Sonny, a macaw, lives at Birdlove Avian Sanctuary "We laugh every single day," Jo Gore said. It's easy to find the humor in a home full of 34 feathered comedians.

Gore and her partner Rick McGee founded the BirdLove Avian Sanctuary in 1996 to provide a loving home for parrots of all sizes whose owners could no longer care for them. Their flock includes an assortment of cockatiels, parakeets, conures, macaws, amazons, and more.

One of their most vocal residents is a ten year old African Grey named Roscoe that was raised in a pool hall and boasts a wide vocabulary and song catalog. He loves to sing the first lines of "I've Been Working on the Railroad" capped off with a train whistle.

"He's been plucked since we got him," Gore said. "He probably always will be." Like many of the rescue birds that have found their way to BirdLove, Roscoe had self mutilated his feathers, a common symptom of a bird that has been abused or under stress.

One of the first birds you meet when entering BirdLove is Iago a four- year- old blue and gold macaw. He arrived in Gore and McGee's home with legs raw and bloody from mutilation.

"The vet wasn't even sure he'd survive," Gore said. For the first few weeks he was there, Iago slept in the bedroom and Gore put cream on his legs. "We thought he might never regrow the skin, but now he has all his feathers too."

Nestled off Pine Belt Road in Forest Acres, BirdLove looks like the average single- story brick home from the front, but in the back are several large outdoor aviaries.

Inside, the birds occupy more square footage than the human occupants taking up three large rooms, including the living room. During the day they hang out on top of their cages and watch cartoons.

"When I'm here they watch 'Gunsmoke' and 'Bonanza'," McGee joked.

One would think that with so many loud birds, the neighbors would complain, but it's actually the opposite. One of their neighbors brings over bags of unsalted peanuts while another enjoys sitting on his back porch listening to the birds chatter away.

Over their 17 years, Gore and McGee have found new homes for countless birds. "It's like an orphanage for birds," Gore said. "I try not to get too attached to any of them because it's too painful to see them go."

Although there are a few birds that the couple couldn't help but keep permanently. Nearly 20- year- old yellow- naped Amazon Doozer came to BirdLove about seven years ago and never left. A true entertainer, Doozer has a repertoire of tricks from imitating a bomb falling to singing the national anthem and imitating Count Dracula.

Many birds end up at BirdLove because new bird owners don't realize the time, expense, and noise level that comes with owning a pet parrot.

Approximately 10 to 16 million exotic birds are kept as pets in the US. A 2003 study by the National Parrot Relinquishment Research Project found that thousands of birds a year are given up for reasons ranging from behavioral problems and noise to expense.

A 501- (c)(3) non profit, BirdLove has a board of directors that includes two avian veterinarians. Gore and McGee also welcome a group of volunteers into their home to help with the upkeep of the birds.

Over the past few years Gore has undergone open heart surgery, back surgery, and a hip replacement. During that time McGee did most of the work with the help of the volunteers. His day begins around 8:30 am when he wakes up the birds with a breakfast of nuts and fruit, changes water dishes and the papers in the cages. In the evening the flock gets a meal made of a variety of ingredients from blueberry waffles to pasta and even tater tots.

"And no one goes to bed without a peanut," McGee said. "Sometimes they'll even say 'Peanut please.'"

Donors also give money each year to help cover veterinarian expenses and the Lafeber Company provides them with food, charging only the cost for shipping.

It takes a lot of time and devotion to care for so many winged companions, but Gore and McGee find the challenge worthwhile. "I love it all," Gore said. "They give so much back. They are just too wonderful."