Beautiful Ara at Higgs Beach in Key West photograph by Nancy Forrester
MY SPECIES, I am a Blue and Gold Macaw (scientific name Ara ararauna) I am the best known and most commonly bred of eight species of large macaws. My kind have been massively bred in the US for about 40 years. Like millions of other US parrots, I was bred as a commodity for the pet trade. My species is incredibly active and affectionate with their owners but shy with others. Our colorization for both adults is bright blue above, golden-yellow below, long blue and yellow tail feathers, bare white facial discs with fine lines of black feathers, black throats, green crowns and foreheads green, grey legs, large black beaks and yellow eyes.
When I was young, I had bright blue feathers now that I am older many of my feathers have turned green.
When I was young, I had bright blue feathers now that I am older many of my feathers have turned green.
ABOUT ME ARA
HELLO! I am a girl named Ara Ara, When I became an adult at about the age of seven, I formed an egg that was too large for me to pass thru my pelvic area. I became egg bound and I had to have this egg surgically removed. My egg sack was also removed so that I could no longer make another big egg that would threaten my life. Because I still have my ovaries, I feel sexy & experience hormonal behavior during breeding season.
I SAY A FEW WORDS, hello, good morning, hugs and kisses, bah bah black sheep, bye-bye and I laugh a lot. I am not noisy, I seldom scream.
MY STORY: As a bappy (baby bird) I aptly named myself. My first words which I constantly repeated were ara-ara-ara. I’ve always had a foot garb fetish. I am interested in seeing human feet in colorful sparkly fancy shoes, toe rings and ankle bracelets. Colorful footwear excites me. I keep looking and physical craning my body down to see noteworthy foot garb. I am not interest in touching or biting shoes or feet. I just want to look. I never get enough looking. I have a fan club that dresses up their feet just for me when they come to visit. I like attention from humans, but I do not trust most strangers when they stand too close to me. My body language gives a clear message. I make aggressive striking motions with my beak. This happens when you stand too close to me or my cage. I need more distance from visitors than the other parrots here. Please do not laugh or tease me with your hands by waving, pointing, touching, my cage or foot if I reach out to you. I’m a very maternal female and defend the interior space of my cage and a radius outside as well. It’s my home, safe space and nest. I’m not mean. I’m a good girl, loveable, sweet, and cuddly to people I trust. You have to earn my trust I only trust a few people. Once in a blue moon I go on a stranger's arm in a docile manner. I am cooperative for wing and toenail trimming.
MY FAVORITE FOODS are rice, walnuts, grapes, bananas, apples, Exact pellets (natural without food color), meatloaf (meat not good), peas, mashed potatoes with gravy and other warm people food, pizza, cheese (tiny piece because parrots cannot digest dairy), fresh organic juices, unsulfurated banana chips, pine nuts, pistachios, tropical fruit nutriberries.
MY FAVORITE TOYS are cloth towels, tie-dyed T-shirts, bells, shredding newspaper and cardboard boxes. sitting on round and egg-shaped things which is not very good for me because it encourages sedentary nesting behavior.
I LIKE seeing shoes on feet, having baths, performing, showing my wings, hearing music, dancing, singing opera, bike rides, car rides in a pet kennel or on the back of the passenger's seat, going out to eat and live music. I enjoy time out of my cage. I like to visit spots around town that are parrot friendly. Higgs Beach is a favorite place and I go there often to spend time with Harlequin Macaw "Larrybird". I like to feed, preen and play burrow-scratch in towels with him,
I DISLIKE: Corn, hazelnuts, chicken bones (which are not good for me anyway), green veggies,
Lloyd of Lloyds Bicycle Tour thinks I dislike him
I NEED: I need to learn to eat a variety of nutritious fruits, vegetables and leafy greens (real food raw food) My caregiver feeds me breakfast chop made daily from organically grown produce without toxic chemicals.
I reject most of it.
HELLO! I am a girl named Ara Ara, When I became an adult at about the age of seven, I formed an egg that was too large for me to pass thru my pelvic area. I became egg bound and I had to have this egg surgically removed. My egg sack was also removed so that I could no longer make another big egg that would threaten my life. Because I still have my ovaries, I feel sexy & experience hormonal behavior during breeding season.
I SAY A FEW WORDS, hello, good morning, hugs and kisses, bah bah black sheep, bye-bye and I laugh a lot. I am not noisy, I seldom scream.
MY STORY: As a bappy (baby bird) I aptly named myself. My first words which I constantly repeated were ara-ara-ara. I’ve always had a foot garb fetish. I am interested in seeing human feet in colorful sparkly fancy shoes, toe rings and ankle bracelets. Colorful footwear excites me. I keep looking and physical craning my body down to see noteworthy foot garb. I am not interest in touching or biting shoes or feet. I just want to look. I never get enough looking. I have a fan club that dresses up their feet just for me when they come to visit. I like attention from humans, but I do not trust most strangers when they stand too close to me. My body language gives a clear message. I make aggressive striking motions with my beak. This happens when you stand too close to me or my cage. I need more distance from visitors than the other parrots here. Please do not laugh or tease me with your hands by waving, pointing, touching, my cage or foot if I reach out to you. I’m a very maternal female and defend the interior space of my cage and a radius outside as well. It’s my home, safe space and nest. I’m not mean. I’m a good girl, loveable, sweet, and cuddly to people I trust. You have to earn my trust I only trust a few people. Once in a blue moon I go on a stranger's arm in a docile manner. I am cooperative for wing and toenail trimming.
MY FAVORITE FOODS are rice, walnuts, grapes, bananas, apples, Exact pellets (natural without food color), meatloaf (meat not good), peas, mashed potatoes with gravy and other warm people food, pizza, cheese (tiny piece because parrots cannot digest dairy), fresh organic juices, unsulfurated banana chips, pine nuts, pistachios, tropical fruit nutriberries.
MY FAVORITE TOYS are cloth towels, tie-dyed T-shirts, bells, shredding newspaper and cardboard boxes. sitting on round and egg-shaped things which is not very good for me because it encourages sedentary nesting behavior.
I LIKE seeing shoes on feet, having baths, performing, showing my wings, hearing music, dancing, singing opera, bike rides, car rides in a pet kennel or on the back of the passenger's seat, going out to eat and live music. I enjoy time out of my cage. I like to visit spots around town that are parrot friendly. Higgs Beach is a favorite place and I go there often to spend time with Harlequin Macaw "Larrybird". I like to feed, preen and play burrow-scratch in towels with him,
I DISLIKE: Corn, hazelnuts, chicken bones (which are not good for me anyway), green veggies,
Lloyd of Lloyds Bicycle Tour thinks I dislike him
I NEED: I need to learn to eat a variety of nutritious fruits, vegetables and leafy greens (real food raw food) My caregiver feeds me breakfast chop made daily from organically grown produce without toxic chemicals.
I reject most of it.
Ara with her longtime friend Steve Snyder at Schooner Wharf Bar & Grille for breakfast. They are sharing breakfast. Steve shared his eggs, bacon and potatoes with her. Ara raises her wings and flaps them when asked to do so! The verbal cue for that action is wing wing. photograph by Nancy Forrester
Ara and Nancy visiting the Key West International Chalk Walk Competition in 2015
ARA is fixated on the bright yellow sneakers.
Ara is around 22 years old. She has an unusual interest in shoes. She has always had a fetish for footware, not feet but shoes on feet. Her interest includes ankle bracelets and toe rings. She always leans down numerous times to carefully scrutinize shoes especially colorful and sparkly ones. She has fans who dress up their feet especially for her when they come to visit. Her gratification is visual as I have never allowed her to have a shoe or to chew a shoe
Ara is around 22 years old. She has an unusual interest in shoes. She has always had a fetish for footware, not feet but shoes on feet. Her interest includes ankle bracelets and toe rings. She always leans down numerous times to carefully scrutinize shoes especially colorful and sparkly ones. She has fans who dress up their feet especially for her when they come to visit. Her gratification is visual as I have never allowed her to have a shoe or to chew a shoe
(20) Facebook click here to see Ara preenng Larrybird at Salute
Ara enjoying seeing colorful pom poms sandles
"Ara"with her buddy "Larrybird" walking the railing on a windy afternoon at Higgs Beach. It is so windy that they must to face into the wind otherwise they could get blown off the railing.
Ara and her friend Larrybird at Higgs Beach.
Go to Facebook to see Ara preening her friend Larrybird at Salute on the beach
(20) Facebook click here
(20) Facebook click here
Saturday Social Volunteers Jenni and Elaine are holding macaws Ara and Lucy. Nancy is prompting the parrots to raise their wings by saying wing wing and doing a hand signal that represents raised wings and flapping
ARA Loves Shoes
I Would Love to Have You Visit Soon!
Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden
Home of Key West Parrots
518 Elizabeth Street, Key West, Florida 33040
HoursEveryday: Including Holidays 10 am - 3 pm
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Telephone305-294-0015
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