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Blue-and-yellow Macaw

 (Ara ararauna)

Also known as: Blue-and-gold Macaw, Yellow-breasted Macaw, Blue Macaw

Click photo to visit gallery

Wild Blue-and-yellow Macaws
© Corey Raffel

Did You Know?

Paired birds often fly so close to one another that their wings touch.

Academic Research

Related publications: Ara ararauna

Species Profile

Genus: Ara | Species: ararauna

Size:

86 cm (33.5 in)

Weight:

1040-1286g (36.4-45 oz)

Subspecies including nominate:

one

Colour Adult:

Both adults bright blue above, mostly golden-yellow below; with long blue and yellow tail; bare white facial disc with fine lines of green feathers; throat black; crown and forehead green. Large black/grey bill.  Eye yellow.

Colour Juvenile:

As in adult but with grey/brown eye.

Call:

Loud raucous calls, some harsh.  Most calls gutteral with varying sounds.

Listen Now

Video Links:

Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

More Information:

Avibase

Content Sources:

CITES
BirdLife International
Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Birds of the World
A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998
xeno-canto Blue-and-yellow Macaw, de Godoy, Fernando Igor, XC295503
Parrots of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1977,1989. 2010 edition
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.
Parrots in Aviculture, Low, 1992.
Psittacine Aviculture, Schubot, Clubb and Clubb, 1992.

Click photo to visit gallery

Wild Blue-and-yellow Macaws
© Corey Raffel

Did You Know?

Paired birds often fly so close to one another that their wings touch.

Academic Research

Related publications: Ara ararauna

Species Care

Captive Status:

Common in captivity.

Longevity:

60 yrs

Housing:

Should have access to a large enclosure (15 m (50 ft) long) in which to fly for part of the year.

Diet:

Soaked or sprouted sunflower seed; walnuts, peanuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, pine nuts; corn on the cob, banana, orange and other fruit. Complete kibble for macaws.

Enrichment:

Large macaw toys, chewables (fir branches, pine cones, bird-safe wood), large perches, swings, ladders; regular bathing.

Nest Box Size:

Horizontal box, 16" x 16" x 48" (40.6cm x 40.6cm x 122cm) or 35 gallon (9.2 L) pickle barrel.

Clutch Size:

2 to 4

Incubation Time:

24-25 days

Fledging Age:

90-100 days

Hatch Weight:

14-20g (0.5-0.7 oz)

Peak Weight:

927-1064g (32.4-37.2 oz)

Weaning Weight:

1000g (35 oz)

Click photo to visit gallery

Wild Blue-and-yellow Macaws
© Corey Raffel

Did You Know?

Paired birds often fly so close to one another that their wings touch.

Academic Research

Related publications: Ara ararauna

Species Wild Status

World Population:

Unknown, decreasing.

IUCN Red List Status:

Least Concern

CITES Listing:

Appendix II

Threat Summary:

Still fairly common in much of range, however, less numerous at edges of range and declining with habitat loss in many peripheral areas. Has been subjected to very heavy trapping for trade (over 60,000 birds as of 2015).

Range:

Large range - E Panama and lowlands of South America to SE Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay.

Habitat:

Occurs in wooded areas, usually near water, including edge of lowland humid forest, gallery forest in savanna, savanna with scattered trees and palms, swamp forest and palm swamp. Sometimes forages in open country. Up to 500m (1640 ft).

Wild Diet:

Feed on seeds of Spondias, Terminalia, Hura, Enterolobium, Inga, Parkia, Platypodium, nectar of Quararibea, flowers of Combretum, fruit and/or petioles of Ficus, pulp of Sloanea, Schwartzia, Brosimum, Sorocea, aril of Otoba, leaves of Iriartea, mesocarp of Scheelea and Pouteria, and undetermined parts of Mauritia; Maximiliana palm nuts in Surinam.

Ecology and Behaviour:

Feeds quietly in top of forest canopy; large numbers congregate at riverbank locations, with other parrot species, to take clay soils. Usually found in pairs, but often in noisy flocks of up to 25 birds.

Clutch and Egg Size:

2 to 4, elliptical 46 x 36mm (1.8 x 1.4 in)

Breeding Season:

January-March in Surinam, April-May in Trinidad, December-February in Colombia. Nest is in dead tree cavity.

Related Links:

Research: Translocation of Blue-and-gold Macaw into its historical range in Trinidad

Click photo to visit gallery

Wild Blue-and-yellow Macaws
© Corey Raffel

Did You Know?

Paired birds often fly so close to one another that their wings touch.

Academic Research

Related publications: Ara ararauna

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