PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — We’ve all heard the saying, “Birds of a feather flock together,” but a couple in St. Pete takes it literally.
What started out as an exotic bird rescue mission for Kalesha Hazleton and Chris Field has become an educational experience for the Green and Yellow Macaw.
It all began when Hazleton stumbled upon a parrot named Simba in need of being rescued.
“He didn’t know how to fly, he couldn’t open his wings, he had a lot of scar tissue built up and arthritis from being in a small cage for so long,” said Hazleton.
So they rescued Simba, and now, four years later, the number of parrots living with them has quadrupled. The home is parrot-proof, from the living room to the kitchen and backyard.
The couple said one of the biggest challenges of raising exotic birds was figuring everything out independently.
“We started realizing that there isn’t a lot of good information out there to help us be able to train him and show him a good quality of life,” said Field.
That’s when they decided to start their own social media show, "Fids of Freedom."
“Fids stands for feathered kids, and of freedom, so obviously, we want to give our feathered kids the freedom to have flight and use their wings and be a bird,” said Hazleton.
They’ve made hundreds of educational and fun videos, everything from diet to games to bath time. Most of them shot at their own home or the local park. They are most proud of their pursuit of keeping birds free from flying.
“Just like it would be with your dog if you played fetch off-leash, it's the same exact concept; you are building that trust, you are training that dog to go and get that ball and come back to you,” said Hazleton.
They say the most rewarding part is the feedback they receive from bird owners all over the world.
“It’s really cool to see their enthusiasm of knowing that we are giving these birds a flighted life, and we get a lot of comments of, ‘oh my gosh, these birds are living their best life because they are able to fly and not kept in captivity in a cage,'" said Hazleton.
Field and Hazleton’s talent and dedication have even been recognized by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, where they will do fun and educational presentations every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday throughout July.
For more information on the couple, their videos can be found on most social media formats when you search Fids of Freedom.
