Ara ararauna – Blue-and-yellow Macaw
Blue-and-yellow Macaw – Ara ararauna (Linnaeus, 1758) is a large macaw. They are common in captivity but is not recommended for beginners; all large macaws require a lot of attention; if they do not get enough attention and care they will become bored and can develop mental illness, pick their own feathers and scream very loud calling for attention. Young birds can become very tame and are funny and intelligent pets,
They should have access to a large aviary with a length of minimum 15 m where they can exercise their large wings. Provide plenty of chew toys and branches to avoid damage to the aviary. They also enjoy regular bathing.
With proper care the lifespan is about 850 years.
They are listed in CITES Appendix II and EU Annex B.
Description
Overall bright blue colors on back with yellow on underside: Green forehead and crown. Neck and back bright blue. Bare white face with fine lines of green feathers; when exited the bare skin can become pink. Yellow area around ear coverts. Very long blue and yellow tail. Yellow chest. Large black/grey bill. Lightgrey/yellow eyes.
Juveniles have similar colours but with dark grey/brown eyes.
Size: 86 cm
Weight: 1040 – 1286 g
Subspecies
None.
Habitat
Tropical eastern Panama to eastern Peru, northern Bolivia, Paraguay and eastern Brazil.
Diet
Wild diet consist of various nuts and fruits from various local palms, leaf-buds and some nectar.
High quality pellet should form the basis of the diet. Soaked or sprouted sunflower seed is a healthy supplement. Also provide nuts like walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts and pine nuts. Provide a variety of fruit and vegetables e.g. fresh corn, cooked maize, banana, apples and oranges.
Aviculture
A horizontal box or barrel about 40 x 40 x 120 cm is used as nest box.
The clutch contains 2-4 eggs that are incubated for 24-28 days. The chicks reach fledging age after 90-100 days.
Taxonomy
- Order: Psittaciformes
- Family: Psittacidae
- Genus: Ara
Synonyms
- Danish: Blågul Ara, Gulbrystet Blå Ara
- English: Blue-and-yellow Macaw
- French: Ara ararauna, Ara bleu, Ara bleu et jaune, Ara bleu et or
- German: Ararauna, Gelbbrustara
- Portuguese: Arara-amarela, Arara-azul, Arara-canindé, Arara-de-barriga-amarela, Araraí, Ararauna, Arari, Canindé
- Spanish: Guacamaya Azuliamarilla, Guacamayo Azul y Amarillo, Guacamayo Azulamarillo, Guacamayo azuliamarillo, Guacamayo Canindé, Papagayo amarillo, Paraba azul amarillo
- Scientific: Ara ararauna
IUCN Red List
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22685539A131917270.en
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