I get such a thrill out of discovering “hidden gems” during my travels. In many cases, they come from small family or private-owned businesses that don’t get a lot of attention but offer excellent service or experiences. I also love it when the attraction has a unique twist on something that catches me totally by surprise. One of these gems I came across was Uncle Sandy’s Macaw Bird Park in Pensacola, Florida.
Now, if you don’t like birds, well, you’re missing out. But if you enjoy exotic birds of all sizes, the chance to get up close and feed them, and a down-to-earth experience, keep reading!
This was such a fun adventure for so many reasons. I loved the wide variety of birds, the interaction, the affordable price, and the fantastic homemade aviaries. It was unlike anything I’d done before and so much more interactive than your standard zoo experience.
Plus, the entire organization is for a great cause, and I’m always happy to support and visit a nonprofit dedicated to helping animals!
About the Bird Park
Uncle Sandy’s Macaw Bird Park is a non-profit organization dedicated to Sandy Kirkconnell (a.k.a. Uncle Sandy).
Uncle Sandy built an aviary in his backyard for his beloved macaws, and they soon became a neighborhood attraction! Before long, other birds started appearing on his doorstep when owners could no longer care for them.
Uncle Sandy took in every bird and turned his home into a giant sanctuary for them. After he died in 2013, volunteers took over in his place and established the bird park to continue caring for all these beautiful creatures.
Today, the park provides a unique home for dozens of gorgeous birds of all species. They accept all pet birds in need of a new home and care for them with the help of donations and the small admission fee.
Many of the birds they receive have been neglected or injured, but the staff takes excellent care of all the park’s feathered residents.
It’s truly a one-of-a-kind experience and an amazing organization!
What to Know Before You Visit
A visit to Uncle Sandy’s Macaw Bird Park is pretty straightforward, but here are all the FAQs for your visit!
How much does it cost?
Admission is $5 per adult (13 and up), $2 for children over 7, and free for kids 6 and under!
They also offer $1 off admission for groups of 15 or more, as well as military members and their families.
It’s a fantastic price for the experience, and it comes with a cup of peanuts to feed the birds!
*Uncle Sandy’s only accepts cash, so come prepared!
What should I wear?
Most of the birds are in large aviaries or birdcages, so you don’t have to worry about them flying overhead. However, several peacocks parade the grounds, and you’ll be walking primarily on backyard terrain, so I would recommend close-toed shoes.
Otherwise, just be comfortable!
Where is it located?
Uncle Sandy’s is literally located in the middle of a neighborhood, so don’t worry if you feel like you’re in the wrong place at first!
Address: 9513 N Palafox St, Pensacola, FL 32534
There is a big sign on the outer fence, so that will help you find the correct driveway.
When can I visit?
The park is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm, Thursday to Monday.
Why I Love Uncle Sandy’s Bird Park
From the moment I drove into the parking lot, I knew this was going to be unique. How unique, I wasn’t entirely sure at first! But when you’re immediately greeted by a fanfare of tropical birds as soon as you exit your vehicle, you know it’s going to be good!
The volunteer staff is amazing
The bird park is run entirely by volunteers, and they do a tremendous job taking care of the birds and their guests.
I came with a small group, and we were greeted with big smiles and a brief introduction to some of the birds hanging out in the front office.
Throughout our tour, the volunteers were quick to answer questions and offer fun facts about the different birds around the park. It was also sweet to see how much they loved the individual birds and knew each one by name–and even personality!
The exhibits are super innovative
One of the things that immediately caught my attention was the variety of aviaries around the park. All of the larger birds were housed in large, homemade aviaries made with everyday backyard items.
It was so cool to see how the foundation repurposed everything to create unique habitats for all their different birds!
Barrels hung from the aviary ceilings became cozy nests, chicken wire and chain-link fences allowed for open-air walls, PVC pipes and old branches turned into perches, and old sinks served as food and water dishes!
The whole aesthetic was just so homey and fun, and you could tell the birds loved their special homes. They even had toys hanging from the ceilings and perches for the birds to enjoy.
These homemade aviaries were obviously made with care and were one of the things that made the visit completely unique. Plus, I appreciated their ingenious recreations of what most people perceive as junk.
There are so many gorgeous birds!
The foundation takes in as many birds as they can as a charity, which means that there’s a massive variety on site.
They have everything from tiny little budgies to an emu (who you can feed btw)!
From the moment you step in the backyard, you hear a constant chorus of chirps, whistles, caws, and screeches, and you also see an ever-changing rainbow of feathers.
Everywhere you turn, there’s a new exhibit with another friendly (or sassy) face inside.
Here are just a few of the birds I remember seeing on-site (and there are probably plenty more that I forgot):
- African Gray Parrot
- Blue and Gold Macaws
- Budgies
- Cockatiels
- Cockatoos
- Amazon Parrot
- Indian Ring-Necked Parakeet
- Conures
- Emu
- Turkey
- Indian Peacocks (white and blue)
- Green-Winged Macaws
- Hahn’s Macaw
- Lovebirds
As you can see, the bird park is willing to help all the birds they can, and it makes for an incredibly fun tour!
The birds have personality
When I say personality, I mostly mean sass!
Many of the birds loved the attention we gave them and would eagerly wait at the front of their aviaries for us to feed them peanuts.
My favorite bird, however, was Lulu. This sassy-pants cockatoo had an attitude a mile long and an impressive vocabulary to go with it!
In this video below, we had just given her four peanuts–each of which she took then purposely dropped on the ground to taunt us! After the 4th peanut, she danced and laughed at us!
I literally can’t say enough good things about this fantastic place. Uncle Sandy’s Macaw Bird Park is such a unique and inviting attraction that I would love to visit again.
If you’re ever visiting Pensacola (or you live there), be sure to take some time to go visit the birds and support the organization.
It only takes an hour and a half to explore, and I guarantee you’ll come away with a big smile on your face!
And if you’re lucky, you may even get to hold a bird in the office on your way out!
Closing Thoughts on Uncle Sandy’s Bird Park
Thanks for stopping by the Mandala Traveler this week to read all about Uncle Sandy’s! I hope you enjoyed all the fun pics and have added this hidden gem to your bucket list!
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