Blue and Yellow Macaw(Ara ararauna)
They are also known as the Blue and Gold Macaw These birds can reach a length of 76–86 cm and weigh 0.900–1.5 kg, making them some of the larger members of their family. They are vivid in appearance with light blue feathers on the top of their wings, and torso, and darker on the tail—and halfway on top of their head; the frontmost half of the top of their head is covered with lime feathers. On the bottom of these aforementioned areas of their body are light orange feathers. Their beak is black, as well as the feathers under their chin. Its feet, save for the talons, are of a grey colour.
The bird has white skin, with its face having nearly no feathers beside a few black ones spaced apart from each other forming a striped pattern around the eyes. The irises are light yellow. Blue-and-yellow macaws can live from 30-35 years in the wild, and reach sexual maturity between the ages of 3-6 years. Little variation in plumage is seen across the range. Some birds have a more orange or butterscotch underside colour, particularly on the breast. This was often seen in Trinidad birds and others of the Caribbean area. The blue-and-yellow macaw uses its powerful beak for breaking nutshells, and for climbing up and hanging from trees.
Habitat
This species occurs in Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Paraguay. The range extends slightly into Central America, where it is restricted to Panama. Although they were nearly wiped out in Trinidad due to human activity during the 1970s, a recent programme of reintroduction has proved successful. Between 1999 and 2003, wild-caught blue-and-gold macaws were translocated from Guyana to Trinidad, in an attempt to re-establish the species in a protected area around Nariva swamp. A small breeding population descended from introduced birds is found in Puerto Rico, and another has inhabited Miami-Dade County, Florida, since the mid-1980s
Diet
These macaws eat mainly nuts, seeds, and fruits. Their strong beaks are used to crush seeds and break open nutshells. Sometimes they consume clay from riverbanks to help them digest toxins from unripe seeds they have eaten.
Breeding
These birds form monogamous pairs and mate for life. The breeding season is from January to July and they breed every year or second year. Nests are made high up in trees, usually in holes made by other animals. 2 to 3 eggs are laid and they are incubated for 24 to 28 days. The young hatch featherless and blind, feathers beginning to develop after 10 days. Fledgelings become independent within 3 months. Both males and females look after the young and are very aggressive towards intruders when protecting their family. They gain sexual maturity when they are 3 to 4 years old.
Population
According to IUCN Red List, the wild population of Blue-and-gold macaws has not been quantified, but it is believed to be more than 10,000 adult birds, with a decline over the past 10 years of less than 10%. IUCN Red List describes this species as uncommon throughout its range and classify as Least Concern (LC) with decreasing population trend.
Threats
The major threat to blue-and-gold macaws is habitat loss due to Amazonian deforestation. They are suspected to lose third of suitable habitat within its distribution over three generations (38 years). The other biggest threat is poaching and the illegal pet trade. 55,531 wild-caught individuals have been recorded since 1981 when their trade was restricted by CITES.
Conservation
The species is listed under CITES Appendix II.