Thursday, October 22, 2009

Ara chloropterus: Red-and-green Macaw



I met the sweetest macaw the other day at Bird Lover's Outlet, our local store for bird food, toys and grooming. (Somebody's got to trim B's nails, and that takes more practice and know-how than I have.)

The bird's name is Paisley, and he's a rescue. He's absolutely beautiful, and so, so sweet. He sat on my arm for a while as we caught up with the store staff.

Here's a bit of personal bird trivia: the first bird I ever saw cuddle with someone was a baby macaw. They're not as touch-feely as cockatoos, but they're very very sociable. And did I mention sweet?

And a bit of public bird trivia: macaws have bare patches on their cheeks, and they can blush. (I'm telling you, there's no such thing as a poker face in the parrot world.)

This doodle isn't actually Paisley. It's based on this photo.