The Great Green Macaw

Macaw Profiles
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a spectacular arrange of Blues, yellows, blacks, and greens. Coloring on this macaw is spectacular. I often take it for granted because there are so many around. In order for this macaw to be recognized internationally by the same name it has been given a scientific or "latin" name. Belonging to the genus ARA the Blue and Gold is refered to as Ara-arauna. You may notice in the pictures that baby Blue and Golds have dark almost black eyes and older adults eyes turn a silver pale yellow. For reasons not totally understood Blue and Golds have a greater tendency to pluck their feathers. Not all birds pluck and there certainly are ways to prevent plucking but this species is more susceptible.
from being inter-mixed in what is now our (the U.S.) Blue and Gold blood line. These distinct sizes and color differences are not noted in any other books that I can find but have been confirmed by ornithologists and aviculturists that commonly inspected birds that had been gathered from certain areas to be imported out of the country.

(the proper name is Greenwinged macaw) are becoming more common now as people are breeding more of them and people keeping them are finding out about their very sweet gentle nature. The beak, which appears all white when they are babies, and a combination of white upper and black lower as adults, can be very intimidating.


your limited on space your Scarlets sleeping space "the cage" can be converted into the launching pad for branches, ropes, and your imagination to invite your macaw to explore, swing, hang upside down, you know...be freeeeee! Neglect is building this wonderful environment, or not, and forgetting your bird is there at all untill he starts screaming, literally, for attention.
applying pressure to different objects they encounter. Yep, your fingers and skin will be explored, but it doesn't mean you let them have their way with you. A simple "NO" usually works fine followed by diverting their attention to a toy or other object. Flicking their beak, dropping them, or just blatantly hitting them will turn a Scarlet into a ferocious beast. O yeah and one little trick that Scarlets are famous for is the pinch and twist, oh yeah, they love to do that if you let them. Remember, easy does it with reprimands but be consistent. No, they wont bite your finger off (or a small childs arm as I once read in a macaw forum) but I wouldn't let any macaw sit on my shoulder close to my face. They are exotic, a step from the wild, animals.
the real big guys. A red fronted is about the size of a large amazon parrot but with a longer tail.Red Fronted Macaws come from a small area in Bolivia and are endangered in their native habitat. Luckily these great medium macaws are breeding well in captivity and are being offered as pets. I personally own two and have found him them to be very smart and quite comical. They love to a root around in the dirt in my "macaw garden" they are a special part of my flock.
With breeders coming and going we could easily loose this macaw in captivity. I strongly encourage macaw enthusiests who can properly care for these macaws to support the breeders that are working with them.
The size of the Red fronted is perfect for people who want a real large macaw but can't seem to make the jump to the big guys. A Red Fronted is
about the size of a large amazon parrot but with a longer tail.
If you ever thought about haveing a free flighted macaw in the house these guys are so precise and delicate flyers ..... just amazing.
Red Fronted macaws get an orange pigment, color to their skin, when exposed to the sun. Macaws like all parrots need natural sunlite to produce vitamin D in their systems which is an essential vitamin to facilitate calcium absorption. Make sure your birds are getting unfiltered sunlite or at the least a special full spectrum light source. Sunlight through a glass window filters out the ultra violet rays...... doesn't count.
Blue throated macaws
are in fact a very new species in American aviculture. The very good news is that they are proving to be very prolific for breeders here in the U.S. and as a result are finding there way into the pet market. This species is quite rare in it's natural habitat and apparently is critically endangered. It has been estimated that only 300 to 350 individuals are left in the wild. They are a protected within their range of distribution which is very small in comparison to other macaw species. They are thought to be endemic (only found) to a flatland area in Bolivia called the Beni savannah. There are three major problems facing the Blue Throated Macaw that I can see based on their current situation. First problem is that they are an endemic species, meaning that they are only found up until now in a very small area. This is similar to an island species that is only found on a small island.
The second problem is that they are not a forest dwelling parrot where their habitat and nesting areas would be protected by huge ravines or hillsides that are unusable to farmers or land developers. Because they are found in the flatlands, and nest in palm tree clusters, they are very susceptible to farming and land development that would threaten their food source and their nesting areas. The third problem is that they are competing with the larger more abundant Blue and Gold Macaw for valuable nest sites.
What is being done
means that for every 250.00 dollars donated an artificial nest will be constructed and placed in the range of the Blue Throats. Interestingly they are marking the nest box with the dona tor's initials and keeping track of what happens within each nest box each year. Sounds fun! but conservation is not without its challenges. Of the 40 some nest boxes that have been placed over the past two years only 4 or 5 have been used by the Blue Throats. Ironically the Blue and Gold Macaw has been detrimental to the success of the program by using 24 of the boxes provided. Unfortunately the more common Blue and Gold is in competition with the endangered Blue Throats for nesting sites. A perfect example of two like species occupying the same niche. If left unchecked the natural consequence of such a situation is that one species is either forced to extinction or adapts by finding a new niche that does not entirely overlap with the dominant species. Such an adaptation historically is rare. A huge abundance of nest boxes could help the situation but ultimately an alternative nesting arrangement needs to be found. This could be as simple as height at which the nest is placed by doing a study to find if there are differences in acceptable nesting heights by Blue and Golds and Blue throats, or it could prove to require more thought and research.
The Blue Throated Macaw is a fabulous species, definitely, worth the efforts being made to save it both in american aviculture as well as in its' native habitat. People are getting involved and things are being done which is very encouraging. A huge amount of time and resources will be needed in Bolivia for the Loro park foundation to be successful. These birds make excellent pets although they are still somewhat "pricey." I would encourage anyone who wants a new twist in macaw ownership to get one. I am a firm believer that purchasing rare species in captivity should be encouraged. Yes! you read that right! If rarer species don't have a strong demand breeders wont breed them... sad result is they become no longer available in captivity. So yes, buying baby Blue Throats is the best way to keep them in american aviculture.