DOCSLIB.ORG

Experiences with "Mac;' the Severe Macaw by S

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Experiences with "Mac;' the Severe Macaw by S. Marianne McOmie South Jordan, Utah It all began one Indian summer day was hers, and heaven help anyone think we might have purchased when, at a local outing of our bird who tried to get in between them. Jamie anyway. He had been a sev­ club, I met one of the most beautiful Believe me, it was heaven help she erely trained bird and exhibited some green birds I had ever seen. who tried to get in between, and I signs of nervousness. He was a sweet Our bird club had an annual date at have the scars to prove it. bird but easily cowed by Mac. And the fall fair to show our birds off to We knew so little about Mac, apart even though they appeared to be the public and also to each other. I from the fact that she was a wild­ compatible there were never any had brought a variety of small birds, caught bird, and that whoever had signs that they were really bonding. parakeets, finch and cockatiels. The tamed her had done so with love and Mac did spend a lot of time in the people next to me had brought a kindness. But she was ready for a nest box, as did Jamie. But we were magnificent Scarlet Macaw, a Blue mate. Even though Jeff knew it was never aware ofany copulation. and Gold Macaw and the first mini­ pure flattery when she regurgitated A few months after we had put the macaw I had ever seen, a ravishingly for him, he still found it hard to take. two birds together, we moved to a beautiul Severe Macaw (Ara severa). larger house. The stress of moving And when she started insisting that I overheard Sue and Bob talking he mount her, well sometimes it is plus the scant care given to the birds helped to contribute to my overlook­ about selling this little green bird. hard to explain to non-bird people I couldn't believe my ears. So I exactly what this bird was doing. ing the first signs of illness in Jamie. I screwed up my courage and ap­ had been feeding and watering the proached Sue. Rather timedly I asked So the search was on for a mate for birds, but had not spent very much how much this bird was worth. My Mac. A good friend of ours located a time in observation. Also I had been hopes were dashed when she told likely mate and we took both birds in very lucky in that we had seen very me that she had just finalized a deal to be surgically sexed. Luckily both little illness in our birds and when I for Mac. Someone was going to trade birds were opposite sexes, although I first observed the diarrhea in Jamie, I her some cockatie~ andavarie~of ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ other birds for her. Well, I asked her to please think of me ifthe deal went sour because I really thought this bird was great. Later on that day, my husband joined me in showing off our birds and he also met the Severe. Like me, Jeff also thought that she was a lovely bird, but he wasn't quite ready to jump through hoops to own her. But we did talk to Sue and she told us the price of the bird if her other deal fell through. She seemed to feel that the deal was solid. A few days after the fair, I flew to Canada to visit my mother. While there, I had a phone call from my husband asking if I still wanted the Severe Macaw. The answer of course was yes, so he said he would make arrangements to get her before I returned home. When I landed at the airport, I could hardly wait to get home and get re-aquainted with Mac. I felt that we had hit it offat the fair. We got home and Mac immediately climbed up on my hand and from there to my husband. I was a conven­ ient bridge. And so it went from then on. Mac wasJeffs bird. She was his, he afa WATCHI3IRD 47 basically dismissed it. By the time I when the screaming has gone on for realized that he had become weak­ six or seven hours straight, the birds ened, it was too late and he died a day are lucky that they even get a cage later. This was all in the space offour and not a box in the closet. We days from the first symptom. Our vet moved them to a smaller cage which at the time tried valiantly to save him. only measured two by two by three Dr. Sims luckily loved birds and knew feet. It was ample as a temporary what coccidia looked like and began cage and since we attached the nest treatment for coccidia, even before box to the cage Mac and Soc didn't the test results came back. Jamie was care where we placed them. By this necropsied and it was determined time I had built them a new nest box that he had had a chronic case ofcoc­ measuring 16" x 16" x 32". Similar cidia. Ifwe had had tests done on his dimensions had been suggested in a feces and blood before we purchased book we had purchased on the him, we could have been alerted and breeding of macaws. I believe that possibly saved his life. the original dimensions suggested Mac reverted back into a pet bird had been in the nature of 15" x 14" x and became a total pest. She had to 30". All I did was have a sheet of ply­ be with Jeff and would even climb wood cut down into equal pieces. On the stairs looking for him. It didn't the inside of the box, on the side take too long beforeJeff decided that l1wee offou1'youngste1'speeroutofthe where the opening would be, we as much as Mac loved him, it would nestentmnce along with their mothe1~ took some fencing material, (2" x 3", be betterfor all concerned ifMac had Momma Mac. This wasjustbefm·e they 18 gauge) and made a ladder attach­ a new mate. So the search began fledged. ing it to the side with 1 x 2's. This again. We looked all over the country ensured that the edges could not be and saw very few for sale. Just about Then came the day when Mac, who pulled free and we reasoned that this the time we had decided to bite the had regained full flight (without our would be relatively secure. We cut a bullet and send away for an expen­ knowledge), decided that Jeff, her hole near the top, but purposely sive bird we had seen advertised in former mate, was now a threat to her made it on the small side. After hav­ Florida, a call came in from a friend. and Soc. This particular evening she ing observed cockatiels personalizing She had been out at a local bird col­ flew at him and threaten~d him with their nestboxes, we thought that lector and had seen a Severe Macaw. severe bodily injury. That night we macaws might enjoy doing the same. After determining that it was a male took some fencing material and It took Mac and Soc all of one day to and for sale, she called us. fenced them in. enlarge the hole to where they could I went and looked at him a couple A few weeks later they attempted fit comfortably inside. of days later, decided that he was all to gain the entire upstairs for them­ In the meantime I was building that we were looking for and made selves by using the sheer volume of them a larger cage, but before I could Jeff come out a day later to look at their voices to drive us away. All it finish it, the birds had laid eggs, and him. At first Jeff wasn't too sure, but accomplished for them was to ensure were busily setting on them. We then Mac decided the matter for him. their prompt removal to the laundry decided not to risk disturbing the She became even more obnoxious room and a smaller cage. It was birds by moving them into a larger and finally Jeff gave in and we pur­ meant to be a temporary cage. But cage. The first clutch didn't hatch. chased Soc. However, before the pur­ <l) chase we had a vet take a look at a "E o fecal sample. No serious disease was () ::2: <l) present and we took Soc home. He c c was to stay in quarantine for a mini­ co .~ mum of30 days. We had him isolated ::2: >­ upstairs away from our other birds. .D (/) And we tried to make sure that Mac ~ .c would stay downstairs. It worked for Cl. 28 days. Then Mac managed to outsmart us and found her way up the stairs. I think we can say that it was lust and love at first sight for both birds. Mac reverted to acting like a wild caught bird right away. We could no longer handle her. It really wasn't worth our fingers or face to handle either bird without a pair ofwelder's gloves. We had been keeping them on an open stand in the entryway until we could build a permanent cage for them. And they did stay put for quite Pow'young Severe Macaws were successfully ,·earedby theirparents in an indoor awhile in their temporary quarters.
Recommended publications
  • Macaw Society America

    Macaw Society America

    tary Macaws. This ecological differ­ that a number of the yellow feathers ence enabled them to evolve larger are richly tipped with green. Indeed, size, paler color, and now a different some of the coverts may be entirely pattern ofbehavior. This went to such green. Further, though this has yet to an extreme that they became a differ­ be corroborated by the measurements ent species: Button's Macaw (A. taken of museum skins, so many of ambigua). Elsewhere, the Military the aviary birds obtained from Macaw also became somewhat less South America (some are known to The montane and has now diffused over have been imported from Guyana) much of Mexico. These now differ seem so much larger generally (as subspecifically from those to the well as being brighter) than those south. known to come from northern Macaw Likewise, the Scarlet Macaw of Central America. Mexico and Central America may also The Scarlet Macaws from Panama, have gained entry only towards the and to an increasingly lesser degree end of the last Ice Age (some 12,000 Costa Rica, have examples of both Society years back). Originally, so few indi­ colorations in the population. It is, vidual birds percolated through the therefore, assumed that this area constraints of the Isthmus that they forms a "hybrid zone" between the were limited in their genetic diversity. brighter southern and the duller Once through this geographical northern races. of barrier, the inevitable inbreeding and It would take a study which subsequent evolution from the encompasses more skins than the founder-immigrants ensured that they British Museum, the Smithsonian, America developed a different appearance and the American Museum of Natural from those Scarlet Macaws found on History have supplied, to prove that by Robert Francis the mainland ofSouth America.
  • A Courting Behavioral Study on a Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus Hyacinthinus) Pair

    A Courting Behavioral Study on a Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus Hyacinthinus) Pair

    The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal (URJ) Volume 12 Issue 1 Article 2 2020 A Courting Behavioral Study on a Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) Pair Pamela Mulkay University of Central Florida Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/urj University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Office of Undergraduate Research at STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal (URJ) by an authorized editor of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Recommended Citation Mulkay, Pamela (2020) "A Courting Behavioral Study on a Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) Pair," The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal (URJ): Vol. 12 : Iss. 1 , Article 2. Available at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/urj/vol12/iss1/2 Mulkay: A Courting Behavioral Study on a Hyacinth Macaw Published 9-17 Vol. 12.1: April 8, 2020 THE PEGASUS REVIEW: UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH JOURNAL A Courting Behavioral Study on a Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) Pair By: Pamela Mulkay Faculty Mentor: Frank Logiudice UCF Department of Biology ABSTRACT: This study observes the courtship behaviors of an Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus pair in the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Sanford, Florida. A. hyacinthinus reproductive behaviors occur in four steps in the following order: Allopreening, Cloacal allopreening, Back to Back Copulation Position and finally, Copulation (Schneider 2006). Behavioral observations were taken twice a week for an average of 2 to 3 hours each day for ten weeks. The resulting data was analyzed based on the different actions, types of movement, and types of maintenance observed of the A.
  • Scarlet Macaw Ara Macao

    Scarlet Macaw Ara Macao

    Scarlet Macaw Ara macao Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae Characteristics: Named for their bright red plumage, scarlet macaws also have green and blue primary and flight feathers. They have bare white skin between their beak and their eye. Typical of parrots, they use their feet to climb, grip and also as a “hand” for feeding and grasping (Blank Park Zoo). Behavior: Very social, “talkative” birds which live in flocks of up to 30 birds. They are fast flyers with great maneuverability. Vocalization is important for group communication (Sedgewick County Zoo). Reproduction: Similar to other macaws, the female lays 2 to 4 eggs on a nest cavity. The chicks hatch following a 24 to 26 day incubation period. When the chicks Range & Habitat: hatch, they are blind and featherless. They fledge the nest around 3.5 months old. Rainforests, forests bordering rivers, wooded grasslands Diet: Wild: Fruits, vegetable matter and nuts. Often found at clay licks around exposed river banks eating soil which may provide them with nutrients and minerals lacking in their diet and neutralize acid in their system. Zoo: Parrot pellets, seeds, apples, carrots, greens, oranges Conservation: Like other parrots, scarlet macaws also are suffering a decline due to Lifespan: up to 60 years in habitat loss and the illegal pet trade. While only one out of many birds captivity and in the wild. smuggled into the pet trade will survive, the smugglers think the payoff is worth the loss. A single macaw sold on the black market may be worth Special Adaptations: Can eat fruit thousands of dollars (Rainforest Alliance).
  • Scarlet Macaw Receives Endangered Species Act Protections

    Scarlet Macaw Receives Endangered Species Act Protections

    February 25, 2019 Contact: Christina Meister, 703-358-2284, [email protected] Scarlet Macaw Receives Endangered Species Act Protections Northern Subspecies Listed as Endangered – Certain Southern Subspecies and Subspecies Crosses Listed as Threatened Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing determinations for scarlet macaw. The Service will list the northern subspecies of the parrot (Ara macao cyanoptera) as endangered and the northern distinct population segment (DPS) of the southern subspecies (A. m. macao) as threatened. The southern DPS of the southern subspecies (A. m. macao) and subspecies crosses of the northern and southern subspecies will also be listed as threatened based on similarity of appearance. The Service is also adding the southern subspecies and subspecies crosses of the scarlet macaw to an existing special rule for parrots under section 4(d) of the ESA. This will continue to provide needed protections while allowing for interstate commerce and the import and export of certain captive-bred birds provided the requirements of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the Wild Bird Conservation Act are met. Scarlet macaws are brilliantly colored parrots native to Mexico and Central and South America. They have the broadest range of all the macaw species. However, the scarlet macaw’s range in Mesoamerica (Mexico and Central America) has been reduced over the past several decades primarily due to habitat destruction and harvesting the species for the pet trade. The ESA provides numerous benefits to foreign species, primarily by prohibiting activities such as import, export, take, interstate commerce and foreign commerce.
  • Great Green Macaw Article

    Great Green Macaw Article

    CREATURE FEATURE the great green macaw by Cyril Brass A s a member pairs evaluate the nesting conditions Green Macaws in flight moving of the parrot and feeding territory before mating. through the forest searching for fruit- family and a They stake out an area with sufficient bearing Almond trees. However, close relative to the brightly colored food resources to raise a family. If looking for a green bird in the lush Scarlet Macaw, the Great Green they do not find a viable location, green vegetation is like looking for a Macaw possesses vibrant lime green mating does not occur during that white rabbit in the snow. The intense plumage with blue wing tips and tail season. green plumage blends into the feathers of red and blue. surrounding vegetation pro- This gentle green giant in viding excellent camouflage. the parrot world, also I have yet to see these known as Buffon’s Macaw, magnificent birds in the is highly endangered in the wild, only in zoos and world today. nature parks. Being able to The life cycle of this watch these birds in their arboreal bird species is natural habitat would totally connected to a indeed be an incredible single tree species; the sight. Swamp Almond tree, which Once abundant and grows only in the humid widespread throughout lowlands of the Atlantic Central America and plains of Central America. northern South America, the This is an example of one Great Green Macaws are species, the Green Macaw, now critically endangered dependent on the existence due to loss of habitat, of another species, the poaching of young birds for Swamp Almond tree.
  • Mexican Macaws: Comparative Osteology and Survey of Remains from the Southwest

    Mexican Macaws: Comparative Osteology and Survey of Remains from the Southwest

    Mexican Macaws: Comparative Osteology and Survey of Remains from the Southwest Item Type Book; text Authors Hargrave, Lyndon L. Publisher University of Arizona Press (Tucson, AZ) Rights Copyright © Arizona Board of Regents Download date 30/09/2021 22:04:49 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/595459 MEXICAN MACAWS Scarlet Macaw. Painting by Barton Wright. ANTHROPOLOGICAL PAPERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA NUMBER 20 MEXICAN MACAWS LYNDON L. HARGRAVE Comparative Osteology and Survey of Remains From the Southwest THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA PRESS TUCSON, ARIZONA 1970 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA PRESS Copyright © 1970 The Arizona Board of Regents All Rights Reserved Manufactured in the U.S.A. I. S. B. N.-0-8165-0212-9 L. C. No. 72-125168 PREFACE Any contribution to ornithology and its application to prehistoric problems of avifauna as complex as the present study of macaws, presents many interrelated problems of analysis, visual and graphic presentation, and text form. A great many people have contributed generously of their time, knowledge, and skills toward completion of the present study. I wish here to express my gratitude for this invaluable aid and interest. I am grateful to the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior, and its officials for providing the funds and facilities at the Southwest Archeological Center which have enabled me to carryon this project. In particular I wish to thank Chester A. Thomas, Director of the Center. I am further grateful to the Museum of Northern Arizona and Edward B. Danson, Director, for providing institutional sponsorship for the study as well as making available specimen material and information from their collections and records.
  • Proposed Names for Hybrid Macaws by Richard Vagner, Buy' Secll' TRADE 8; Parrot Jungle, Miami, Florida ~E Ros

    Proposed Names for Hybrid Macaws by Richard Vagner, Buy' Secll' TRADE 8; Parrot Jungle, Miami, Florida ~E Ros

    Proposed Names For Hybrid Macaws by Richard Vagner, bUY' SEcll' TRADE 8; Parrot Jungle, Miami, Florida ~E Ros During the recent convention in hybridization can be a valuable tool to ~r\\1E TO us FOR THE lA TEST Hollywood, Florida on August 23rd to obtain new shapes, colors, size and other Or PRICES & BIROS AVA; 26th, 1979 the writer was asked USI lA8lE qualities which are considered desirable. s\-\\P - All TYPES OF 8 numerous questions about the large Who would fault hybrid Begonias , or ~l IROS number of hybrid Macaws at Miami's the many vegetables, fruits or flowers we Parrot Jungle. Attempting to answer take so much for granted? these questions proved difficult due to While the value of Macaw hybrids lies the lack of recognized hybrid names. In in their beauty; who will dispute that the some cases seven different hybrids were value of a hybrid orchid lies in its being referred to indiscriminately as beauty, or who will criticize using either Orange-breasted or Red-breasted several grasses to produce corn or wheat hybrids. Needless to say, little accurate hybrids? Will those persons stop drinking information could be communicated and orange juice because it comes from a trying to describe a Blue and Gold to hybrid? Certainly not! There is a value Scarlet hybrid back-crossed to Scarlet placed on hybrid orange juice. If you and then crossed-back to a Blue and don't believe that to be true try drinking Gold-Scarlet hybrid only succeeded in juice from the presumed wild species. leaving the listener bewildered.
  • Increasing Survival of Wild Macaw Chicks Using Foster Parents and Supplemental Feeding

    Increasing Survival of Wild Macaw Chicks Using Foster Parents and Supplemental Feeding

    diversity Article Increasing Survival of Wild Macaw Chicks Using Foster Parents and Supplemental Feeding Gabriela Vigo-Trauco 1,*,† , Rony Garcia-Anleu 2 and Donald J. Brightsmith 3 1 The Macaw Society-Sociedad Pro Guacamayos, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, TAMU 4467, College Station, TX 77843, USA 2 Wildlife Conservation Society–Guatemala, Avenida 15 de Marzo, Casa No. 3. Flores, Petén CP 17001, Guatemala; [email protected] 3 The Macaw Society-Sociedad Pro Guacamayos, Schubot Center for Avian Health, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, TAMU 4467, College Station, TX 77843, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-979-450-9857 † Current affiliation: Schubot Center for Avian Health, TAMU 4457, College Station, TX 77843, USA. Abstract: The use of foster parents has great potential to help the recovery of highly endangered bird species. However, few studies have shown how to successfully use these techniques in wild populations. Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao macao) in Perú hatch 2–4 chicks per nest but about 24% of all chicks die of starvation and on average just 1.4 of them fledge per successful nest. In this study we develop and test new techniques to increase survival of wild Scarlet Macaw chicks by reducing chick starvation. We hypothesized that using foster parents would increase the survival of chicks at risk of starvation and increase overall reproductive success. Our results show that all relocated macaw chicks were successfully accepted by their foster parents (n = 28 chicks over 3 consecutive breeding seasons) and 89% of the relocated chicks fledged.
  • In the Office of Endangered Species U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service United

    In the Office of Endangered Species U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service United

    In the Office of Endangered Species U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service United States Department of Interior Photo: iStockPhoto A Petition to List 14 Species of Foreign Parrots, Macaws, & Cockatoos as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. §§ 1531 et seq. January 29, 2008 Petitioner: Friends of Animals, 777 Post Road, Suite 205, Darien, Connecticut 06820 Petition Prepared by: Jamie Cotter, Matthew Willson, Kay Bond, Esq., & Lee Hall, Esq. Table of Contents I. Introduction…………………………………………………………………..1 II. The ESA Listing Process…………………………………………………….2 A. ESA’s Listing Requirements…………………………………………….2 B. Listing Decision Basis………………………………………....................2 III. BirdLife International, NatureServe, and the IUCN Red List……………3 A. BirdLife International………………………………………...................3 B. NatureServe………………………………………………………………4 C. IUCN Red List……………………………………………………………4 IV. Species Accounts……………………………………………………………..6 A. Blue-throated macaws (Ara glaucogularis)…………………………….6 1. Description……………………………………………………...6 2. Distribution and Range……………………………..................6 3. Life History……………………………………………………..6 4. Abundance and Trend…………………………………………7 5. Threats………………………………………………………….7 B. Blue-headed macaws (Propyrrhura couloni)…………………………....9 1. Description……………………………………………………...9 2. Distribution and Range……………………………..................9 3. Life History……………………………………………………..9 4. Abundance and Trend………………………………………..10 5. Threats………………………………………………………...10 C. Crimson shining parrots……………………………………………….11 1. Description…………………………………………………….11
  • 55 Natural History of Blue-And-Yellow Macaws

    55 Natural History of Blue-And-Yellow Macaws

    Florida Field Naturalist 38(2):55-62, 2010. NATURAL HISTORY OF BLUE-AND-YELLOW MACAWS (Ara ararauna) IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA BILL PRANTY1, DARIA FEINSTEIN2, AND KAREN LEE3 18515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662 E-mail: [email protected] 23661 South Miami Avenue, Suite 1005, Miami, Florida 33133 3Coral Gables, Florida 33146 Abstract.—A small breeding population of Blue-and-yellow Macaws (Ara ararauna) has been present in east-central Miami-Dade County, Florida since the mid-1980s. This naturalized population originated from escapees from sources such as animal exhibits, quarantine facilities, and private collections. Despite its 25-year persistence, little has been published on this population. Our results indicate that by early 2010, at least 24 macaws occupied 74.1 km2 of urbanized habitats. All 15 Blue-and-yellow Macaw nests found since 1986 have been built in snags of exotic palms, primarily Cuban royal palms (Roystonea regia elata). We also discuss macaw food items and interactions with conspe- cifics and other species. The Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna: Fig. 1) is a large, mo- notypic parrot native from eastern Panama south to Paraguay, south- ern Brazil, and northern Argentina (Dickinson 2003). Neither Long (1981) nor Lever (1987) listed any Blue-and-yellow Macaws found out- side their natural range, but a small population has been present in southeastern Florida since the mid-1980s (Toops and Dilley 1986, Kale et al. 1992, Robertson and Woolfenden 1992, Stevenson and Anderson 1994, Pranty in prep.). Nearly all previously published information on Blue-and-yellow Macaws in Florida is limited to dates and locations of one to a few individuals each.
  • Macaw Care Macaws Are a Fascinating Group of Birds That Comprise of The

    Macaw Care Macaws Are a Fascinating Group of Birds That Comprise of The

    [email protected] http://www.aeacarizona.com Address: 7 E. Palo Verde St., Phone: (480) 706-8478 Suite #1 Fax: (480) 393-3915 Gilbert, AZ 85296 Emergencies: Page (602) 351-1850 Macaw Care Macaws are a fascinating group of birds that comprise of the largest species of the parrot family. Some of the common species in the market include: Hyacinth, Blue and Gold, Military, Scarlet, Greenwing, Severe, and Hahn’s Macaws. They are scientifically classified in the family Psittacidae and the subfamily Aratinginae. This subfamily is further divided into 3 genera: Andorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, and Ara. Andorhynchus is differentiated from Ara by the presence of a bare ring around the eye and a naked area at the base of the lower mandible. The genus Cyanopsitta has intermediate characteristics of the other 2 genera. These birds vary widely in size, with the hyacinth weighing between 1,250-1,400 grams and the Hahn’s only weighing 165 grams. Due to the great variety of macaws, only the more common species will be discussed in further detail. Hyacinth Macaw (Andorhynchus hyacinthinus) The largest of all parrots, Hyacinths weigh up to 4 pounds and measure up to 100 cm in length. The plumage is a rich blue and the underside of the tail is dark gray. Their normal range is throughout most of inland Brazil. In the wild, these birds are usually found in pairs. Average commercial parrot cages are no match for the immense strength of these macaws. These birds will form very strong bonds with their owners. A stranger should be careful around these birds since their powerful beaks can cause significant damage.
  • An Analysis of Macaw Conservation Strategies at the Tambopata

    An Analysis of Macaw Conservation Strategies at the Tambopata

    An Analysis of Macaw Conservation Strategies at the Tambopata Research Center Brian Leahy Sophomore College 2013 October 14, 2013 Blue-and-yellow Macaws at the Collpa Colorado Abstract: Macaws are becoming increasingly threatened with endangerment and, in some cases, extinction largely due to poor reproductive rate and progressively higher levels of deforestation and exploitation. As a way to combat the dwindling populations, macaw preservation techniques have been implemented in some South and Central American locations. The Tambopata Macaw Project in the Madre de Dios region of Peru has been the leading force of this macaw conservation effort. Their efforts at supporting the proliferation of this species have included the protection and management of macaw habitat, the construction of artificial macaw nests, and the hand-rearing of macaw chicks in captivity for later reintroduction into the wild. The increasing level of human contact with the ecology of macaw species in Tambopata, Peru has raised some concerns about how beneficial artificial breeding and rearing strategies are to the overall conservation of macaws. In this paper, the negative and positive effects of artificial strategies of macaw conservation taking 1 place in the Tambopata Research Center are analyzed in order to assess whether increased human care for the macaws in this region of the Peruvian Amazon. Background: There are six total genera of macaw: Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Ara, Orthopsittaca, Primolius, and Diopsittaca, all of which are native to Central and South America, parts of Southeastern Mexico, and formerly the Caribbean. Their relatively large size, long protruding tails, and beautiful vivid-colored plumage mark these spectacular members of the Psittaciforme (parrot) family.