SKYE, hyacinth macaw
Skye came from a Long Island home where she was basically ignored for 10 years. Her species requires special nuts in their diet which she was not fed. Skye’s poor diet left her with irreversible, lifelong handicaps. She developed a heart murmur and cataracts in both eyes, rendering her partially blind. After many weeks of a proper diet her feathers turned from a pale gray to her beautiful blue. Unfortunately, now this endangered bird cannot be used for repopulation.
HARLEY, blue and gold macaw
An Ohio parrot breeder placed Harley at our center when she had to relocate. Macaws are extremely intelligent, colorful, and long-lived birds that require special care. Harley speaks over 50 words and usually says them at the appropriate time, illustrating that he comprehends their meaning. Harley seems to suffer from an identity crisis. When asked “What will you be when you grow up?” Harley responds with “EAGLE!”
CAIRO, African grey parrot
Cairo, an African Grey Parrot, was captive bred in New York. These birds are excellent mimics, and studies have shown that they also have cognitive skills and are able to match colors, label items, and apply phrases. The African grey is a partial ground feeder, and in the wild hundreds will flock to a tree and begin preening. They then move to the ground as a group to eat and watch for predators.
HUEY, Mealy amazon
This Mealy, or Costa Rican Amazon is an example of why parrots require attention, patience, and understanding from their owners. In his former home, Huey would scream nonstop when he saw children. Parrots communicate to other members of their flocks with loud calls. By screaming, Huey thought he was communicating with his family, but this natural behavior frustrated his owners, who could no longer withstand the noise. It takes a special person to tolerate and understand parrots.
CHIKARA, trumpeter hornbill
Chikara came to Hawk Creek from the World Bird Sanctuary of St. Louis, MO. She was used in bird shows at the Milwaukee Zoo during the summer of 2009 where she demonstrated the agile flight ability of these birds, as well as their talent at catching food in the air! Chikara is an enthusiastic member of our flying team and can be seen demonstrating the unique flights of Trumpeter Hornbills during our shows!
MOJO, common crow
This male American Crow was found as a chick after he had fallen from his nest and injured his leg. He spent several months at a rehabilitation center while his leg healed and during that time he became imprinted on humans. His leg healed but since he was imprinted on humans he could not be released. Mojo is an incredibly social bird and since he views humans as his family, he loves to show off for visitors and spend time solving puzzles with his trainers!
LOKI, common raven
This Common Raven was imprinted by a member of the public and was either released or escaped. On his escapade, he flew onto a porch, hopped into someone’s lap and yelled “Hi! Who’s momma’s good boy?” Fortunately the person volunteered for a rehabilitation center. After many failed attempts to reintegrate him with other ravens, he was sent here to educate people about corvids and also, the importance of taking wildlife to trained, licensed rehabilitators for proper care.