PEOPLE: Carson woman works to preserve endangered bird

When Cara O'Keefe acquired Dewey about a year ago, she had no idea she would become so impassioned about macaws.

Dewey is a Hyacinth macaw, a cobalt blue parrot with distinctive yellow patches of skin on its face, and the largest parrot in the world.

"I was diagnosed with cancer while trying to have one more child, and Dewey filled that child void in my life," O'Keefe said.

She drove all the way to Washington to pick up Dewey, who was part of an estate.

"I was always a bird person, but I decided to get involved with this project after researching and learning that they're very rare and endangered," she said.

"You really form an attachment with these big birds, and I started to realize that it would be devastating if they were to become extinct.

Last month, O'Keefe formed the Hyacinth Preservation Society Inc. in Carson City to raise funds to help save the Hyacinth, which is native to parts of Brazil and Bolivia.

Dewey, who is about 14 years old, enjoys a primary diet of macadamia nuts and coconut because a Hyacinth diet needs to be high in fat and low-protein, O'Keefe said. She supplements his meals with a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Although extremely large - averaging 40 inches from head to tip of tail and weighing about 21⁄2 pounds, the Hyacinth is known affectionately in parrot circles as a "gentle giant."

"He is very loving and protective of me," O'Keefe said. "I think he views me as his mate."

He also has an enormous vocabulary, but like most macaws, he seldom performs on command.

Most macaw species are well-established in zoos and wildlife parks, but seldom is a Hyacinth seen, O'Keefe said.

"I was shocked when I did some zoo visits. You see lots of Scarlets and Blue-and-Golds, but no Hys," she said.

Typically, only one bird survives from a clutch of eggs, but Dewey was one of two.

"Dewey is a runt," O'Keefe explained. "He's not as big as most Hyacinths. When the owner saw he was not doing well, she pulled him (from the nest box to start hand-feeding)."

O'Keefe said she will continue her classroom education programs as part of her mission. She has made several visits to local schools such as Seeliger Elementary and Carson High.

"They ask a lot of questions," O'Keefe said of the students. "They never seem to run out of questions."

But eventually, the objective of the preservation society will be to fight against illegal importation and eventually start a breeding program.

"I want to have a sanctuary for breeding - I have a couple of options right now - and I will need volunteers to help run the facility and help with cleaning and feeding," she said. "It will be a controlled environment where the public can see the birds, though."

To kick off her program, O'Keefe has planned a fund-raising event from 8-10 a.m. Sept. 19 at Applebee's, where participants can enjoy a good breakfast after meeting Dewey outside the front door.

Cost is $10, or $8 for children 10 and younger. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Hyacinth Preservation Society. For information, call 720-6819.

• The Hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is one of 16 living species of macaws and the largest parrot in the world.

• There are six genera of macaws and the Hyacinth is one of three species of the genus Anodorhynchus. One of the other two species of this genus is thought to be extinct, the Glaucus macaw, and the other (the Lear's or Indigo macaw) is severely threatened.

• The typical length for the Hyacinth macaw is about 40 inches. The typical weight of captive-bred adults is about 21⁄2 pounds.

• Recent estimates of the number surviving in the wild have ranged from 2,500 to 5,000.

• Most of its range is the lightly forested and seasonally flooded grassland of Brazil's and Bolivia's Pantanal, which holds a major part of its population.

• Their main diet of palm nuts is very specific, and in captivity, they eat macadamia nuts.

• The power of a Hyacinth macaw's beak is about 2,000 pounds per square inch.

Source: www.hyacinthmacaw.org