Red-fronted Macaw

This little Red-fronted Macaw was with is owner last night when I arrived a bit early for our regular Monday Night Meetup in Safety Harbor.

I had never seen a Red-fronted Macaw before and couldn't get over how small they are--especially compared to the rest of the Macaw family. This guy is about the size of a Grackle or a tad bit smaller than a Crow. He gets his name from the red edge on the front of his wings. I assumed he was young because of his small size when the owner told me that he was 16 yrs. old.

He's a cute little bird and listened well to his owner's commands. I shot this pose after his owner told him to pose for the camera. After that he struck several different poses and stood still as I made my shots. Once I was through taking photos of him, his owner took him through several of his tricks, including one where he goes down his owner's t-shirt head first, turns around, then goes back up and pops up through the neckline. During his visit, I never heard him speak, so I'm wondering if he's a non-speaking variety. He's cute just the same.

If you live in the Tampa Bay area and would like information about joining my photography group, just click on this link.