Scientific Classification

Common Name

blue & gold macaw, blue & yellow macaw

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Aves

Order

Psittaciformes

Family

Psittacidae (true parrots)

Genus Species

Ara (macaw) ararauna

Fast Facts

Description

This is a large parrot with long tail feathers and mainly blue and yellow in color. The forehead is green; the upper part of the body a brilliant blue; the sides of the neck and body is golden yellow. These macaws also have black around chin and cheeks, and the naked skin of cheeks is pinkish-white with lines of very small, isolated black feathers. The blue and gold macaw has a strongly hooked beak and zygodactylous feet (2 toes that point forward and 2 toes that point backward).

Size

Approximately 85 to 90 cm (34 to 36 in.); wingspan 102 to 112.5 cm (41 to 45 in.)

Weight

Approximately 900 to 1200 g (2 to 2.7 lbs.)

Diet

Feeds on seeds, fruits, nuts, and berries

Incubation

Approximately 29 days

Clutch Size

2 to 3 eggs

Fledging Duration

After 4 months; young then remain with parents for up to a year

Sexual Maturity

Approximately 2 to 4 years

Life Span

Up to 80 years

Range

Eastern Panama through Columbia, Ecuador, and Brazil

Habitat

Found in forests and swamps

Population

Global: Unknown

Status 

IUCN: Not listed
CITES: Appendix II
USFWS: Not listed

Fun Facts

Macaws are often monogamous, remaining bonded for life. They are often seen flying in large flocks and the bonded pairs fly close together, their wings nearly touching.

In the wild, macaws often flock to mountains of clay known as "macaw licks."

When disturbed, these bright birds screech loudly and circle overhead with their long tails streaming.

Macaws are playful and inquisitive and are able to mimic human vocalizations very well.

Macaws are extremely messy eaters - their incredibly strong beaks are perfectly adapted for eating all sorts of nuts and seeds, as seen in their ability to crack open incredibly hard-shelled nuts with ease.

Macaws are able to reach speeds of up to 56 kph (35 mph).

Ecology and Conservation

In the course of daily feeding, macaws allow plenty of seeds (while eating, as well as in their droppings) to fall to the forest floor, thus generating much of the forest growth.

The U.S. Wild Bird Act forbids the commercial import of any bird listed by CITES which includes most parrots, which are endangered or threatened.

Bibliography

Forshaw, J.M. Parrots of the World. New Jersey. T.F.H. Publications Inc. 1978.

Marrison, C. and A. Greensmith. Birds of the World. New York: Dorling Kindersley, Inc. 1993.

Perrins, C. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Birds. New York: Facts on File Publications. 1985.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/search/simple/