Hello my name
is Barney!
Ara chloropterus
I am a 33 year old Green-Winged Macaw who entered into The Friends of the Aviary's foster program in December of 2025. I was incredibly well loved and spent my entire life in one home. My dad raised me and used to have an aviary full of other parrots too. Unfortunately he passed away in 2024 and was my primary caregiver.
My mom and their son tried their best to care for me, but taking care of a macaw is a lot of work! All birds require lots of attention, out of the cage time, and enrichment, but a bird my size needs the most. With my mom having health issues and her son working long hours they knew I wasn't getting the kind of stimulation I needed and reached out to FOTA for help. Even though they loved me dearly they knew my quality of life would suffer staying with them.
Likes
Chewing wood toys and getting attention from my foster parronts!
Dislikes
When you don't share your food with me!
Fav Foods
Nutriberries, sunflower seeds, and nuts
What I Can Say
Hello, Goodbye, Kisses, and Want some!
Friends
I live with other birds in my foster home and enjoy watching what they are up to!
About Me and Other
Green-Winged Macaws
Green-Winged Macaws are one of the largest companion birds, smaller only to the Hyacinth. They are found throughout Central and South America in tropical forests and savannahs, as well as woodlands and mountain regions. Like many parrots, they are social creatures and are often spotted in pairs up to a group of 12 (and even more when feeding).
When it comes to the age of companion birds, the general rule of thumb is the bigger the bird, the longer they could live. Green-Winged and other macaws are the largest companion birds and can live in most cases about 75 years. The oldest recorded macaw, a Blue & Gold named Charlie the Curser was 114/115 when she died. It was believed that she was owned by Sir Winston Churchill, the UK Prime Minister during WWII, but others say he actually owned an African Grey!
Green-Winged Macaws like me share similar traits to Scarlet Macaws like Sierra. In fact, The Aviary was originally told they were picking up two Scarlet Macaws! My species is slightly larger than a Scarlet, we do not have any of the yellow on our wings that is a distinguishing trait of the Scarlets, and we tend to have more pronounced red lines of feathers on our faces.
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According to their IUCN status, Green-Winged Macaws are of Least Concern, but with deforestation, the illegal pet trade, and being killed for their brightly coloured feathers, their numbers are unfortunately decreasing.
What I'm up to Now
I am in FOTA's foster program
I have come a long way in a short period of time! I am getting much more comfortable with my new family and love spending time out of my cage.
I'm eating lots of healthy food, exercising my wings, and will be working on training soon too.​
I'm excited for this next chapter in my life and am even more excited to find my forever home!​
Interested in Adopting Me?
While I still have some more work to do before I am adoptable, if you are interested in adopting me you can start the vetting process now so you are all set when I am ready to leave FOTA's care.
Interested in Donating to My Care?
