is $7 per person and includes a personal tour of the facility and the opportunity to feed the birds and fish in their koi pond.

Admission Prices and Deals to Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary

Regular admission to Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary is $5 for adults and $2 for children.  Sometimes you can find great deals on Groupon such as these current offers:

Choose from Five Options

• $5 for Self-­Guided Admission for Two Adults ($10 value)
• $10 for Self-­Guided Admission for Four Adults ($20 value)
• $30 for Admission with 15-Minute Guided Tour for a Group Up to Four People ($60 value)
• $20 for Single Person 1-Year Membership ($40 value)
• $47 for 1 -Year Family Membership, Valid for Two Adults & Two Children ($95 value)

So the next time you are in North San Diego County, swing by the Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary in Del Marc to visit the parrots.  The parrots will appreciate it and so will you!

Happy Field Tripping!

Jilleen