Hello my name
is Billy!
Ara ararauna
I am a 30 year old Blue & Gold Macaw that arrived at The Hamilton Aviary in 1996 when my owner could no longer look after me. I quickly became friends with the other Blue & Gold Macaw when she arrived at The Aviary, Bubbette, and ever since we have lived together. We get along well except when she tries to eat my walnuts! She is much faster at cracking them open than me, so volunteers began giving me walnuts without the shell still on or she would come and snatch mine too.
Likes
Foraging boxes & getting to walk around The Aviary
Dislikes
When Bubbette is gone for too long
Fav Foods
Walnuts & Scrambled eggs
What I Can Say
Hello?
About Me and Other
B&G Macaws
My ancestors are enormous parrots native to the lowland rainforests of South America, the Blue & Gold (also known as Blue & Yellow) Macaw is instantly recognizable for its distinct colouration, long tail and noisy calls. With a wingspan around 3 1/2 feet, its easy to understand why these birds spend most of their life in the sky or among the canopy.
When it comes to the age of companion birds, the general rule of thumb is the bigger the bird, the longer they could live. Blue & Golds and other macaws are the largest companion birds and can live in most cases about 75 years. The oldest recorded macaw, a Blue & Gold named Charlie the Curser was 114/115 when she died. It was believed that she was owned by Sir Winston Churchill, the UK Prime Minister during WWII, but others say he actually owned an African Grey!
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As mainly seed and fruit eaters, us macaws transport seeds away from their mother trees to different parts of the forest where they can take root and grow. By dispersing seeds we help young plants survive and keep our forests healthy and resilient to change.
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Guess what, macaws like me can blush! Scientists believe that blushing, along with facial feather fluffing is a way for us to communicate our emotions. Colour is usually a key component in visual communication systems and represents the beginning of parrot 'facial expressions'.
Despite being classified as a species of Least Concern, Blue & Gold Macaw numbers are declining due to continued deforestation and destruction of their habitat. Based on current trends of deforestation in the Amazon it is predicted that these birds will lose 21-34% of of their habitat in the next 38 years. These birds are also heavily traded and are the second most traded animal in South America.
What I'm up to Now
I was moved to Bird Kingdom!
When our sanctuary at Oak Knoll Drive closed its doors, several birds migrated over to Bird Kingdom in Niagara Falls, Ontario. After we have completed our 30 day required quarantine period and have been assessed by the BK team, we will be available to be visited by the public again.
