Duce - Parrot

Duce was a rescued amazon parrot from Central Florida. He was seized during a police raid and taken to the Polk County Animal Shelter where they reached out to an exotic animal rescue and training facility. After spending some time on the training farm, Duce went to perform at SeaWorld Orlando in the Pets Ahoy! Show from 2015-2017. Duce performed in hundreds of shows and helped teach audiences about the importance of adoption. Duce even performed as an actor in a movie. 

In 2017, Duce began to show signs of liver disease, most likely caused by the poor nutrition he received as pet. Unfortunately, due to his illness, he had to retire as a performer. The vet put Duce on a specialized diet and he has since recovered well. He is now an ambassador here at Sunset Wildlife Connection and enjoying educating others about the importance of preserving beautiful birds like him in the wild. 

Duce is trained a flight behavior and can fly at inside events. He is also trained to say "Hello". You can meet Duce at your next Wildlife Connection Encounter today.  

*Duce is a touch animal in small crowds*
 

Age: Vets have guessed Duce is around 20+ years old.

Favorite Treats: apples, bananas, watermelon, carrots, peppers, berries, almonds, cashews, pistachios. 

Favorite Toy/Enrichment: cardboard boxes, wooden shapes, rope toys, coconuts with treats inside, spending time outside, taking baths, learning tricks and playing with my handlers. 

Interesting Fact:   It’s a boy! Yellow-headed amazon birds do not have defining features that distinguish if they male or female. So, to find out if Duce was a boy or girl, his veterinarian had to test his blood and look at the DNA to know for sure. Vets can sometimes tell by x-ray or by the bird’s personality, but the only way to know 100% is to test the DNA.