HOPKINTON Dozens of cherished exotic birds, including brightly crested cockatoos and green-feathered parakeets, were killed early Thursday morning when a fire destroyed part of an enormous aviary tended by an Ashaway bird-rescue organization.
The blaze torched about a quarter of the 1,000-foot-long structure and broke the hearts of the birds caretakers, who mourned the loss of 80 to 100 birds as they scrambled to ensure the welfare of more than 200 birds that survived the blaze.
Before Thursday s fire, 378 birds had lived in the indoor sanctuary provided by Foster Parrots, a nonprofit organization that rescues unwanted birds, according to the organization s executive director, Karen Windsor.