x
Breaking News
More () »

UPDATE: Indianapolis Zoo reports wandering macaw is back home

The Zoo confirmed Saturday that a macaw named Vineyard is back home after spending part of the week in an Indianapolis neighborhood.

INDIANAPOLIS — UPDATE: The Indianapolis Zoo confirms that a macaw named Vineyard is back home after spending part of the week in an Indianapolis neighborhood.

Birdkeepers at the Zoo were working to bring back the wandering macaw that ventured outside its normal flight pattern Wednesday evening.

According to an Indianapolis Zoo spokesperson, two green-winged macaws, named Orchard and Vineyard, flew a little further away from the zoo than normal Wednesday evening and landed in a nearby neighborhood on the west side of Indianapolis.

The male macaw, Orchard, came down from the tree and was taken back to the zoo by the animal care team. As of Friday morning, staff members were still working to bring the female, Vineyard, home.  

According to the zoo, their macaw flocks free fly through the zoo and often fly the perimeter of the zoo several times a day. The spokesperson said it's common for the birds to land and "hang out" in the trees close to the zoo. 

Indy Lost Pet Alert posted about the missing bird Wednesday evening. It was seen near Long's Bakery on West 16th Street, which is about 20 blocks northwest of the Indianapolis Zoo along the White River.

The macaws came to the Indianapolis Zoo in 2017 and appear several times a day in the zoo's Bicentennial Pavilion. Fifty macaws came to the zoo when they debuted five years ago in several colors: red, green, blue yellow and orange.

When they're not putting on a show for guests in the pavilion, the macaws live in the zoo's Forests area, which includes a large cage and a winter enclosure for the colder months.

 

Before You Leave, Check This Out