Less Than Perfect, Perfectly Wild: Dynamite’s Story

Every time we share a photo of Dynamite, someone asks what happened to his beak — so here’s the full story.

Back in early 2019, Dynamite was first spotted by the Wasserman siblings, Bill and Linda, at the BBR verandah feeder. He was in terrible shape. As Oscar put it, it looked as though his beak had been blown up.

He was a young, wild bird - extremely nervous but clearly struggling. He’d come to the feeders out of desperation, and we were able to gently sneak up on him and scoop him with a towel. At Animal Medical Centre, the vets removed the worst of the damaged tissue, and from there it was up to him to heal and adapt.

Life in the enclosure never suited him. He would ping from side to side whenever anyone approached and never truly settled. But slowly he began to compensate. His beak grew tidier and less painful, and he learned to manage most foods in the dish, even cracking sunflower seeds.

We received our fair share of criticism for releasing him, but it was clear he was never going to be happy in a cage. He deserved the chance to prove himself in the wild — and he did.

With the support of the feeders and the flock of released birds around BBR, he found his rhythm quickly. At first we saw him every day, then gradually less often as the years passed. Now he has a mate, he’s raised babies, he’s a devoted dad and partner, and we love seeing him around the property.

Dynamite is a success story, yes — but more than that, he’s a story of hope. For every compromised parrot that arrives, his journey reminds us that “less than perfect” doesn’t mean they have no chance in the wild. They learn, they adapt, they compensate. And sometimes, like Dynamite, they thrive.

March 2019 on intake

November 2025 at the BBR feeders