Internet sensation: An Ipswich bird the world paid $3000 to save

Could Roku be Ipswich’s most famous pet?

He doesn’t surf or ride a skateboard or need any other gimmicky tricks to get followers, but he does like to fly around like a regular bird.

Roku, 4, is a Blue and Gold Macaw who lives with his human Brody Murray at Karana Downs. Roku likes to spend his day flying around Colleges Crossing, eating and making videos for YouTube.

He has a younger sister Korra, 2, who is a Green winged Macaw and a baby brother Pabu, 1, who is a Major Mitchell Cockatoo. Together they star in the ‘Adventures of Roku’, in various social media outlets.

“With his social media combined, he’s sitting on over 100,000 followers,” Brody said. “At the moment he has 65,000 followers on Instagram but his new YouTube channel is really taking off.

“He gets about 1.5 million views every month and that is growing. He gets between 150-250 new subscribers a day, and he has only been doing the YouTube channel for the past four months.”

Letting his parrots fly free is something Brody is really passionate about. He started a group ‘Get Flocked’ about three years ago where members come together once a month and fly their parrots.

Growing up on a farm, Brody’s explains all animals had free reign. “Dad got me homing pigeons when I was six years old. That is where it all started, I was fascinated with the birds being able to fly back and not necessarily run away,” he said.

“When I got a Macaw I saw his wings and thought, there is no way I could clip his wings. So I wanted to free fly him and that was very scary because I had spent so much money on him. But I had done the training and it paid off.”

Brody describes Roku as really cheeky. “He’s really boisterous and naughty and very social. He’s just such a character. If I was to say he was a little boy. He’d be that boy on the street that parents would be wary off. Full of potential but he’s a bit naughty, but that’s part of his charisma”.

Brody first discovered how special Roku was to the community after a scare.

“A few years ago he got really sick and nearly died by some unknown virus. He had to spend time at the vet clinic and it was touch and go,” he said.

“That’s when I first realised that he had a following. People from America and overseas were calling the vet clinic to pay the bills totalling $3000.

“Local community members came together and they donated money. He’s well known at Colleges Crossing and the café staff did a little fundraiser and a guy in the NT started a GoFundMe account to help pay his bills as well.

“So it was just great to feel that support and just to know he had reached that many people.”

Being this popular has its downsides for Brody, who updates his accounts daily.

“I was studying fulltime but I’ve just had to defer this semester as this is taking up all of my time. And now I work from home just to spend more time with them,” he said.

“It’s kind of what needs to be done.”

While the ‘Adventures of Roku’ is a registered business, their YouTube channel only generates enough funds to cover their food for the month.

Brody’s commitment to free flying the birds involves daily exercise outdoors and preparing a full diet.

“They eat a lot and because burn off a lot more energy. They have vege chop. It’s all mixed vegetables chopped up finely and some fruit,” he said.

“Then they get mixed nuts when we are out as a treat and 50% of their diet is a cold pressed pellet which provides them with a balanced diet.”

They’ve each got a very distinct personality.

While Roku might be the most famous for now, the bigger bird Korra is the boss at home.

“She doesn’t want to share my time. Korra always comes out on top cause she throws her weight around. She’s a very, very big diva. She’s very moody and sensitive but she is the biggest smooch,” he said.

“If I could look inside Pabu’s brain it would be all fairy floss and circus music playing. I don’t know what going on up there, he’s a bit ditzy. But again that’s part of his charm. He’s very special.”