Buddy Waskey was born in North Carolina in 1961. He obtained the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts of America and studied business at Craven Community College in New Bern, NC. Buddy has been a small business owner for over 30 years.
In 1983 Buddy Waskey purchased his first pair of Love Birds and a Green Winged Macaw. He and his family have had birds much of the time since then with a great passion for large Macaws. When Buddy’s first Blue-Throated Macaw came to live with him in 2009, at which time he began studying FreeFlight of large parrots outside. Since then Buddy and his family have been involved in training many large Macaws for FreeFlight outdoors. He currently owns several FreeFlying Macaws and is working with others.
In 2013 Buddy started the FaceBook page “East Wings Freeflight Club”, with the simple propose “To promote safely flying Large Macaws outside.” East Wings Freeflight Club has been doing demonstrations for many bird clubs and groups in Virginia. East Wings Freeflight Club is now an AFA affiliated club.
Buddy Waskey has also become a strong supporter of animal ownership rights and has joined with American Federation of Aviculture and other groups to defend these rights. Buddy and his wife Judy are very passionate about the conservation of Blue-Throated Macaws. Buddy Waskey with the help of other members of East Wing Freeflight Club has raised money for The Bird Endowment’s program Nido Adoptivo for the last 2 years.
Buddy Waskey currently is breeding Blue-Throated Macaws and several other species of Macaws. He supports breeding of birds and understands that breeding, conservation and pet birds are all important to Aviculture.
In 2013 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service added the Blue-Throated Macaw to the Endangered Species Act. Buddy became involved with American Federation of Aviculture in getting Virginia SB50 passed and signed into law. Virginia SB50 allows pet owners, breeders and collectors of animals on the USFWS ESA to be legally owned in Virginia as long as all USFWS regulations are followed. Buddy currently is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Director for AFA and the chairman of the AFA States Regulations Committee that follows state laws that affects bird ownership on a state level.
Buddy Waskey has spoken at the American Federation of Aviculture Conference and Association of Avian Veterinaries Conference. He has been featured in several newspaper, television and magazine articles that he used to promote Aviculture, pet ownership and conservation.
Buddy Waskey has great passion for Aviculture and enjoys promoting the keeping our birds outside in large enclosures and the unrestrained Freeflight of large Psittacines outside.
