parrotLife_Printers-3 (Page 1) - Rolf C. Hagen Inc.

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No one had any inkling
of what was to come when lightning struck
a tree at Squally Point near the south end
of Okanagan Lake in August 2003.
Musical sounds issue from the long, large buildings on the
Stienstra property – a woodsy, secluded ten-acre plot hidden
in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. The whistles and
squeaks are only occasionally broken by a passing car, so
sheltered is their home. It sounds somewhat like a tropical
rainforest so striking are the calls.
On any given day you’ll find the Stienstras hard at work with
CANADIAN BREEDER
Bill Stienstra – A Bird Breeder Above the Rest
their birds, their life. It consumes their
nearly every waking moment. It’s an
exhausting effort, but they wouldn’t have
it any other way. It’s the way they’ve
always done things.
Bill’s love of birds began at an early age,
when he was growing up in Holland. His
father Tom raised canaries, and Bill as a
young lad was hooked. As an adult in
Canada Bill worked at construction for
many years. When wife Shelagh entered
the scene and the couple had their son Tom, Bill’s love of birds
was reawakened. They began to successfully breed canaries
and then moved on to budgies and cockatiels. In time, they
acquired African parrots and Amazons, which is what they
have now. Eventually their aviaries grew larger, and with this,
their status as reputable breeders grew as well. The Stienstra
babies captivate people across Canada.