Hi, my name is Sharon Markland. I am the founder and director of Magnolia Exotic Bird Sanctuary.
 

My love of birds began in 1987. My husband at the time was in a pet store and saw a beautiful bird that he thought we needed. He had no idea what it was, but he was determined to have it. He put the bird on layaway to give me time to go see him. It turned out to be a stunning Moluccan Cockatoo. At our first meeting, they put us in a room with the bird by ourselves, and he proceeded to climb up my leg. Needless to say, that didn’t go so well. I screamed and kicked my leg out to get him off. He started screaming so loudly that the store attendant finally came back and got him. My husband felt sorry for the bird because he was in a very tiny cage, so we kept him on layaway. About a month into the layaway, the store called us and said, “If you want this bird, you have to come get him right now, or we’re going to put him down.” They explained that he had escaped from his cage and freed every other bird in the store. When they opened the store the next morning there were birds flying all over the mall. We brought him home that day and we named him Sammy.

 

We had no cage for him so my husband said I’ll just build him a cage. Well, that didn’t go so well either. The first night in the cage, Sammy managed to remove one of the sides. The next morning he was standing on top of the cage, screaming at me. 

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He did a lot of screaming. He was loud and demanding and I had no idea what to do with him.

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At that time, there was no internet to turn to for help, so I was on my own. Over time, we became best friends. He was intelligent, affectionate and had a personality that was infectious. Little did I know at the time that this bond with one bird would eventually snowball into what I do today. The journey was slow, but I know Sammy was behind it every step of the way.

 

I decided that I wanted to breed birds, so in 1988, I bought my first pairs of cockatiels. That was going well, so I bought a couple pairs of the bigger birds. Things continued to go well, but I needed a place to sell the babies, so in 1999, I opened a pet store just for birds. Now I’m dealing with the general public and began to see the darker side of this industry. I started hearing stories of people keeping their birds in the garage with no heat or AC because they were too messy to keep in the house, or leaving them on the porch with no protection from the elements, or only feeding an African grey parakeet seed. I soon realized that, no matter how hard I tried to educate the people buying my babies, this could be happening to them.

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In 2004, I gave the store to my partner and retired all of my breeders. From that day forward, I promised the birds that came into my care that they would live as freely as possible with their own kind, so they could heal and would never have to deal with a human unless they wanted to.

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​In 2014 Magnolia Exotic Bird Sanctuary received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Our board consists of myself, my brother, RIck, and my sister, Candace, all of whom are deeply committed to the welfare of the birds in our care. We receive no compensation for our work; it’s truly a labor of love. Along with our spouses, one part-time worker, and six dedicated volunteers, we take care of 170 birds. Our sanctuary sits on 1 ½ acres and has grown to include 10 aviaries and 8 buildings on the property, all designed to provide the best possible environment for our flock.

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Running a bird sanctuary of this scale is not without challenges. The ongoing costs of food, medical care from avian-certified vets, electricity, water and maintenance are substantial, but we are committed to providing these birds with the highest standard of care. The sanctuary also serves as a place of refuge during emergencies. We provide emergency services for hurricanes, floods, fires, evictions and deaths of owners. In some cases, we have helped women who needed to flee their homes due to abusive spouses, offering their birds a safe place during incredibly difficult times.

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We provide adoption services for parrots who have lived in loving and caring homes whose owners can no longer take care of them. Many of these requests come from the Baby Boomers or their families who need to find a safe place for their pets. These owners are often moving to assisted living, facing hospitalization, or have passed away, leaving behind their beloved pets. Sadly, in many cases, their children do not want to take on the responsibility of caring for these long-lived animals.

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At Magnolia Exotic Bird Sanctuary, our mission is not just about rescuing and rehoming parrots, it’s about educating the public and advocating for better treatment and understanding of these incredible creatures. Parrots are not just pets — they are living beings with complex emotional and social needs. They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, and it is our goal to ensure that as many parrots as possible can live out their lives in peace, free from the neglect and abuse that so many have suffered.

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So that bond I had with that one bird is why I do what I do today.