It was a quiet afternoon at the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero, until one of the zoo’s newest residents, a hyacinth macaw, let out a deep-toned laugh and said “hello.”
Zookeeper Crystal Crimbchin said this colorful breed of bird is smart and loves to mimic the sounds it hears around the zoo grounds. “Hello” is a favorite, as onlookers often greet the two macaws ecstatically.
Amid the giggles of the macaws, two toco toucans bumped their bright orange beaks together in the enclosure next door.
Crimbchin said the toucans are much more timid than the macaws but just as breathtaking, considering their beaks are nearly the same size as their entire bodies.
The pairs of macaws and toucans from the South American region are new to the Atascadero Zoo’s exhibit and were welcomed to the grounds on Jan. 18 thanks to funding from the Atascadero Lakeside Wine Festival and Friends of the Charles Paddock Zoo.
Crimbchin said that the macaws came from an elderly woman who owned many of the birds.
“She surrendered them to us, and they’re doing great,” she said.
Since macaws are more social creatures, they could be placed on exhibit sooner than the toucans, who need more time to adjust. Crimbchin said the zoo had the toucans for about a year before placing them on exhibit.
“They’re a very timid bird, and so we had them in the back until they got used to people moving around everywhere and stuff like that,” she said. “They’re also part of the species survival plan, which means that they’re part of a breeding program. So, we wanted to make sure that they were happy and healthy and wanting to breed and able to breed.”
According to Crimbchin, the survival program through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is designed to maintain healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically stable populations in zoos.
“Zoos try not to pull any animals out of the wild, so we’re getting all of our genetic diversity by what we have and finding out who’s related to who, and just shipping them around,” she said.
Since the zoo’s macaws and toucans are breeding pairs, Crimbchin said they would never ship one bird off without a replacement being sent in—that way the birds always have a partner.
To make each bird’s enclosure as similar to their natural habitat as possible, Crimbchin said the zoo used the help of the Master Gardener program in SLO County.
“So, we figured out equivalent plants and stuff,” she said. “We had to find hiding areas for them and all different kinds of things. So it’s been a lot of work, but a lot of fun.”
She also said the macaws are destructive and often destroy the plants in their enclosure.
“These guys are going to chew on them. You know that their beak isn’t just for eating, it’s for all different kinds of things,” she said. “They do work their beaks a lot.”
Toco toucans’ large, bright beaks are used to peel and pick fruit, and Crimbchin said they enjoy berries most, despite the size of their bills. As she spoke, the bright blue macaw latched its beak on the enclosure, using its feet and bill to move around the caging.
The hyacinth macaw is the largest species of parrot and can grow to be more than 3 feet tall. Crimbchin said they have a powerful bite and can break any nutshell.
“So that big beak right there is extremely strong,” she said. “So, most of us, if we get a big walnut or something around the holidays, we have those special nutcrackers. No trouble at all for these guys. They’ll even break the macadamia nuts, which are extremely thick-shelled.”
Crimbchin said it’s the ideal time of year to see the new birds and all exhibits of the zoo, including animals from the Madagascar, tropical Andes, and California regions.
“Right now is the perfect time for people to come visit us because the weather is nice and cool,” she said. “It’s the perfect time to come out. Everybody’s active.”
Fast fact
• SLO County announced $500,000 in funding to establish warming centers in Paso Robles, Atascadero, and Morro Bay and is requesting proposals from local nonprofits and organizations. These three areas were found to have some of the highest numbers of unsheltered individuals and are in the greatest need of services during cold weather. Applications are due Feb. 25. For more information visit: slocounty.gov/homelessservicesgrants. Δ
Reach Staff Writer Libbey Hanson at lhanson@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Feb 6-16, 2025.