Macaw

Macaws are large, colorful parrots with bright feathers and long tails. They are part of a group of birds called New World parrots, and they live mainly in South and Central America. These birds are often kept as pets and companions, but they also face some dangers in the wild.

Macaws are strong and smart birds. They can talk and make many different sounds. Because they are so beautiful and interesting, some people take them from the wild to keep as pets, which can harm their populations. Many people work hard to protect these wonderful birds and their homes.

Biology

Macaws are large, colorful parrots. They belong to several groups, including Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, and Diopsittaca. Macaws live in Central America, Mexico, and South America. They were once found in the Caribbean. Macaws have big beaks, long tails, and special facial feathers that make each one look different.

Some of the biggest macaws are the hyacinth, Buffon's (great green), and green-winged macaws. There are also smaller types called mini-macaws. Like other parrots, macaws walk on branches with two toes pointing forward and two toes pointing backward.

Species in taxonomic order

Further information: List of macaws

There are 19 kinds of macaws. Some of these macaws are in danger of disappearing forever.

The known macaw kinds include:

• Anodorhynchus
  • Glaucous macaw, Anodorhynchus glaucus (in danger of disappearing)
  • Hyacinth macaw, Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus
  • Indigo macaw or Lear's macaw, Anodorhynchus leari
• Cyanopsitta
  • Little blue macaw or Spix's macaw, Cyanopsitta spixii (not found in the wild anymore)
• Ara
  • Blue-and-yellow macaw or blue-and-gold macaw, Ara ararauna
  • Blue-throated macaw, Ara glaucogularis
  • Military macaw, Ara militaris
  • Great green macaw or Buffon's macaw, Ara ambiguus
  • Scarlet macaw or Aracanga, Ara macao
  • Red-and-green macaw or green-winged macaw, Ara chloropterus
  • Red-fronted macaw, Ara rubrogenys
  • Chestnut-fronted macaw or severe macaw, Ara severus
• Orthopsittaca
  • Red-bellied macaw, Orthopsittaca manilatus
• Primolius
  • Blue-headed macaw, Primolius couloni
  • Blue-winged macaw or Illiger's macaw, Primolius maracana
  • Golden-collared macaw, Primolius auricollis
• Diopsittaca
  • Red-shouldered macaw or Hahn's macaw, Diopsittaca nobilis

Some people think more macaw kinds might have existed a long time ago, but there is not much proof. These include:

• Martinique macaw, Ara martinica, Rothschild 1905
• Lesser Antillean macaw, Ara guadeloupensis, Clark, 1905
• Jamaican green-and-yellow macaw, Ara erythrocephala, Rothschild 1905
• Jamaican red macaw, Ara gossei, Rothschild 1905
• Dominican green-and-yellow macaw, Ara atwoodi, Clark, 1905

Extinctions and conservation status

Many macaw species are now in danger in the wild, and a few have disappeared. The Spix's macaw is probably no longer found where it used to live, and the glaucous macaw is also thought to be gone, with only a few sightings in the last 100 years. The biggest dangers to macaws are deforestation and being caught illegally to be kept as pets.

Rules help protect macaw trade. All macaw species are watched under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. Some, like the scarlet macaw, cannot be sold to the public. Others, like the red-shouldered macaw, can be traded but only with certain rules.

Hybrids

See also: Hybrid macaw

Sometimes macaws are crossed to make new kinds for pets. One common hybrid is the blue and gold macaw. Other popular hybrids include the harlequin (Ara ararauna × Ara chloroptera), miligold macaw (Ara ararauna × Ara militaris), and the Catalina (called the rainbow in Australia, Ara ararauna × Ara macao). Rare hybrids, like those between the hyacinth macaw and larger Ara macaws, have also been seen in captivity.

Diet and clay licks

Macaws eat many kinds of foods. These include seeds, nuts, fruits, palm fruits, leaves, flowers, young shoots, and stems. Safe vegetables for macaws are asparagus, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, butternut, carrots, corn on the cob, dandelion greens, collard greens, hot peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchini. In the wild, some macaw species fly far to find food.

In the western Amazon, macaws often go to river banks to eat clay. Scientists found that macaws like clay that has sodium in it. Sodium is important because it is hard to find in their environment. This behavior happens most during the breeding season, when parents give clay to their babies. Some scientists think the clay may also give the birds vitamin B₁₂, which they need.

Relationship with humans

Macaws and their feathers have fascinated people for a very long time, especially in ancient civilizations like the Inca, Wari', and Nazca. Their bright, beautiful feathers were prized for their color and were often used in decorations and special ceremonies. People also traded these feathers widely. In South America, weavers used macaw feathers to make colorful textiles, including special clothing pieces called tabards.