Meet the Parrots of Humphreys Half Moon Inn
San Diego’s Iconic Parrots: A Colorful Bunch
A little over twenty years ago, Humphreys Half Moon Inn welcomed our first avian friends to take up permanent residence. Parrots have since become as associated with Humphreys as Shelter Island sunsets and tropical drinks, and if you love chatty visitors, you’ve come to the right place.
Our Birds’ Background
Gregarious and exotic, it’s not clear where exactly San Diego’s parrot population migrated from. One theory says Northern Mexico, another that the current crop descends from hundreds of escaped or released birds from across California. Either way, the wild parrots of San Diego stay here year round—and we can’t blame them. Their excellent choice of location has much to do with the food supply: San Diego’s tropical terrain means seeds, fruit and nectar everywhere. Sadly, the large population means that many domestic parrots end up without homes, and are in danger of animal control.
Humphreys’ Family of Parrots
Humphreys’ parrots have all been adopted, so that we can do our part in giving San Diego’s beautiful birds forever homes. In 1997, we got military green macaw JJ (now 34 years old) and Juliet (60 when she passed two years ago) from a friend of our Chief Engineer. Our next addition, Zazu (now 9), came to us from the Parrot Education and Adoption Center (PEAC). Along with JJ, Zazu lives in our Chief Engineer’s workshop. The two have become inseparable since Zazu’s adoption, sleeping indoors and spending the days outdoors in good weather, living it up in their renovated Tiki hangout above the waterfall and koi pond. Zazu in particular regularly entertains guests and staff with his bilingual skills (“hi,” “hello,” and “hola”), and, if you tell him to “Stick ‘em up,” he’ll happily comply. Occasionally, JJ and Zazu get a bit too noisy, and earn themselves an early bedtime!
Humphreys Half Moon Inn’s avian residents are part of the unique charm of our Shelter Island hotel. Greet our feathered friends when you’re here, and enjoy their cheerful dispositions.