Blue-and-yellow Macaw |
|
|
Also known as: Blue-and-gold Macaw, Yellow-breasted Macaw, Blue Macaw
Wild Blue-and-yellow Macaws
© Corey Raffel
Photos
View in GalleryDid You Know?
Paired birds often fly so close to one another that their wings touch.Academic Research
Related publications: Ara araraunaSpecies Profile
Genus: Ara | Species: ararauna
Size:
86 cm (33.5 in)
Weight:
1040-1286g (36.4-45 oz)
Subspecies including nominate:
one
Colour Adult:
Both adults bright blue above, mostly golden-yellow below; with long blue and yellow tail; bare white facial disc with fine lines of green feathers; throat black; crown and forehead green. Large black/grey bill. Eye yellow.
Colour Juvenile:
As in adult but with grey/brown eye.
Call:
Loud raucous calls, some harsh. Most calls gutteral with varying sounds.
Listen NowVideo Links:
Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3More Information:
Content Sources:
CITES
BirdLife International
Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Birds of the World
A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998
xeno-canto Blue-and-yellow Macaw, de Godoy, Fernando Igor, XC295503
Parrots of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1977,1989. 2010 edition
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.
Parrots in Aviculture, Low, 1992.
Psittacine Aviculture, Schubot, Clubb and Clubb, 1992.
Wild Blue-and-yellow Macaws
© Corey Raffel
Photos
View in GalleryDid You Know?
Paired birds often fly so close to one another that their wings touch.Academic Research
Related publications: Ara araraunaSpecies Care
Captive Status:
Common in captivity.
Longevity:
60 yrs
Housing:
Should have access to a large enclosure (15 m (50 ft) long) in which to fly for part of the year.
Diet:
Soaked or sprouted sunflower seed; walnuts, peanuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, pine nuts; corn on the cob, banana, orange and other fruit. Complete kibble for macaws.
Enrichment:
Large macaw toys, chewables (fir branches, pine cones, bird-safe wood), large perches, swings, ladders; regular bathing.
Nest Box Size:
Horizontal box, 16" x 16" x 48" (40.6cm x 40.6cm x 122cm) or 35 gallon (9.2 L) pickle barrel.
Clutch Size:
2 to 4
Incubation Time:
24-25 days
Fledging Age:
90-100 days
Hatch Weight:
14-20g (0.5-0.7 oz)
Peak Weight:
927-1064g (32.4-37.2 oz)
Weaning Weight:
1000g (35 oz)
Wild Blue-and-yellow Macaws
© Corey Raffel
Photos
View in GalleryDid You Know?
Paired birds often fly so close to one another that their wings touch.Academic Research
Related publications: Ara araraunaSpecies Wild Status
World Population:
Unknown, decreasing.
IUCN Red List Status:
Least Concern
CITES Listing:
Appendix II
Threat Summary:
Still fairly common in much of range, however, less numerous at edges of range and declining with habitat loss in many peripheral areas. Has been subjected to very heavy trapping for trade (over 60,000 birds as of 2015).
Range:
Large range - E Panama and lowlands of South America to SE Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay.
Habitat:
Occurs in wooded areas, usually near water, including edge of lowland humid forest, gallery forest in savanna, savanna with scattered trees and palms, swamp forest and palm swamp. Sometimes forages in open country. Up to 500m (1640 ft).
Wild Diet:
Feed on seeds of Spondias, Terminalia, Hura, Enterolobium, Inga, Parkia, Platypodium, nectar of Quararibea, flowers of Combretum, fruit and/or petioles of Ficus, pulp of Sloanea, Schwartzia, Brosimum, Sorocea, aril of Otoba, leaves of Iriartea, mesocarp of Scheelea and Pouteria, and undetermined parts of Mauritia; Maximiliana palm nuts in Surinam.
Ecology and Behaviour:
Feeds quietly in top of forest canopy; large numbers congregate at riverbank locations, with other parrot species, to take clay soils. Usually found in pairs, but often in noisy flocks of up to 25 birds.
Clutch and Egg Size:
2 to 4, elliptical 46 x 36mm (1.8 x 1.4 in)
Breeding Season:
January-March in Surinam, April-May in Trinidad, December-February in Colombia. Nest is in dead tree cavity.
Related Links:
Research: Translocation of Blue-and-gold Macaw into its historical range in Trinidad
Wild Blue-and-yellow Macaws
© Corey Raffel
Photos
View in GalleryDid You Know?
Paired birds often fly so close to one another that their wings touch.Academic Research
Related publications: Ara araraunaMembers Only Resources
Please log-in now to find more research, resources and tools.
Not a Member?
Find more great information:
Gain exclusive access to 600+ pages of additional research, seminars and podcasts, specialists to ask your toughest questions, and dozens of other fun resources - when you become a WPT member.
Join Today >>
Already a Member?
Encyclopedia
