Who We Are

Richard and Margot chose Costa Rica because they found it to be so beautiful, with a great climate and very friendly people. This made their decision to stay

Richard came from Hollywood, California in the USA, and Margot was born in Germany but emigrated to the USA when she was 6. They met and were married in New York City in 1943.

Richard worked for Pan American Airways, based all around the world for 39 years. With three children, Richard and Margot inevitably ended up with a weird and wonderful collection of animals where-ever they lived. In Afghanistan, it was a deer and a wild hare and in Africa it was an otter. There was an ant-eater, a hornbill, a duiker and an african grey parrot in Nigeria and a three toed sloth and a pair of blue & gold macaws in British Guiana.

After living in various places around the world, Richard and Margot settled in Costa Rica in 1980. In 1986 they were credited as the first aviculturalists to breed macaws in Costa Rica. Their dream has become a reality at Amigos de las Aves

Amigos de las Aves was 'born' in 1992.

The organization concentrates on the conservation and the breeding of scarlet and great green macaws and furthermore in introducing them back into their native habitat in Costa Rica.

Amigos de las Aves and the official Release Programs of Amigos de las Aves in Costa Rica, www.amigosdelasavescostarica.org and www.hatchedtoflyfree.org are not affiliated or associated with any other company, organisation or association, by name or in any other country.