Other name: Blue Macaw
Scientific name: Ara ararauna
Native to the Amazon, the Blue and Yellow Macaw is a protected species. The bird itself and its habitat are threatened. This large parrot displays a playful and expressive temperament. We also appreciate his ability to “speak”, or rather to imitate our language.
|Life expectancy||From 35 to 63 years old, the Blue and Yellow Macaw has a life expectancy of 35 to 40 years in its natural environment. This hope can be up to 60 years in captivity.|
The Blue-and-Yellow Macaw lives mainly in South America and more specifically in the Amazon. Its natural habitat is therefore distributed between Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia and Ecuador.
This parrot blue and yellow macaw primarily searches for humid forest regions, where tarpaulin palm (Mauritia flexuosa) grows, and near rivers.
History of the breed
The blue-and-yellow Macaw was first described in 1758 by Swedish naturalist Carl von Linnaeus.
Threatened by the destruction of its natural habitat due to deforestation, the Blue-and-Yellow Macaw is the subject of protection measures in some countries. It has thus been one of the bird species protected in Guyana since 1986 and is one of the animals protected by the Washington Convention (Appendix II).
The name that the Blue and yellow macaw bears obviously refers to the 2 dominant colors of its beautiful plumage. The abdomen, the outline of the lower jaw and the inner side of the tail are golden yellow, while the upper side is turquoise blue. The head is blue-green. The face is white and streaked with black under the eye. The beak and legs are black, and the eyes yellow.
The male is generally larger than the female. The color of its plumage is also darker. The Blue and Yellow Macaw has a wingspan that varies between 105 and 115 cm.
Behavior and character
In captivity, the character of the blue and yellow Macaw is often described as playful and engaging. It is also reputed to be very noisy and expressive. He emits different kinds of cries and amuses by his ability to imitate human language.
In the wild, the blue and yellow macaw evolves in pairs within more or less large groups. It is, moreover, a monogamous animal; he will keep a single partner throughout his life.
The Blue and yellow Macaw feeds mainly on grains, nuts, fruits (apple, pear, banana, strawberry …) and vegetables (carrot, green beans …).
The blue and yellow Macaw establishes its nest in the holes of palm trees, preferably dry. The female generates 2 to 4 eggs per lay, then broods for 28 days.
It is around the age of 3 months that the young parrots leave the nest. However, they continue to be fed by their parents until 6, 7 or even 8 months. The age of sexual maturity in the Blue-and-yellow Macaw is between 8 and 10 years.
The Blue-and-yellow Macaw is a bird with rather robust health, but it can suffer from various diseases if it does not benefit from adequate monitoring and care: follicular cyst, conjunctivitis, chlamydia, capillary worms…
Way of life
Because of its large size, the large blue and yellow parrot Blue and yellow Macaw needs a large cage , even an aviary outdoors. It is however advisable to choose the location of the latter so that birds are well protected from weather conditions.
The living space of the Blue-and-yellow Macaw must be adorned with solid perches, trunks, games offering the opportunity to peel, shelters, drinkers and feeders well accessible.