Peaceful and relaxing even though the birds can be loud. The staff was awesome very helpful and caring.

Oddly, I was only able to find this place in a search for things to do for kids in San Diego on TripAdvisor, I think it was... We had a few hours to kill and were down in this neck of the woods so we stopped in to check out the birds. Timidly, we walked in not knowing what to expect. The docents and volunteers were happy to walk you around and introduce you to the birds. It was an interesting place, in that some of these birds were not exactly nice. You had to be confident, but smart about it. I got nipped a few times...nothing bad- just enough to get the message that the particular bird didn't care to be petted/touched/held/etc... but some were, for lack of better explanation, loving. They're temperamental in that some prefer men, some prefer women, some prefer children, you get the idea. But when you found one that liked you, it was fascinating to talk to them and have them interact, have them preen you, dance on your arm, and in my case, get regurgitated upon (I was told that bird had just "adopted me", so I should be flattered). That was Timmy. And he wasn't for adoption. I checked. His female counterpart, Luna, was almost as loving, but preferred my son. Many of the birds are sitting on their perches and you can walk right up to them and interact. Some are in cages, and as long as the cages don't have a padlock on them, you're welcome to (cautiously) open the cage and see if the bird would like to be held. And don't let them climb on your shoulders. Miss Kitty will do this, and will this get you in trouble (it's a sign of dominance and they can easily nip at your face, I later learned). We overstayed our welcome a bit and I promised to take the kids back as soon as we could manage. We have already discussed an annual membership and when my kids are old enough, becoming volunteers. Talk about a find! read more

Free Flight - Holding Luna... - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

This place is awesome!!! My father, grandmother, and I all visited free flight on 4/24/21. I was expecting to only get to see a couple birds but when we arrived we were surprised to see so many birds hanging out in the front! The day prior i had messaged a woman named Diane with a few questions. She was very helpful and knew exactly who i was when we arrived. I have experience with birds and know quite a few of the different breeds so we didn't do the whole learning experience. Another family had come a while after us with two children wanting to learn and Diane was so informative and made sure to get the kids engaged. I had mostly come to see the 4 conures they had and i was very surprised when a caique seemed to take a liking to me and i spent most of my time with him. Along with Diane was a man named Brian who was very attentive and and kind. I cannot express how much i enjoyed our trip. Although you cannot hold or pet the birds at the moment due to quarantine rules, it is still such an amazing experience to go see and feed the different birds. I am absolutely in love with this place and promised Diane i would come back again if possible. I was to specifically acknowledge how kind and helpful and fun Diane is. She seems to be the main person keeping this place interactive and alive! I absolutely love the birds and Diana's excitement and love for the birds as well as teaching. She is truly a kind and amazing educator. I live pretty far away but i will be visiting again someday. read more

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Fantastic experience seeing these beautiful birds up close. Staff was very helpful and kind. We would go back anytime we are in the area. read more

Free Flight - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

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Absolutely a great stop to make during a whirlwind Saturday. Free flight features a host of exotic birds available for interaction. Touching any given bird seems to be something of a roulette, some are more friendly than others, but the staff are very knowledgeable about which birds need more space and which ones love interaction. Just be respectful of what the birds are trying to tell you (either physically or verbally). Many of the birds might even try to talk to you from within their cages. Even birds which don't want to be touched can still usually be fed, so you can greatly increase the number of birds you can interact with by paying a modest 50 cents for a bowl of food. There are rules associated with the sanctuary, but that's to be expected when dealing with exotic animals, especially highly intelligent ones (which can supply a lot of bite force...) Oddly enough, the space is also very conducive to meeting other people - it's cool to see kids interact with something like a parrot for the first time, or see someone who's nervous around animals gradually step outside their comfort zone. read more

"Polly want a cracker?" While on the lookout for date ideas on Groupon, I came across an ad for $5 for admission for 2 to the Free Flight bird sanctuary in Del Mar. As I hadn't heard of the place before - plus, c'mon, $5 admission for 2 people! - I thought it was a good idea to check out the place. Although Free Flight is a bit on the small side, parking is tight, and some of the birds have plucked out their own feathers (one reason may be due to stress - most if not all of the exotic birds are rescues from owners that could no longer care for them)... WOW, the place is one of the most hidden gems in San Diego County! The birds are quite beautiful to see in person - most of their flight feathers are clipped, so they don't fly away. They're also friendly; pay .50 per scoop of bird food (fruits and veggies, no crackers) and you can feed them from the bowl or from your fingers. Kathy and I were impressed with how some of them would take a large piece of fruit from our fingers, put it in one of their claws, and nibble on it. While I would've liked to have one climb on my arm, their claws and beaks were huge and sharp that I was a little afraid to do so. And, of course, a lot of the parrots and macaws would go, "Hello!" - one cockatoo even did a wolf whistle to my girlfriend! Additionally, there's a koi pond full of large koi swimming about - you can pay 25 cents for a scoop of fish food, and watch them swarm as you feed them. I'd like to see this bird sanctuary grow and expand, so come on out to Free Flight and bring the kids - they'll love it! (Or if you don't have kids, it's still a good place to bring a date for an hour or so!) read more

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What a hidden gem! Beautiful birds, knowledgeable staff, great for kids and adults alike. Sensible COVID protocols in place. A wonderful outdoor activity! read more

I didn't go to Free Flight to visit a "Bird Petting Zoo" or an "Open Bird Sanctuary" . Although for the nominal fee of $7.00 it was not bad, and I would have rated it 4 to 5 stars to experience this place as an outing with my kids to look at some parrots, maybe touch one or two and be able to ask questions. I came here to inquire about adopting a pet parrot. I'm constantly hearing "Don't buy from a pet shop, adopt". So coming here for that purpose is a little disappointing. You walk around and you're unsure which birds are available for adoption and which are not. Most birds are not. Most are either their "forever Ambassadors", are just arrived and haven't been there for their required one year stay there (yes, ONE YEAR), or it's not available if it's being boarded there. But again, you don't know because there aren't any signs. Basically, if you find a friendly bird, it's not available for adoption, but if it's plucking, stand offish and bites it's available, but you can't take it home until you've continued to visit and revisit, paying and repaying the $7.00 entry fee plus paying for food/treats to feed the bird as you're trying to bond with it. And lastly, paying $500.00 for the adoption fee. I was told it takes from two to six months of visiting the bird you're interested in before the staff determine if you are the right match for the bird (I wonder if it takes two to six months to figure out if the bird is actually available for adoption). I was interested in a sun and jenday conure they had there, and after asking many questions from volunteers. I held them, I even kissed them. Really cute. But then when I asked a lady who seemed to be more in charge because she was older and preparing the cut veggies/fruits, she tells me the conures haven't been there a year yet. I then asked how long until they're available, or when had they arrived, the lady didn't didn't know the answer. She said she doesn't work in adoptions, that everyone works in a different department (what, there is no way to look up the information? Is that code for, I don't want to bother checking for you?). So as an adoption organization, I'll pass. This place is more geared to wanting their entry fees for a petting zoo rather than finding homes for neglected birds. I'll see about other places in the county or jstick to buying my pets from pet shops or breeders. I think this place has has less motivation to be about adopting and more motivation to be a "sanctuary" to take in fees as a petting zoo. And that's ok, but whatever you to do it week. If you have a process by which you're able to offer parrots for adoption, great. But you don't seem to have a good process, not from the standpoint of a newcomer. Lastly, the name of the sanctuary is Free Flight. Why? The term "Free Flight" for pet parrots has come to stand for a long process of training your bird (and yourself) with Operant Conditioning to fly free in the open air and return (recall) to you. This is something you can't just pick up on how to do from YouTube videos. You need to do lots of research, training and take courses under a mentor/teacher with lots of experience. When speaking with a volunteer there, they are completely against letting any of their bird's grow out their wings. They only believe in keeping wings clipped which is ok, everyone has different reasons for making their choices but after talking to a staff member there, it seemed they were quite judgmental of the idea of anybody else free flighting ybird. read more

Great find on my way to walking into the Racetrack. Though they were just getting ready to put their birds away for the night, I was able to check out some awesome parrots, conures, and other exotic birds. There is nice landscaping and lots of shade and trees so the birds feel safe and are very friendly too. Since these are birds that have given up for adoption or used specifically for over-breeding, it's nice to see that they now have a good home here at Free Flight. The koi pond adjacent to the fence is also fun to see and it reminded me of the Koi Pond at the Byodo-in Temple on Oahu in Kaneohe, Hawaii. Loads of a variety of koi swimming around and looking hungry! I cannot speak highly enough of Free Flight and recommend this as an inexpensive summer activity for parents with little kids that need something stimulating to do during the long, hot dog days of summer! read more

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I'm not the biggest bird fan but I wanted to come here anyway and I'm glad I did. I could beleive they accept debit cards which was great. You do have to pay a small fee to enter and then another small fee to feed the bird some mixed fruits. I really love how much shade they have from the trees. Oh before I go on please make a donantion. So this place can get pretty crowded and because of that the parking kind of sucks. There are some birds you can touch and some you cannot. This may not be the best place for young kids who do not listen to their parents. I saw one little girl get snapped at by a bird that had a nice size beak but she wasn't crying. So parents if you know you have a bad ass child don't bring them here. read more

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I LOVE VISITING FREE FLIGHT! I used to work with exotic birds at an animal park in Florida. I love being able to socialize with the birds and give them the attention that they need and deserve. This is such a beautiful opportunity for people to learn about bird companions and how to care for them and treat them appropriately. Too many people get in over their heads when they try to live with medium or large size birds. Treat yourself with a visit! read more

As a parrot owner (Cockatiel and Sun Conure) I couldn't wait to visit this place. Drove from San Diego to Del Mar to see my fav Eclectus and Hyacinth Macaw. Beautiful birds! Enjoyed petting an African Grey who climbed on my shoulder and gave me "phone ring" like sound and "Hello!" Very friendly and welcoming staff is a great plus as well. Overall, was very happy with this place and would visit it again and again! And hope I will adapt an Eclectus one day :) read more

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This is a wonderful little rescue; if you are in the area and curious about birds or love our feathered friends, I highly encourage you to make an appointment to stop in. You get to feed the birds safely and the staff are friendly and there to answer all your questions. We had a delightful time with my 10 year old daughter who absolutely enjoyed feeding all the variety of birds there from small conures to the large macaws. They offer a summer camp as well we'd love to take part but don't live in the area but am mentioning here for those that do! read more

Free Flight - Lunchtime! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

Stopped by to visit these gorgeous and exotic birds in Del Mar area. Adults $7 Children 12 and under $3 Once inside, there is a variety of beautiful birds some of which are sheltered since they lost their home. They take care of them and give them a home and love the birds need. Found out they also have some available for adoption. Enjoyed feeding the fish for .25 cents a scoop of food. read more

Free Flight - Baby bird! you just fall in love with him - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

Stopped here on our way to San Diego. What a great little spot to interact with these absolutely beautiful creatures. Super friendly birds and staff. My girls spent about an hour feeding all the birds and it's only 50 cents to get a scoop of food....can't beat that! My girls are already asking to go back again! read more

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Donations $5 for adults. Any closer you cannot get to these birds. So much fun to hold, feed, play & talk to the birds. So loud in there ;-) great to get to know the birds history - they all are rejects from previous owners.... Hard to leave without adopting one read more

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This place was so cute and really fun. The staff was friendly and you got your own personal tour with your group because of what is going on. The birds were really friendly and talkative. Overall I would definitely recommend the visit. read more

Such a hidden gem! Felt super safe during Covid times and so nice to be able to take the kids somewhere different. Highly recommend!

This place is smaller than I thought it would be but it was still a cool little spot to waste an hour or so. You can buy some food to feed the birds or the fish in the pond (and it all goes back to help the birds and fish) and you can pet the birds if they'll let you BUT BE CAREFUL THEY WILL BITE, I KNOW BECAUSE ONE BIT ME! so it might not be a good idea to have little kids go straight for a bird without help from the staff, the staff are all SUPER knowledgeable and its great what they're doing to help out the birds. Go check it out with your kids, they'll love it!! read more

Free Flight - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

My boyfriend and I love this place!! We have a green cheek conure at home, so when he comes to visit me in SD, we always come to this place to check out other birds. He loves the sun conure couple! I love the umbrella cockatoos! The first time I came here which was a few months ago, I couldn't stop holding this cockatoo. He was so friendly and so cuddly, if I could, I would've adopted him right away! But the last time we came here, he was either in the back or someone adopted him already. ): Same with one chubby sun conure that my boyfriend loved. I'm glad they got adopted, but at the same time, sad cause now we won't be able to see them! read more

Free Flight - Me and the cuddly umbrella cockatoo! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

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what a surprise and fun place. I was reluctant when my lovely wife suggested to check out this bird sanctuary but man I had so much fun. It always amazes me how ignorant I'm about how smart animals are how much they actually like the interaction with humans. Great place for anybody who loves or not loves animals. read more

I was driving home yesterday & saw Free Flight, I immediately made a U turn and headed over. I quickly booked my appointment online and then headed in. It was so much fun!!! I had some great conversations with parrots that cracked me up. Such a unique experience read more

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It was a ton of fun for the whole family! We all had a better time than we would have even imagined. The birds are all such cool characters and each have their own catch phrases. It's a perfect outing and we are all fortunate for the work that they do! read more

Very cool place! Lots of beautiful and smart birds. Had tons of fun and laughs trying to figure out what some of the birds were saying. If your in the area you have to pop in! read more

Free Flight - This guy was too cute! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

Great Experience! If it's to cold, they will have the small birds put away. The larger birds are out but unfortunate for my 5 year old as she was unable to hold one. However, she was still able to feed the birds that were available and pet some. Definitely a must if you're a local or in town visiting San Diego. Kid-friendly with friendly staff and regulars. We learned some of the exotic birds can be adopted. Thank you for a wonderful experience and we'll be returning. read more

For anyone who loves birds or animals, visiting Free Flight is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, totally willing to tell you all about the birds and help you hold them. The birds themselves are amazing! So many will talk, sing, dance and even sit on your arm- which is an amazing experience for adults and kids alike. For those who are nervous to hold the birds, you can feed them, or hold birds that have been trained to work with nervous people and children. As long as you follow the advice of staff and treat the birds with respect, they are gentle and fun. The people who have issues here are the people that are rough and agressive with the birds, or they ignore the advice of the staff and interact with birds that are off limits. As long as you use common sense, Free Flight is an incredible experience for people of all ages. read more

Cool place! We were a little scared of the birds at first but had a great time. Pretty small and had a hard time finding a parking spot, but it was still worth it and a good memory for the whole family. The toddlers favorite thing was feeding the coy fish. read more

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Love this place! We made reservations the night before. Got there right at 11am and they were ready for us. We went with our 15 year old and 9 m old. They both had so much fun! The birds are so beautiful and happy. The sweet lady giving us our tour was so friendly and knowledgeable. We will for sure become members and visit Free Flight often! Thank you! read more

My boyfriend, brother, and I had a wonderful time here at Free Flight. The staff was very helpful during our visit. If I could remember the name of the lady that was helping us the entire time I would recommend a mini tour with her. She answered every question and was patient with my 7 year old brother. I came right when they opened to avoid the large crowds. It was perfect timing because there was parking and they were able to check us in right away. Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for kids under 12. Very inexpensive family fun! Half the birds were just for looks because they were either taking care of them for other people or very aggressive birds, but the other half you were able to hold and pet. The place is rather small and we spent about an hour and a half walking around. The entire time I felt at ease and I was in a comfortable environment. I can't wait to come back! read more

Free Flight - My brother loved this place! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

Free Flight has been one of our most favorite places to visit for decades. It was always a highlight to see Abbey, the Hyacinth Macaw, and all the other beautiful parrots and exotic birds. Their personalities are each unique. We moved out of the area and happened to be in town celebrating our anniversary. We reached out and Susy was able to schedule us without a hitch. She led us through a tour and was so friendly, informative, and engaging. Susy brings out the best of each of the wonderful birds there and knows how to showcase their strengths, talents, and personalities. We loved visiting there again and plan to come back. read more

Free Flight - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

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Awesome tour and the tour guide was very knowledgeable and caring you could tell the birds were very happy to be handled by the tour guide. I would suggest to any parrot lovers. read more

We visited the Free Flight Sanctuary for the first time today. We have two macaws, nine cockatiels, and two lovebirds, so we obviously love birds. We stayed for over an hour playing with and feeding the birds. The staff was helpful and knowledgeable, and the birds were well cared for. I plan to return. read more

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Fun, interactive, and inexpensive! The staff was knowledgeable and kind. A unique experience for both adults and kids. Convenient free parking, too! read more

Awesome place! We took our grandkiddos (ages 4 & 6) and it was a perfect activity for them. Lots of friendly & informative volunteers to help us with getting the birds out of their cages & teaching us about them. Very reasonable admission price & generous bowls of food to feed them. What a hidden gem! We spent about an hour in the late afternoon. read more

Free Flight - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

This place is filled with many beautiful birds. My daughter and I absolutely loved this experience and would love to go back again someday.

Free Flight is an amazing bird sanctuary located in Del Mar just seconds from the Del Mar Race Track. My husband and I spent 2 hours there visiting with all of the beautiful birds and many of the parrots and macaws will sit on your arm. You can buy food to feed the birds. It is a wonderful place to visit and learn about the magnificent array of birds living there. read more

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As someone who loves birds I was thrilled with my visit to the Free Flight exotic bird sanctuary. It's important to temper your expectations about what this place is. It's not a mega animal attraction. It's a non-profit animal sanctuary dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and adopting exotic birds. The location is a fenced in area next to a veterinarian's office. It costs a nominal fee to enter and then you can walk amongst the birds. Some are in cages and some are sitting out on branches. You can buy food to offer the birds. For visitors it's fun to interact with birds but it actually serves a purpose. Having new people constantly interacting with the birds helps socialize them. If the cages don't have a lock on them you're allowed to open them. If you're concerned about getting bitten the staff is more than happy to suggest which birds are friendlier and will put them on your arm for you. It was so interesting to hear the stories about some of the birds. There was a large red macaw by the entrance that was a sweetheart. I kept going back to him and putting him on my arm because it was so much fun. You're supposed to discourage the birds from climbing onto your shoulder but one cockatoo ran up my arm and went onto my back and started bonking me on the back of the head. What a ham! The owner of a another cockatoo named Kiki showed us just how smart these birds are. Kiki had learned how to open the gate to the sanctuary on her own! I could go on and on with stories about other birds but you get the picture. We had fun and our admission helped animals. If it's cold, windy, or rainy make sure that you call ahead to see if the birds will be out that day. read more

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We loved our tour of Free Flight! The team is very accommodating (I went with my very eager 3 year old) and knowledgeable. We learned all about each bird's personality, likes and dislikes. I highly recommend this place. read more

Free Flight - Feeding the birdies - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

We had a wonderful visit here! The birds are incredibly sweet and have a lot of personality. We enjoyed learning about them and getting to feed them. read more

Great little pretty sanctuary with plenty of birds to interact with. You make an appointment and pay the small fee on their website. They give you a bowl of food to feed most of the birds. We really enjoyed feeding the birds, talking to them and just watching them be themselves. I must mention the beautiful coi pond with a lot of huge gorgeous coi fishes. read more