
The feathery residents of Wild Florida's Macaw Aviary

The feathery residents of Wild Florida's Macaw Aviary

Posted by Sam Haught on Jan 27, 2016 2:00:00 PM

macaw aviary at Wild Florida's Wildlife Park

If you have visited our Wildlife Park recently then you may have noticed we added a huge Macaw Aviary. This animal environment came more out of a need, than a want... but we are certainly happy to have these birds call Wild Florida home. Before we delve into how this parrot paradise came to be at Wild Florida, let's discuss our friend the macaw.

Macaws are a type of parrot. There are actually 18 species of macaws, although we only have 7. Macaws are known for their proportionately larger beaks, long tails, colorful feathers, and many macaw species are quite large. Some macaws are nearly 40 inches from beak to tail, and can be a force to be reckoned with. They are loud, love to chew through everything, and are very intelligent. 

Many people look at these stats and think about what a cool pet they would be. They're like toddlers that can fly, which isn't terrifying at all. Another interesting fact is that large macaws are estimated to have a bite strength similar to a large dog's. So sometimes, when owners of a flying toddler, have toddlers of their own, there are problems. Honestly, there can be a lot of problems when personally owning a macaw. Did you know that some can live to be over 80 years old? Many macaw owners actually include their pets in their wills, with trusts and guardians established for the care of their macaw after they pass.Macaw at Wild Florida's macaw aviary

However many people buy a macaw and don't think 80 years into the future, and sometimes even the most responsible owners have unplanned life events. Unfortunately macaws aren't easy to rehome. That's how we ended up with twenty new birds in our Macaw Aviary. Actually, most of the parrots at Wild Florida are either rescues or owner surrenders. We wanted to create a special space for these rehomed macaws, so we built this parrot paradise. 

The huge Macaw Aviary has shade for birds and humans alike. It's filled with perches, swings, toys, ladders, trees, platforms and private bird cabins. Animal keepers go through and constantly repair or replace parts of the environment. The residents enjoy exploring the aviary, and some even like hanging around on natural perches throughout the Wildlife Park. Macaws have different personalities just like people, some want to be out in the park socializing and some just want to stay home. Our keepers know these residents very well and make sure our animals enjoy where they are.

Some of our macaw residents even get visitors. Not just fans, but family members visit as well. Former owners come by to check on their macaws. They want to make sure that they're doing well, and are happy. Surrendering an animal is never easy, they are a part of your family. That's why we wanted to educate you on the fact that even though we love these birds, they don't always make good pets for everyone. Our macaw home is full, as you can see when you visit, but if you need any information about surrendering a parrot we urge you to visit Florida Parrot Rescue, Inc. 


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Topics: Wildlife Park