Brookfield exhibit to feature exotic birds
BROOKFIELD, Ill. (WLS) -- Chicago area birders can catch a glimpse of some of the world's most exotic birds at Brookfield Zoo's upcoming live exhibit, "Festival of Flight," which debuts Memorial Day weekend.
The festival runs May 23 through September 7 and will feature more than 20 bird species, including Chiquita, a yellow-naped Amazon parrot, and a harpy eagle, which enjoys eating monkeys.
Another bird to be featured is the blue throated macaw, one of the most rare birds in the world with only 150 left in the wild. Native to South America, the blue throated macaw can be seen in flocks of up to 25 there.
The show will also be interactive. The andean condor, which has a ten-foot wingspan, is being trained to fly low -- very low -- over the visitors in the grandstand. The trumpeter hornbill will showcase its skill of grabbing grapes tossed into the air.
"It means the people will be able to come down from the bleachers ... and actually participate in some of these things that go on," said Bill Zeigler, of Brookfield Zoo.
The exhibit is run by Florida-based, Natural Encounters, which has showcased extremely rare birds around the world across the U.S. for more than 30 years.
