“Hey, human! If you run into John Waters sometime, ask him why he won’t take our calls, will ya?”

We arrived at the zoo just as the first hourly macaw talk was ending. This one was clearly done performing for the moment.

The little diva also refused to leave its perch at first. The handler took several tries to coax it into returning to its habitat. Maybe the air out here was a bit fresher.

The “Magnificent Macaws”, the Zoo’s newest habitat that just opened Memorial Day weekend, hosts some macaws who like hanging out on branches, and others who like hanging from the ceiling.

One disgruntled macaw takes flight after one nasty fight with a cellmate over ceiling turf.

Not far away, the Zoo’s prized bald eagle glowers behind a chain-link fence, but I’m sure he wishes us all a Happy 4th of July! (See, I didn’t forget this year.)

Much more photogenic and out in the open: flamingos, throwing a party.

Flamingos are so picturesque and innately kitschy at the same time that it’s hard to imagine them being okay with romping in mud.

As with humans, flamingos have their own dichotomies. Some love frolicking in sun-kissed pools; others would rather forage in shady troughs.

Every time we’ve visited the Zoo over the years, there’s one bridge in the Plains area that always has one (1) ostrich hanging out below. For all I know, maybe it’s the same introverted specimen every time.

A yellow-billed hornbill watches over other, larger birds, wishing they could all just get along.

I have “partridge” in my notes, but it could just be wishful thinking for want of Christmas jokes.

A pair of Cabot’s tragopans, possibly pretending that gravel is a field of eggs they need to keep warm.

This White-Cheeked Turaco flew up close to me and posed like it’s used to being Instagrammed.

Penguins are the only birds living in the Oceans section, playing and swimming and generally keeping the glass all wet so photos are next to impossible. Still not as bad a chain-link fence, though.