Friends of a Feather is a nonprofit (obtaining 501c3 status), devoted to the welfare of swans and waterfowl across Central Florida. Swans, the symbol of Orlando, the "City Beautiful" were originally brought to Florida in 1910 by a man named Charles Lourd. Although adored by the community and visitors for over 100 years, swans often face challenges due to their non-native status and lack of resources. Our mission is to provide essential care and rehabilitation for injured or sick birds, ensuring they can continue to thrive in our community.
Please join us in our efforts!
About Friends of a Feather
Friends of a Feather is a volunteer based community of residents committed to the stewardship of swans and waterfowl, while also providing the resources and conditions necessary for them to thrive in Central Florida.
As many foundations begin, our founders began informal rescues and rehabilitations, as the resources available in the Central Florida area are virtually non-existent, especially for animals such as swans, who are considered non-native or invasive. While many successful rescues and rehabilitations were achieved, the founders quickly realized the need to bring together a group of individuals, to create a broader reach and achieve a greater impact, so that no injured or orphaned swan or waterfowl goes without the proper assistance, medical care and short/long term support.
We partner with local communities to provide education regarding ideal environmental elements, supplemental nutrition and guidance for medical care. Additionally, we advocate for their welfare with municipalities and governmental agencies, where swans and waterfowl exist.
What We Do
With the help of generous donations from people like you, we are able to provide rescues, medical care, education and advocacy for swans and water fowl across Central Florida. As there are virtually no existing rescues or sanctuaries that provide a home or dedicated support to swans, we have an ongoing fund specified to support the purchase and creation of a world class facility, which will provide the space, medical care and educational and engaging opportunities for the public to interact and support.
Meet some of our current & past Feathered Flock and their inspiring journey's of recovery.
Meet Lola,
our inspiration for the foundation
My name is Lola and I’m a rescued mute swan that lives in downtown Orlando, Florida. I hatched from my egg in June of 2021 at a park in downtown Orlando to find I was all alone and that my Mother and sibling cygnets had already left the nest. I sat there confused until I was noticed by visitors to the park who notified the Park Rangers. The park employees were also a bit surprised and attempted to reunite me with my Mother but she wasn’t willing to accept me. They then tried to add me to a few other swan families on the lake, also unsuccessfully. At this point, I was even more scared and confused. The decision was made to reach out to volunteers in the area and see if they could step in and together help me to thrive.
Our Current Efforts
Medical Care & Rehab
We provide care and rehabilitation for injured swans , inclusive of water and physical therapy, diet and supplements, assisted walking devices, acupuncture and laser therapy. We also support the guidance, actionable support and financial resources needed when medical care is required for captive and wild swans on neighboring lakes.
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Did you know?
Swans, domestic geese and mallard and muscovy duck breeds have lived in Florida for well over 100 years yet are still considered non-native and invasive.
The leading cause of injury or death for swans, outside of predators is collision with power lines or buildings. In these instances, rescue groups do not exist today to safely retrieve, treat and/or relocate a swan.
Being designated as non-native or invasive means there is no protection or expertise to treat these species when they are sick or injured.
Today, there are no rescue groups or sanctuaries or places for swans or many non-native birds to go which means there are few resources in their time of need, minimizing their ability to recover or survive.