An exhausted macaw takes a break from flying to just wing it as it hitches a lift on a cyclist’s shoulder.
The bird, suffering in a heatwave in Brazil, took a break as cyclist Jhonatan Borela, 40, was on a training run in Chapada dos Guimaraes on 23rd June.
The macaw landed on astonished Jhonatan’s left shoulder and clung on while the biker’s legs took the strain.
Phone footage, recorded by Jhonatan’s coach Antonio Chumaer, shows the relaxed bird with its blue and yellow plumage chatting as they rode along.
Like most parrots, macaws are good talkers, and as Jhonatan chatted to the bird, it chirruped back ‘macaw’ repeatedly.
After a short break, the grateful bird squawked its thanks and flew off as its host ducked his head at the end of the clip.
Coach Antonio later said: “We felt blessed and moved by what happened. It was a blessing to have its presence with us during our training.
“It’s the first time we’ve had contact with an animal like this.”
The blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna) is a parrot species native to South America, renowned for its vibrant plumage.
Known for their intelligence and ability to mimic human speech, in the wild they live in forests and woodlands.
But the birds are under threat by man from habitat loss and the illegal pet trade.
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Story By: Simona Kitanovska, Sub-Editor: Simona Kitanovska, Agency: Newsflash
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