Suzanne Cordrey, Feathered Friends Manager

Suzanne Cordrey is the manager of Parrot Garden, where all the exotic birds (parrots) live. Before coming to Best Friends, Suzanne volunteered at a wildlife rehabilitation center in Taos, New Mexico, for 15 years. Since parrots are really wild birds living in captivity, Suzanne's experience with wildlife gave her the perfect background for working with parrots. Before she became the manager of Feathered Friends in 2003, Suzanne worked first as a bird caregiver and then as a tour guide, which gave her a good understanding and deep appreciation of the nature of the sanctuary as a whole.

Originally from Ohio, Suzanne has spent her adult life in the West. Her love of animals and all of nature inspired her to travel extensively around the world to experience the incredible diversity of life on this planet. She has a special affinity for birds. "I have been in love with parrots since I saw them flying free above the Amazon River," Suzanne says.