Macaws bring harmony to Caracas' chaos

In this Nov. 19, 2014 photo, macaws perch on an antenna in Caracas, Venezuela. The city of around 6 million people does not seem welcoming for exotic birds. But the macaws supplement the food they forage with snacks the birders leave for them. They are a common site sitting on the ledges of high-rise buildings or perched on antennas. While solid figures don’t exist, the population of macaws in Caracas is estimated to be several hundred. CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — In one of the world's most hostile urban jungles, the spectacle of rainbow-colored tropical birds streaking across the late-afternoon sky has become a natural respite from rampant crime and choking pollution.

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Parrots confiscated at airport

The birds were confiscated from the SAA domestic cargo section under a warrant issued by Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court.THE NSPCA Special Projects Unit confiscated a shipment of parrots that were being transported in inadequate crates at OR Tambo International Airport last week.

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What’s Behind the Mysterious Behavior of Amazonian Macaws?

Veterinarian Zoltan Szabo measures one of the chicks. TAMBOPATA, Peru — It’s 6:15 a.m, and Annie Hawkinson is 120 feet off the ground, peering into a nest box lashed to an ironwood tree. She throws a towel over the female scarlet macaw inside, then reaches in and grabs one of the two chicks. Mama macaw squawks and shuffles out from beneath the towel. Hawkinson repeats the maneuver and grabs the second chick, then lowers the ungainly pair to the ground in a padded bucket. She waits near the nest, where the macaw is now preening and appears unperturbed.

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Problem-Solving Parrots Understand Cause and Effect

Spectacled Parrotlet (Forpus conspicillatus). Image by Ron KnightScientists speculate two factors may influence why some animal species are smarter than others: the foraging behavior of a species (for instance, how cognitively demanding it is for the animals to obtain food) and the social complexity of the animals’ society.

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Rudy the parrot a lifelong friend

Joe Granauro, owner of Auto Repair of Willards, hands a wrench to Rudy, his green-winged macaw. Photo by Laura Emmons

WILLARDS — Turn on the radio and Rudy will dance, unabashedly, with bounce and nod, all colorful feathers and head bobs.

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