Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

California Flocks (californiaflocks.org) is an independent editorial website founded by Salvatore Angius, dedicated to the documentation, study, and celebration of California’s wild parrot populations and parrot care education. We are headquartered in Long Beach, California, USA.

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to California Flocks and its operators. “You” refers to any visitor to our website.

This website is published on WordPress and hosted in the United States. Our data controller contact is available in Section 16 below.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Contact form submissions: name, email address, and message content when you contact us.
• Email newsletter sign-ups: your email address and first name if you subscribe to our free Wild Parrot Sighting Guide or newsletter.
• Comments: if you leave a comment on an article, we collect your name, email, and website URL (if provided).

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• IP address: logged automatically by our hosting server on each page request.
• Browser and device data: browser type, version, screen resolution, operating system, and device type.
• Referring URL: the page or search query that brought you to our site.
• Pages visited, time spent, and click behavior: collected via Google Analytics and Ezoic.
• Cookie identifiers: see Section 5 for full details.

2.3 Information From Third Parties

• Ad networks (Google AdSense, Ezoic) may share aggregated demographic and interest data with us.
• Amazon Associates provides aggregated commission and click reporting — no personally identifiable visitor data is shared with us by Amazon.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for the following purposes:

• To operate the website — deliver pages, display content, and ensure technical functionality.
• To respond to you — reply to contact form submissions and support requests.
• To send newsletters — deliver the Wild Parrot Sighting Guide and occasional email updates to subscribers who opt in. You may unsubscribe at any time.
• To display advertising — serve contextually relevant ads via Google AdSense and Ezoic to support free content publication.
• To analyze site performance — understand which content is most helpful, identify technical issues, and improve user experience using Google Analytics and Ezoic analytics.
• To comply with legal obligations — retain records as required by applicable law.

4. Who We Share Data With

We do not sell your personal information. We share data with the following trusted third-party service providers solely to operate this website:

We may also disclose your information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of California Flocks, its users, or others.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. We use cookies to enable core functionality, analyze traffic, and serve personalized advertising. Below is a full table of cookies used on californiaflocks.org.

5.1 Full Cookie Table

5.2 How to Control Cookies

You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Apple Safari
• Microsoft Edge

6. Google AdSense & Google Analytics

6.1 Google AdSense

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on this website. Google AdSense uses cookies and web beacons to serve ads based on your prior visits to our site and other sites on the internet. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the internet.

Google uses the DoubleClick DART cookie to serve ads based on your visit to californiaflocks.org and other sites. You may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network Privacy Policy.

• Opt out of personalized advertising: google.com/settings/ads
• Opt out via Network Advertising Initiative: optout.networkadvertising.org
• Google’s privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy

6.2 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site. Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit the site, what pages they visit, and what other sites they used prior to arriving. We use this data only to improve our content and user experience.

Google Analytics anonymizes IP addresses by default on our implementation. We do not combine Google Analytics data with personally identifiable information.

• Opt out of Google Analytics: Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
• Google Analytics data privacy: support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245

7. Ezoic Advertising Platform

California Flocks uses Ezoic, an AI-driven advertising and website optimization platform. Ezoic is certified by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and complies with the IAB’s Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF 2.2).

Ezoic may collect and process the following data:

• IP address (may be used to determine approximate location)
• Browser type, device type, and screen resolution
• Pages visited, time spent, and scroll behavior
• Ad impression and click data
• Cookie identifiers for ad personalization and frequency capping

Ezoic operates as a data processor on our behalf and may work with over 300 advertising technology vendors. These vendors may use cookies and device identifiers to serve personalized advertisements.

• Ezoic Privacy Policy: ezoic.com/privacy-policy
• Ezoic Privacy Center (opt-out & consent): ezoic.com/privacy-policy/#privacy-center
• IAB TCF opt-out: Use the consent management banner displayed on your first visit to this site.

8. Amazon Associates Affiliate Program

California Flocks is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

When you click an Amazon affiliate link on our site and make a purchase, Amazon may place cookies on your device to track that referral. We earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

What Amazon tracks: Amazon’s affiliate cookies track referrals from our site for 24 hours (for products added to cart) or up to 90 days (for products added to cart without immediate purchase in some jurisdictions). Amazon collects this data as an independent controller under its own privacy policy.

• Amazon Privacy Notice: amazon.com/privacy
• Amazon Interest-Based Ads Opt-Out: amazon.com/adprefs

We only recommend products our expert team has personally evaluated or researched. All affiliate links are clearly disclosed in accordance with FTC guidelines. See our full Affiliate Disclosure page.

We also participate in the ClickBank affiliate marketplace, promoting select digital products related to parrot care and training. ClickBank tracks referrals via their own cookie system for 60 days. ClickBank Privacy Policy →

9. Third-Party Links

Our articles and guides may contain links to third-party websites, including Amazon product pages, veterinary resources, bird rescue organizations, research publications, and press articles. These links are provided for informational purposes only.

Links marked with “sponsored“, “affiliate”, or displayed with a disclosure notice are commercial affiliate links from which we may earn a commission.

10. Children’s Privacy COPPA

California Flocks is intended for a general adult audience. Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age.

In compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), if we discover that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete that information immediately.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at the address in Section 16 and we will promptly delete the data.

Advertising served through Google AdSense and Ezoic is configured to exclude interest-based advertising on pages where users may be under 13.

11. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 16. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request. We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.

12. California Privacy Rights CCPA CPRA

If you are a resident of California, you are protected by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), effective January 1, 2023.

12.1 Categories of Personal Information We Collect

12.2 Your CCPA/CPRA Rights

• Right to Know: Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information we maintain about you.
• Right to Opt Out of Sale/Sharing: We do not sell personal information. However, sharing data with advertising partners (Google, Ezoic) for cross-context behavioral advertising may qualify as “sharing” under CPRA. You may opt out via our cookie consent tool or by contacting us.
• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive PI: We do not collect sensitive personal information as defined by CPRA.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any CCPA/CPRA rights.

To submit a California privacy request, contact us at [email protected] with subject line “California Privacy Request.” We will respond within 45 calendar days as required by law.

13. EU & UK Visitors GDPR

If you are visiting from the European Union, European Economic Area, or the United Kingdom, your data is protected under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR respectively.

13.1 Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1)(f)): Analytics to improve site content; basic server logging for security.
• Consent (Article 6(1)(a)): Advertising cookies, personalized ads, and newsletter subscriptions. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Contract (Article 6(1)(b)): Processing contact form submissions to respond to your inquiry.
• Legal Obligation (Article 6(1)(c)): Retaining records as required by applicable law.

13.2 International Data Transfers

California Flocks is based in the United States. If you are located in the EU/EEA or UK, your data will be transferred to and processed in the United States. We rely on the following transfer mechanisms:

• Google and Ezoic participate in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework.
• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) where applicable.

13.3 Your GDPR Rights

In addition to the rights listed in Section 11, EU/UK residents have the right to:

• Lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority (e.g., ICO in the UK, CNIL in France).
• Withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

13.4 Cookie Consent

On your first visit to californiaflocks.org, a cookie consent banner will be displayed. Non-essential cookies (advertising, analytics) will only be set after you provide explicit consent. You may change your consent preferences at any time via the Privacy Preferences link in our footer.

14. Data Security & Retention

14.1 Security Measures

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including:

• SSL/TLS encryption — all data transmitted between your browser and our server is encrypted (HTTPS).
• WordPress security hardening — including limited login attempts, two-factor authentication for admin accounts, and regular plugin updates.
• Access controls — personal data is accessible only to authorized personnel who need it to operate this website.
• Regular backups — site data is backed up regularly to prevent loss.

14.2 Data Retention

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page.
• Post a notice on our homepage or in a site-wide banner for significant changes.
• Where required by law, notify affected users by email.

Your continued use of californiaflocks.org after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Previous versions of this Privacy Policy are available upon request by contacting us at the address below.