While we're on the subject of parrots...

Don't forget Simon the Congo African grey! Here he is running through a few of his many talents while being filmed by Cathy:

Adopt a Bird Spotlight: McCoy (Green Winged Macaw)

McCoy's Story

Species: Green Winged Macaw
Hatched: 2/14/94

McCoy was bred to be an education bird, and due to his sweet nature he began his career as a posing area bird. He was trained to step onto a guest's arm for photographs and has had literally hundreds of photos taken with members of the general public.

In addition to his sweet nature, he is extremely smart. He gives a "high four," waves, says "hello" and "What are you doing?" Recently he has become one of the stars at our Christmas Is For The Birds event. He takes a child's letter to Santa, puts it into our North Pole mailbox, and puts up the flag for the mailman.

McCoy has one other behavior that he invented himself to demonstrate his "cuteness" when he feels he is not getting proper attention. He covers his eyes with his wing and peeks out at you from under his feathers (see post from July 5th). He's confident this will earn him the attention he deserves, and possibly a treat.

To adopt McCoy, simply click our donation button, make a donation of $150, and specify in your payment notes: Adopt-a-bird: MCCOY. Also include your name, phone number, and mailing address so that we can send you your adoption materials!

Every donation helps to feed, house, and provide medical care for the bird of your choice! Adopt-A-Bird Parents Receive:

• *A personal visit with the bird you adopt!!!!! Call 636-861-3225 to set up a time for
• your personal visit.
• * Certificate of Adoption
• * Color photo of the bird you've adopted
• * Sponsorship Card
• * One year's subscription to Mews News (our quarterly newsletter)
• * Life History and Natural History of the bird
• * 10% Discount off WBS merchandise
• * Invitation to Sponsors-only events like Camera Day
• * Discounts on WBS Special Events
• * WBS Decal

Natural History

green winged macaw (aka red and green macaw)
Ara chloroptera

Description second in size only to the Hyacinth Macaw; breast is bright red; lower feathers of the wing are green; characteristic red lines around the eyes formed by rows of tiny feathers on otherwise bare skin; long blue tail; grey legs; powerful bill horn colored with blackish sides; lower mandible blackish; iris pale-yellowish; feet dark grey; immatures have shorter tail, lower mandible paler and iris is brown

Sex: both sexes similar

Age: average in captivity 50-60 years; some individuals known to reach 80 years; several claims of birds over 100 years old

Length: 39”

Wingspan: up to 49”

Weight: 2.75-3.5 lbs

Habitat: tropical forests and swamps in Central and South America, including Columbia, Panama, Venezuela, Guyana and Trinidad

Status: commonest of the macaws, however in recent years numbers in the wild have declined due to habitat loss and capture for the pet trade

Range: forests of northern South America

Behavior: frequently seen in pairs or family groups, occasionally gathering in small flocks; larger groups found feeding in trees or on clay banks; breeding season is November to March; 1-3 eggs hatch within 28 days; young fledge at 90-100 days

Diet: nuts, fruits, berries, seeds and some vegetable matter

Vocalization: in captivity have been known to learn to talk, but are not considered the best mimics; considered quieter than other macaws

√ This bird’s powerful beak can generate a pressure of 2000 psi and is capable of snapping a broomstick in half.

√ Flies virtually every day to clay banks to feed on mineral soil which is believed to neutralize toxic content of unripe fruits

Adopt A Bird spotlights are written and photographed by Gay Schroer.

Rio the greenwing macaw

Here's a video of Rio attempting a new trick at our Rainforest Rocks program at the World Bird Sanctuary's public site. Go Rio!



Thanks to Cathy for the video!

McCoy the Macaw does his thing!

Meet our green winged macaw, McCoy! McCoy does a wing thing when he's maxing and relaxing that is pretty cute:





Thanks to Cathy for the awesome videos!

Education Spotlight: Simon the African grey parrot

Thanks to Cathy S we have this awesome video of Simon, one of our African grey parrots, performing a few of his vocal accomplishments! Simon is a regular performer in our education programs.

"Tequila" is his best, I think! Which do you like most?

Adopt A Bird spotlight: Quasimodo

Quasimodo's Story

Species: Thick Billed Parrot
Hatched: 1998

When Quasi was hatched it became apparent that he had wing and foot deformities. He was not able to join our flock of free flying Thick Bills, however he could become an education ambassador for this endangered species. Quasi has become a very popular AND VOCAL member of our Education Department.

Quasi has been part of our Clarksville, MO, and Milwaukee Zoo education team, and now entertains visitors to our Nature Center with his happy-go-lucky personality and surprising vocabulary. Even though he is a special needs bird (can't crack large nuts, has special needs when on the glove or perching, can't fly), no one would ever know it because of his engaging nature.

He loves shows, rooms that echo, people, baths in a shallow bowl, grapes, sunflower seeds, apples; however, he's not to crazy about spray baths.

Your adoption donation would help defray the expenses of caring for this captivating little urchin for the coming year.

To adopt Quasimodo, simply click our donation button, make a donation of $100, and specify in your payment notes: Adopt-a-bird: QUASI. Also include your name, phone number, and mailing address so that we can send you your adoption materials!

Every donation helps to feed, house, and provide medical care for the bird of your choice! Adopt-A-Bird Parents Receive:

• *A personal visit with the bird you adopt!!!!! Call 636-861-3225 to set up a time for
• your personal visit.
• * Certificate of Adoption
• * Color photo of the bird you've adopted
• * Sponsorship Card
• * One year's subscription to Mews News (our quarterly newsletter)
• * Life History and Natural History of the bird
• * 10% Discount off WBS merchandise
• * Invitation to Sponsors-only events like Camera Day
• * Discounts on WBS Special Events
• * WBS Decal

Natural History

Thick-billed parrot
Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha

Description: pigeon sized; bright green overall; red forehead, eye stripe, and bend of wing, with red splotching on the thighs; a small patch of yellow on under wing coverts seen when in flight; adults have amber eyes surrounded by a yellow eye ring and black beak with dark grey legs and feet; wings and long green tail are both pointed

Sex: so similar as to be virtually indistinguishable

Age: juveniles have brown eyes and a flesh colored bill which turns black by the end of the first year; individuals may live 35-40 years

Length: 15-17”

Weight: 11-13 oz.

Habitat: high country pine and conifer forests;

Status: once inhabited the mountains of southern Arizona and south through the Sierra Madre mountains in western Mexico; extirpated from the U.S. by about 1920 through hunting activity; logging of large stands of old-growth forests in Mexico has taken a further toll on the remaining Mexican population; it is estimated that there now remains only 1000-4000 Thick-billed parrots in the wild; status is ENDANGERED; attempts to reestablish a population in Arizona during the 1980s was unsuccessful due to the birds’ inability to elude a well established population of predator species

Range: high mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental in western Mexico, migrating to their winter breeding range south of Durango to Colima and Michoacan, Mexico

Behavior: social birds that live in large flocks; an adult pair may stay together for life; nesting pairs have been known to share trees with up to three nests in one tree; breeding occurs in mid-summer to mid-fall to coincide with the peak of pine seed production; one clutch of 1-4 eggs is laid in a cavity next in a large conifer (old woodpecker holes are preferred); incubation is 28 days; hatchlings attempt their first flights at approximately 2 months, but remain dependent on parents until about 7 months

Diet: primarily pine seeds from various pine species are the preferred food; will also eat acorns, conifer buds and other food

Vocalization: large repertoire of calls; screech that can be heard up to 2 miles

√ The Thick-billed parrot is one of only two parrots formerly native to the U.S. The other (the Carolina Parakeet) is extinct

Adopt A Bird spotlights are written and photographed by Gay Schroer

Bird's Eye View

The rarest species of parrot in the United States is the Thick-billed
parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha). Thick-billed parrots are
currently only found in the highland and pine forests of New Mexico
and Mexico. Although they lived in parts of Arizona at one time,
they are no longer found there due to pine forests being cleared out for the mining industry. They live in large flocks of up to 1000 birds. In the morning they separate into smaller flocks to look for food, coming together at night in large pine trees to sleep. The diet of the Thick-billeds is made up primarily of pine seeds, fruits, acorns, and other plant materials. In the summer months these birds travel north, and then return south again in the winter. It is thought that they go where the pine seed production is higher.

Nesting in the wild occurs from July to September in large, dead pine trees, abandoned woodpecker holes, or other tree cavities. The clutches of each pair in the flocks can range anywhere from 1-4 eggs, and are then incubated up to 30 days. By late October or early November, these birds are ready to fledge.


Currently, Thick-billed parrots are endangered due to logging and the pet trade. The World Bird Sanctuary is working with several other organizations to breed them in captivity, and then reintroduce them into Arizona. The World Bird Sanctuary has a small breeding flock on display.

Nicknamed “The Christmas Parrot," Thick-billed parrots are extremely colorful birds! I took these pictures of a small flock we have at our Education Training Center. Even though they’re cute and look harmless, parrots can apply 1000 pounds of pressure, and it only takes 7 pounds of pressure to break a human finger! Strong beaks like that come in handy when they’re trying to break open hard nutshells.


Bird's Eye View is a regular column, written and photographed by our volunteer Daniel.

Bird's Eye View

Meet Linus and Cayenne, two of our Green-winged Macaws (Ara chloroptera). These two beautiful parrots came to us from the Milwaukee County Zoo. During programs, Linus and Cayenne fly side by side around the stage, where they then land in a special artificial tree and collect their reward. This summer, a few of our staff members will be taking them back to the Milwaukee County Zoo, where they will again be participating in educational programs. In the wild, Green-winged Macaws are found in Central and South America in tropical forests, savannas, and mangrove swamps. Their diet is made up of seeds, fruit, berries, and leaves.

I took these pictures at our Education Training Center. Those two posed for pictures almost on cue right as I took out my camera.





Bird's Eye View is a regular column written and photographed by our volunteer Daniel.