Hot Days Cool House

I am pleased to report that my home is now air conditioned. This is a first for this house. My father designed our home to stay cool in the summer with 8' eaves that shade the plate glass windows etc. However, since I needed a new furnace...might as well include central air. And, as long as I was at it....I opted for an additional air purifying unit with a special set of UV lights to deter molds, fungus, and other airborne particles from growing. I have a comfortable home now, however, the parrots still get to go outside. They love it!

The top photo is Mango, one of my guests. He is very used to being out of doors, however, he lives in Berkeley! You can tell by his posture that he is uncomfortably hot! His beak is open and his wings are drooping. I misted them all with the hose which helped, but I brought poor Mango back to the cooler house. Lucy, as you see, is used to being out and loves getting soaked. By the afternoon on these hot days, they all are inside enjoying some cold water and fruit.

Did you know that an easy way to distinguish a Greenwing macaw from a Scarlet macaw is by the face? If you see red "stitching" (feather lines) on the skin patch, its a Greenwing! Lucy has plain white face skin, Mango has the stitching. He's also much heftier!