Green Aracaris - Mollie and Victor

[Sarasota]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm new to the boards. There's not a room for softbills...so I am posting "generally."

 

Mollie (3) and Victor (4) are Green Aracaris - one of the smallest members of the toucan family. For comparision, they are roughly the same size as a Western Scrub Jay - plus beak! They are tremendously active birds and eat their body weight (or much more) in fresh fruit and pellets everyday. While not as destructive as parrots, they are quite messy and can fling their fruit a great distance.

 

They are almost more like little monkeys in their character. My male likes to fall asleep in my shirt at night (sometimes, both of them). While they can't bite like a parrot, they can be quite aggressive during the breeding season and use their beaks like hammers (they are related to the woodpecker).

 

Any questions, please feel free to ask!

[CLB]

Thank you so much for joining Grey Forums! I am always excited to learn about new birds and how they interact with their human flocks. Your pictures have been great, can't wait to see more and learn more about these curious birds.

 

BTW....the beak is very impressive!

[JeffNOK]

Really beautiful birds! They seem to be affectionate based on your post. Otherwise how would you compare their behavior and cognitive abilities to parrots? Just curious.

[Ray P]

There may not be a room for them, but if you check the other birds honored list they have their own place with their name and care giver.

[JeffNOK]

Ok Sarasota, after reading your post I did a little research and have to admit I'd like to know more! I had always heard that Toucans and Toucanets were not good as companion birds, but the sites I looked at definately contradicted that assertion! They get great reviews as companions. I have a one year old CAG. How would you say your aracaris do relating to you Greys? I didn't think I was in the market for a second bird, but somehow I'm just smitten with these little gems.

[birdhouse]

Mollie (3) and Victor (4) are Green Aracaris - one of the smallest members of the toucan family. For comparision, they are roughly the same size as a Western Scrub Jay - plus beak! They are tremendously active birds and eat their body weight (or much more) in fresh fruit and pellets everyday. While not as destructive as parrots, they are quite messy and can fling their fruit a great distance.

 

I have to admit that was something I was thinking while I was watching the vid of everyone in your quite lovely aviary. "More beak. More mess." Glad they aren't biters. But I'm still pretty sure I wouldn't want to get beaked, either. lol

 

I've never seen any posts from anyone else who has one. That makes you very very unique in a very big membership. How did you happen to adopt them?

[Sarasota]

Let's see if I can answer all the questions in one post.

 

How do they compare to parrots? They are MUCH more active than parrots. Think of a mockingbird or jay. They are that fast and love to hop from perch to perch. This is not true of the larger toucans - more the aracaris and toucanets...and even that varies. I'm not so sure I was categorize them as "good" pets. Most of the message boards are full of people with very young birds. Rarely do you see posts from older aracari owners - similar to parrots in some respects. Once the breeding hormones kick in and you have an aracari fly at your face one or two times, some people give up.

 

Their diet can be very demanding - especially in areas where there is not an abundance of fresh fruit. Their daily diet consists of papaya, bananns, apples, melon, grapes, raspberries, blueberries, cucumber (yes, even if it's out of season), Mazuri pellets and/or Zoo Life Gel. Chopped fresh, everyday (sometimes twice a day if it spoils). You get the idea, it can be a lot of work.

 

The beak CAN hurt. The collard aracaris and chestnut-eared, for example, can clamp down pretty hard. I've had to pry one off my hand before during grooming. And when they hammer you with the beak, it's not the greatest (watch our for lips, earlobes). Still, they aren't going to break your finger like a macaw might.

 

Cages must be large. Very large. Mine are housed in 8 X 4 X 6. Walls and floors get splattered with blueberies (how DO they get it on the ceiling??)

 

I was volunteering at Project Wildlife in San Diego (avian rehab). It was baby season and I was working in the baby room handfeeding. I got pretty good at it and had the chance to handfeed toucans (all varieties) at a facility in Fallbrook. There was a little guy that kept jumping out of his cage and hanging onto my shirt when I went to feed them. When I left, I took him with me. Mollie came later to keep him company - don't we always get our bird a bird??

[Sarasota]

It's too hot to do much of anything today...except photograph the birds. Here's a few cute pix of the pigeons.

[JeffNOK]

Let's see if I can answer all the questions in one post.

 

How do they compare to parrots? They are MUCH more active than parrots. Think of a mockingbird or jay. They are that fast and love to hop from perch to perch. This is not true of the larger toucans - more the aracaris and toucanets...and even that varies. I'm not so sure I was categorize them as "good" pets. Most of the message boards are full of people with very young birds. Rarely do you see posts from older aracari owners - similar to parrots in some respects. Once the breeding hormones kick in and you have an aracari fly at your face one or two times, some people give up.

 

Their diet can be very demanding - especially in areas where there is not an abundance of fresh fruit. Their daily diet consists of papaya, bananns, apples, melon, grapes, raspberries, blueberries, cucumber (yes, even if it's out of season), Mazuri pellets and/or Zoo Life Gel. Chopped fresh, everyday (sometimes twice a day if it spoils). You get the idea, it can be a lot of work.

 

The beak CAN hurt. The collard aracaris and chestnut-eared, for example, can clamp down pretty hard. I've had to pry one off my hand before during grooming. And when they hammer you with the beak, it's not the greatest (watch our for lips, earlobes). Still, they aren't going to break your finger like a macaw might.

 

Cages must be large. Very large. Mine are housed in 8 X 4 X 6. Walls and floors get splattered with blueberies (how DO they get it on the ceiling??)

 

I was volunteering at Project Wildlife in San Diego (avian rehab). It was baby season and I was working in the baby room handfeeding. I got pretty good at it and had the chance to handfeed toucans (all varieties) at a facility in Fallbrook. There was a little guy that kept jumping out of his cage and hanging onto my shirt when I went to feed them. When I left, I took him with me. Mollie came later to keep him company - don't we always get our bird a bird??

 

Thanks for your candid response. You make a very good point about older versus younger birds. At this point toucans, toucanets, and aracaris are still pretty rare. You tend to just hear the happy stories of the sweet tame babies. It would be good to get more information about mature birds before considering getting one.