Perth Zoo: Blue and gold macaws on display for first time in more than 10 years with arrival of Inca and Manu

Flashes of blue and gold are back in the bird aviary for the first time in more than a decade after Perth Zoo welcomed two new resident macaws to the crew.

Blue and gold macaws Inca and Manu are the newest additions to the walk-through aviary, delighting visitors as they get a glimpse of the large birds up close.

It’s been a long time between macaws at Perth Zoo, and bird expert Holly Lewin said the opportunity arose organically.

“A member of the public had a breeding pair of blue and gold macaws, and they had these chicks. They rang us up and offered us their chicks,” Ms Lewin said.

“We were looking to expand on what species we had in this walk-through aviary to showcase more birds of the world, so we went with a yes and accepted her very generous offer to let them come and live here with us.”

Native to several countries across Central and South America, blue and gold macaws are just one of more than a dozen species of macaw.

The striped markings around their eyes are unique to each bird, akin to a fingerprint, and their brilliant blue and gold feathers become brighter as they mature to attract prospective mates, with whom they mate for life.

Inca and Manu arrived at the zoo in October, and after a quarantine period have spent the past month settling into their new digs.

Ms Lewin said their distinct personalities have really started to emerge.

“I think she (Inca) is the brains of the operation. She’s a little bit little bit more outgoing. She was the first one to warm up to us keepers and start accepting hand-fed food from us,” she said.

“Manu, he’s almost like a classic little brother sort of vibe. He likes to follow her (Inca) around, copy what she’s doing.

“When she gets a snack, he wants a snack. If she’s got something, he wants that something.

“They’ve been so popular, it’s like having a couple of celebrities. People walk in and you hear them just gasp at these amazing birds.”

Blue and gold macaws have a long lifespan, and Ms Lewin said she hopes they’re both still around when she retires.

“They’re just about to turn one year old, so we’re really excited to have them here. In the wild, they live around about 30 or 35 years but with us, hopefully they could make it even up to 50 or 60 years old,” Ms Lewin said.