Blue & Yellow Macaw

The blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna ), also known as the blue-and-gold macaw, is a large South American parrot with mostly blue top parts and light orange underparts, with gradient hues of green on top of its head. It is a member of the large group of neotropical parrots known as macaws. They are popular in aviculture because of their striking color, ability to talk, ready availability in the marketplace, and close bonding to humans. They can also live for 65–70 years.

General Information:

Common Name:Blue & Yellow Macaw
Scientific Name:Ara ararauna
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order:Psittaciformes
Family:Cacatuidae

Description

The blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna ), also known as the blue-and-gold macaw, is a large South American parrot with mostly blue top parts and light orange underparts, with gradient hues of green on top of its head. It is a member of the large group of neotropical parrots known as macaws. They are popular in aviculture because of their striking color, ability to talk, ready availability in the marketplace, and close bonding to humans. They can also live for 65–70 years.

Distribution

These macaws are native to Central and South America, and their range includes Venezuela south to Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, and parts of Panama.

Habitat

They live in woodland, savannah and tropical forests of South America.

Mating Habits

Blue-and-gold macaws form monogamous pairs and mate for life. The breeding season is from January to July, and they breed every year or second year. Nests are made high up in trees, usually in holes made by other animals. 2 to 3 eggs are laid, and they are incubated for 24 to 28 days. The young hatch featherless and blind, feathers beginning to develop after 10 days. Fledglings become independent within 3 months. Both males and females look after the young and are very aggressive towards intruders when protecting their families. They gain sexual maturity when they are 3 to 4 years old.

Diet

These macaws eat mainly nuts, seeds, and fruits. Their strong beaks are used to crush seeds and break open nut shells. Sometimes they consume clay from riverbanks to help them digest toxins from unripe seeds they have eaten.

Threats

The major threat to Blue-and-gold macaws is habitat loss due to Amazonian deforestation.
They are suspected of losing a third of suitable habitat within their distribution over three generations (38 years).
The other biggest threat is poaching and the illegal pet trade.

IUCN Status

Least Concern