The Big Rig Macaw and Owner, Larry

St. Patrick’s Day is the birthday of a very special Harlequin Macaw named Muggsy. Happy 32nd Birthday, Muggsy!

Macaws
Big Rig Macaw, Muggsy

Muggsy travels in a big rig with his owner, Larry whom my husband Greg met at a truck stop in Texas. Greg mentioned to Larry that I’m a blogger and asked if I could call him, and he agreed. Fascinated about this beautiful bird my husband met, I contacted Larry and learned about the amazing Muggsy.

Macaws
Muggsy and Larry

I had read about macaws and already had a list of questions of things I was curious about, including these:

“Larry, does Muggsy scream at you every  morning to wake you up?

“No, he says, “Daddy, I love you. Big potty.”

“Do you use cast iron cookware in your truck? I read that one overheating accident can take out a whole feathered family. Does the same go for a Harlequin Macaw?”

“No Teflon at all. Stainless steel or cast iron.”

“I  can tell, Larry, that you are a caring and devoted person because a Harlequin Macaw needs two to three hours a day for human interaction, mental stimulation, and exercise.”

Larry has worked with Muggsy for years and has taught him phrases, two of which are “Grapes, please,” and “Corn, please.”

Muggsy eats fresh vegetables, and Larry makes homemade (at home and in the big rig) meals for him. Larry has a full-size refrigerator and a microwave in the truck. He sees that Muggsy gets healthy meals.

The bottom part of macaws’ beaks are hollow inside. They lap water, eat the skin of nothing, and like to eat bone marrow. Every day Muggsy gets an ear of corn, a four-egg omelet, and fresh vegetables. He likes sweets (eats an oreo cookie a day).

Curious what the weekly menu of a macaw is? Check out Muggsy’s favorite foods:

  • cantaloupe (he sucks the juice out of it first)
  • fried chicken – wit the skin peeled off
  • homemade meals
  • fresh vegetables
  • an ear of corn
  • pepperoni pizza
  • oatmeal raisin cookies
  • raisin bread
  • caramel
  • popcorn
  • Macadamia nuts
  • dry roasted peanuts
  • sweet potatoes (but they have to be cooked because they are arsenic)
  • 1/2 plum
  • 1/2 peach
  • grapes, and apples (seeds have to be taken out)

“Will Muggsy receive birthday treats?” I asked Larry.

“He always gets a hard candy and a cupcake with sprinkles on top.”

macaws
Happy Birthday, Muggsy!

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6 Comments

  1. Macaws are such beautiful birds. They live a long time, too. A bird is probably the perfect pet for a truck driver, too.

    1. Author

      Muggsys owner feeds him very good and nutritious food. I told him it’s no wonder they live so long.

  2. What a great post and a great bird! Hope you have a very special week and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Miz Helen

    1. Author

      Miz Helen, thank you. Isn’t that the prettiest bird? I just loved getting to talk to his owner, Larry, about all the different foods little Muggsy eats. So fascinating.

  3. I loved reading your post about Mugsy! I just love birds of any kind. I raised two cockatiels….. “Muffin” lived to be twenty -five and ” Cookie” was twenty- seven when he passed this past January.

    1. Author

      Suzy, thank you! Both my grandmothers also had birds. It fascinated me as a little girl to watch them carry the little birds on their shoulder as they walked around the house and talk to them. I thought they were cockatiels, but they were small birds. How big were your cockatiels?

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