As the team is getting the pre-release Scarlet Macaws ready for their big day (release!), I can’t help but feel a bit nostalgic and reflect on everything it took to get to this point. As first an apprentice, and then a Bird Manager for two years, it’s hard to not look at them as my “babies.” I spent countless hours taking care of them and their parents, celebrating each milestone reached. Not to mention the sleepless nights wondering if the chicks would survive a cold, rainy night. I’m not a Bird Manager anymore, but I still think about those birds every day, and imagine what their futures will look like when we finally open those doors.
Every single Scarlet Macaw in that pre-release aviary has had an impact on me, and as they say, you’re not supposed to have a favorite child! However, there is one bird that I am equally proud of and fearful of letting go, and that is Boubou.
Boubou’s life had a bit of a stressful start. His biological parents had laid three fertile eggs and were first time parents. While they did an amazing job with the first one that hatched, they didn’t take care of the second, and it died within 48 hours of hatching. Boubou was just a day away from his expected hatch date, and we were certain that he wouldn’t survive with his parents. We took a chance on a much older pair who had been parents before and had conveniently laid their own clutch, infertile. Areo and Aria were overjoyed when Boubou hatched in their nest, and they were the first foster parents at MRN.
I remember the day Boubou hatched like it was yesterday. Areo and Aria were my favorite birds when I was an apprentice because they made the cutest, squealing noises when I gave them enrichment. When Boubou hatched, I saw Aria standing in the doorway of her nest box, looking down at him. And she was making the same squeals at Boubou that she would at her favorite enrichment. I knew in that moment we had made the right decision by allowing them to foster him.
As I said before, Areo and Aria were an older couple. Due to that, they did need a little extra help. Boubou wasn’t gaining weight the way that he should, so I did have to provide some supplemental feeding in the beginning. However, this was stressful for Aria. Looking for a different way to help, I discovered that Areo was just as dutiful a parent, but a little thin for all those feedings that Aria and Boubou needed. So, I focused my efforts on him, giving him snacks twice a day on top of his two regular meals. With the extra food, he maintained his own weight and was able to give Aria and Boubou everything they needed. I could finally relax and let this family do their thing.
Or so I thought. Just a week before Boubou fledged, we started our 5:30AM feeding. It was normal to not see Aria that early in the morning because she was always in the nest box with Boubou. But that morning her tail feathers were sticking out of the nest box, and she wasn’t moving. We had a feeling that something was wrong, so I cautiously opened the nest box. There was Boubou, alive but looking scared as he was snuggled up with an unresponsive Aria. My heart shattered for him and Areo, who had been Aria’s partner for decades.
Areo continued parenting without Aria. However, the loss of a partner can be devastating for a Macaw. They mate for life and form very strong bonds with their partners. As a result of losing his mate, Areo was really struggling, emotionally and physically. A struggling parent means a struggling chick. Boubou was under-weight again. I stepped in to help, hand-feeding Boubou for a second time. But this time, I was also hand-feeding Areo.
When Boubou fledged, I moved them to a larger aviary where he could learn how to fly. Normally, we move families in together so that the chicks can learn from each other and bond with their soon to be release flock right away. However, Areo’s poor health made this impossible. I continued to hand-feed him weeks after Boubou fledged, and even when my feedings stopped, he still needed time to recover. After the loss of his partner, Boubou was the only bird that Areo had an attachment to. So, I kept them together until I could find him another bird to bond with. Unfortunately for Boubou, staying with dad longer meant he got a late start on socializing.
When I finally found a new friend for Areo, I moved Boubou to his pre-release aviary. The extra time with his dad left him shy and uncertain on how to react to other birds. You may not know this, but Scarlets are sassy birds, and they will pick on the new kid, especially one as socially awkward as Boubou. His first week with the flock was hard on both of us, I battled with my feelings of wanting to protect him and the knowledge that he had to learn how to stick up for himself and be a wild bird. And eventually he did, or though it was a while before he made friends.
Today, Boubou is two years old and ready to be released. He has overcome all these obstacles, and has grown to be an excellent flyer, much more confident, and even has some friends in the group. I could not be prouder of him. But, of course, I still battle with the idea of him going out into the wild and all the scary things that come with it. After such tragic beginnings, I want to protect him from any further struggles, how could I not after all of our time together? I know we’ve prepared him as best we can, and we must let him go where he belongs. I only hope that after all of this, he can find a nice female out there, have chicks of his own, and come back to visit at our supplementary feeders.
And how is Areo? He was moved to a different facility with the friend I found for him. They are both happy, healthy, and getting the extra attention that they need.
If you want to help us get our sweet Boubou to the wild, please visit our mightycause page!
Carey Wentz
Communications Manager