The yellow-blue macaw (Ara ararauna)

Also known as the blue-and-yellow macaw, yellow parrot, or yellow-billed paraba, is a species of psittaciform bird in the parrot family endemic to South America. MANU TOURS INFORMATION

characteristics
Animal belonging to the order of Psittaciformes, family of Psittacines. Its adult size is around 90 cm, half of its length corresponding to the tail. It can weigh from 900g. up to 1070g. It is turquoise blue in the upper parts of the body. Golden-yellow underparts. Green forehead and crown, black throat. Bare white cheeks, fringed with black feathers. The bill is black with yellow irises. The lower flow coverts are bluish-yellow. The legs are black. The only difference between males and females is size; females are smaller than males.

They are very long-lived animals, which can reach more than 50 years of age.

Feeding
Spondias, Terminalia, Hura, Enterolobium, Inga, Parkia, Platypodium, Quararibea nectar, Combretum flowers, Ficus fruit and / or petioles, Sloanea pulp, Schwartzia, Brosimum, Sorocea, Otoba pedicels, Iriartea leaves, Scheelea and Pouteria mesocarp, and indeterminate parts of Mauritia; walnuts from the Maximilian palm tree in Suriname.
Habitat
They live in varied habitats ranging from tropical rain forest, rain forest to dry savanna. They live mainly in forests near the riverbeds.

Distribution
It is found in South America, from Panama to Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay. It extends slightly in Central America, where it is limited only to Panama. It is an endangered species in Trinidad and is about to be extirpated from Paraguay but it is still widespread and quite common in much of the South American mainland. There is also a breeding population in Miami-Dade County in Florida. Therefore it is listed as Least Concern by BirdLife International. In the XV century and in all probability until the end of the XIX century, its distribution area covered practically the entire Caribbean basin.

Reproduction
Once the couple is formed, they no longer separate. If nesting sites are scarce in your area, pairs may expel or kill occupants of established nests. They nest every two years between August and January, dig holes in tree trunks and palm trees, and the female generally lays two or three eggs. The female incubates the eggs for about 28 days and the chicks leave the nest in approximately 90 days after hatching. The male feeds the female during this period and protects the nest from intruders. A study carried out in the Emas National Park on eighteen control nests indicated a birth rate of 72%. The chicks are born featherless and blind and are fed by both parents with regurgitated fruits and seeds, remaining in the nest for three months. Even after the offspring remain with the parents for a maximum of one year and reach sexual maturity only after three or four years.

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