The Amazing Animals
Birds«Back
Blue and Gold Macaw
(Ara ararauna)
South America
– Blue and gold macaws are endangered animals due to the destruction of the world’s rainforests.
"Ziggy," Animal Junction's mascot and oldest animal friend, has been Jungle Joe's buddy since 1984 when Joe acquired him from the pet store he worked at for many years. Ziggy was born in captivity and was nearly five years old when he became a member of our family. Lucky for us, macaws can live up to 70-plus years in captivity! Although macaws can be quite talkative, Ziggy has a vocabulary of just one word:
"Hello." Ziggy loves outdoor showers when the weather is warm, and being pet on his neck and underneath his wings. When he gets excited he nods his head up and down and makes funny noises. His pupils dilate; then he lets out a loud screech, wildly twisting his head back and forth in a great imitation of
"Stevie Wonder." Ziggy's staple diet consists of a pellet food, nuts, cheerios, and fruits and vegetables. He loves
"people" food, particularly pizza and pasta.
Laughing Kookaburrra
(Dacelo novaeguineae)
Australia
– "Booch" is a laughing
kookaburra native to eastern Australia. Kookaburras have a
very famous laughing call, a repeated
"kook-kook-kook-ka-ka-ka" which is usually joined by several
other birds in chorus, and together they can make a
deafening noise, especially at dawn and dusk. For this
reason they are sometimes called the "Bushman's Alarm
Clock", as they wake everybody up early in the morning, and
sound their riotous alarm again at sunset when it's time to
go to bed. Kookaburras live for 20 years or more in the same
family group. They pair for life and build their nest in a
hole in their favorite tree. Prey items include large
insects, lizards, snakes, amphibians, small mammals, birds,
and occasionally fish.
Spectacled Owl
(Pulsatrix perspicillata)
South America
– This owl gets its name
from the pattern of feathers around its eyes
– they make it
look like it's wearing spectacles! Like most owls, "Hootie"
is active mostly at night. She is an efficient hunter,
feeding on mammals, insects, and other birds. This owl,
measuring up to 19 inches in length, is the largest tropical
American owl. Because of their elusive behavior, little is
known. We do know that they live in tropical rainforests as
well as drier woods with scattered trees. Their call has
been compared to the prolonged, rapid tapping of a
woodpecker with each successive note being lower and weaker,
and the rhythm quicker as the series progresses. They are
known in Brazil as "knocking owls." The female also has a
hawk-like scream, which has been compared to a steam
whistle. When hunting, they use a branch to perch on and
scan the surrounding area. Young spectacled owls (known as
owlets) are mostly white with a dark face mask. They look so
different from the adults they were once thought to be a
separate species.
Eurasian Eagle Owl
(Bubo bubo)
North Africa, Asia, Middle East and Europe
– The Eurasian eagle owl is the giant of all the European owls and can grow to more than 28 inches long with a total wingspan of nearly 6 feet. The females are heavier than the males and can weigh more than 9 pounds. Like most owls, the eagle owl hunts at night, swooping down on any small animal that ventures into the open. Eurasian eagle owls will catch whatever food they can, and mice, voles, hares, young deer, crows, gulls and crabs are all on their menu. These owls are usually solitary birds that fiercely defend their territories; however, during mating season males and females pair up and you can hear them calling to one another. Eurasian eagles keep the same partner for life. They like to nest on cliff ledges and rock crevices, and sometimes they take over nests that have been abandoned by other large birds. If a suitable rocky place cannot be found, they might nest on the ground beneath trees and bushes.
