The Aracuan Bird (variously pronounced ah-rah-KWAN and AIR-uh-kwan) is a wacky Brazilian jungle[2] bird of an undetermined species who appears in the Disney animated feature films The Three Caballeros and Melody Time.
Background[]
The Aracuan is an odd species of tropical bird (even described in the film Donald was watching that first revealed it to him as "one of the most eccentric birds ever seen") that got its personalized first name from a song that it sings. It has the power to do the impossible (this includes, but is not limited to, simple cartoon antics like reaching out of a film reel image to shake someone's hand). It is aforesaid to exist seen everywhere, most notably South America.
Voice[]
Aracuan has a wacky, high-pitched, sped-up voice, done by Goofy's voice actor Pinto Colvig. Colvig also provided the Aracuan's distinctive song in The Three Caballeros, Clown of the Jungle, and Melody Time.
In the 90's and into the 2000's, Frank Welker provides his wacky, high-pitched, speedy voice, but without the use of the distinctive song.
In Legend of the Three Caballeros, Dee Bradley Baker provides the bird's wacky, high-pitched, speedy voice, even using the character's trademark song, hence marking the first time the song is used again in 70 years.
The Aracuan does not speak; he only gives out vocal effects, except for in House of Mouse, when he speaks while disguised as someone, but never as himself or in his natural voice.
Physical appearance[]
The Aracuan sports pink plumage on most of his body, along with a red head crest, yellow beak, red tail feathers, and orange legs. He typically wears a white shirt with a blue stripe, though he first appeared while wearing a yellow-and-green striped bathing suit while swimming). He tends to sport a Woody Woodpecker-esque grin.
Appearances[]
The Three Caballeros[]
His first appearance, the Aracuan is contractual in the "Aves Raras" film Donald receives in his birthday gifts. His clownish nature continues throughout the sequence after his introduction and advanced on when Donald and José are traveling to Bahia on a train, he draws many tracks for the different train carts to follow with a piece of chalk.
Melody Time[]
Appearing in the "Blame It on the Samba" sequence, the Aracuan helps cure Donald and José of the blues with some music.
Clown of the Jungle[]
While traveling through the jungle to photograph rare birds, Donald runs afoul of the Aracuan, who keeps thwarting his attempts to photograph him and other birds.
Mickey Mouse Works[]
In the cartoon "Bird Brained Donald," Donald and Daisy take a trip to the zoo where Donald encounters the Aracuan Bird and spends the day trying to take a picture of it for Daisy. In the end, Donald fails.
House of Mouse[]
The Aracuan Bird makes a cameo in the first episode "The Stolen Cartoons," shaking hands rapidly with Donald. He appears again in the episode "Timon and Pumbaa," when he tosses away an anvil following a joke.
Aracuan Bird has a starring role in the episode "Donald and the Aracuan Bird," Mickey invites the Aracuan Bird to the club to perform. Donald is upset about the entire thing. Donald spends the entire episode chasing the Aracuan Bird. Donald then tries to get rid of the Aracuan Bird and during his performance, he tries to dart him. Instead, Donald accidentally darts everyone in the club except the Aracuan Bird and Aurora. As the show ends, the Aracuan Bird begins to make his way home, sad that he has to leave until Mickey offers him to stay at the club with them. He is also shown to exist a master of disguise, often impersonating others using full-body suits and flawlessly mimicking their voices. During the episode, the Aracuan disguises himself as Jafar, Pluto, Goofy, Donald, and Mickey.
The Aracuan Bird also appears front-and-center (however briefly) in the episode "Ask Von Drake," during the Ludwig Von Drake song. Other than these two episodes, his other appearances in the shows are cameos.
Legend of the Three Caballeros[]
Now nicknamed Ari, the Aracuan is a supporting character in the series, serving as the handyman that maintains Clinton Coot's adventuring cabana. In the pilot episode, "Dope-a Cabana," the character sings its distinctive "Aracuan bird song" for the first time since Clown of the Jungle, it frequently sings the song.
Video games[]
World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck[]
Saw-billed birds resembling the Aracuan Bird appeared in the hedge maze area of the Alice in Wonderland level. When Mickey or Donald flourish their cape at them, they will cut holes through the floor that leads to other areas.
Printed media[]
There are some Brazilian comics where Dickie Duck is the protagonist, and she is part of a group of teenagers. In this group, Aracuan is a quirky teenager named Folião (roughly, Portuguese for "happy-go-luck person").
Disney Parks[]
Disneyland[]
In Mickey's Soundsational Parade, the Aracuan was seen as a part of Donald's Fiesta Fantastico unit.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Warren Spector, director of Epic Mickey, has stated that the Aracuan is one of his favorite Disney characters.
- In the music video for the Parachute Express song "Dr. Looney's Remedy", when the musical group seemed to have danced themselves into delusions of several classic Disney Movies in a jungle collage, the Aracuan seems to exist the epitome of the song's title character, as fitting to this bird's personality.
- The origin of the name "Aracuan" is unknown, but likely refers to the Araucanía region of central Chile.
- There also exists a real bird native to Brazil called the East Brazilian Chachalaca, with the taxonomic name Ortalis Araucuan. However, it bears no resemblance to the animated character.
References[]
- ↑ Frank Angones on Tumblr
- ↑ "Anything goes with the antics of this Brazilian jungle inhabitant." - Narrator in "Donald and the Aracuan Bird", House of Mouse
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