Macaw

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Macaw
Blue-and-Yellow-Macaw.jpg
A blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Subfamily: Arinae
Tribe: Arini
Groups included

Anodorhynchus
Ara
Cyanopsitta
Primolius
Orthopsittaca
Diopsittaca

Macaws are a group of New World parrots that are long-tailed and often colorful. [1] They are popular in aviculture or as companion parrots, although there are conservation concerns about several species in the wild.

Biology

Of the many different Psittacidae (true parrots) genera, six are classified as macaws: Ara , Anodorhynchus , Cyanopsitta , Primolius , Orthopsittaca , and Diopsittaca . Previously, the members of the genus Primolius were placed in Propyrrhura, but the former is correct in accordance with ICZN rules. [2] In addition, the related macaw-like thick-billed parrot is sometimes referred to as a "macaw", although it is not phylogenetically considered to be a macaw species. Macaws are native to Central America and North America (only Mexico), South America, and formerly the Caribbean. Most species are associated with forests, but others prefer woodland or savannah-like habitats. [3]

Proportionately larger beaks, long tails, and relatively bare, light-coloured medial (facial patch) areas distinguish macaws from other parrots. Sometimes the facial patch is smaller in some species and limited to a yellow patch around the eyes and a second patch near the base of the beak in the members of the genus Anodorhynchus . A macaw's facial feather pattern is as unique as a fingerprint. [4]

The largest macaws are the hyacinth, Buffon's (great green) and green-winged macaws. While still relatively large parrots, mini-macaws of the genera Cyanopsitta, Orthopsittaca and Primolius are significantly smaller than the members of Anodorhynchus and Ara. The smallest member of the family, the red-shouldered macaw, is no larger than some parakeets of the genus Aratinga . [3]

Macaws, like other parrots, toucans and woodpeckers, are zygodactyl, having their first and fourth toes pointing backward. [3]

Species in taxonomic order

There are 19 species of macaws, including extinct and critically endangered species. [5] In addition, there are several hypothetical extinct species that have been proposed based on very little evidence. [6]

Glaucous macaw (behind hyacinth macaw) and other macaws Glaucous Macaw.jpg
Glaucous macaw (behind hyacinth macaw) and other macaws
From L to R: scarlet macaw, blue-and-yellow macaw, and military macaw Ara macao, Ara ararauna and Ara militaris.jpg
From L to R: scarlet macaw, blue-and-yellow macaw, and military macaw
Blue-and-yellow macaw (left) and blue-throated macaw (right) Ara ararauna and Ara glaucogularis -captive in Canada-8a.jpg
Blue-and-yellow macaw (left) and blue-throated macaw (right)

Hypothetical extinct species

Several hypothetical extinct species of macaws have been postulated based on little evidence, and they may have been subspecies, or familiar parrots that were imported onto an island and later wrongly presumed to have a separate identity. [6]

Extinctions and conservation status

The Brazilian coast in the 1502 Cantino planisphere, possibly the earliest European depiction of macaws Anonimo portoghese, carta navale per le isole nuovamente trovate in la parte dell'india (de cantino), 1501-02 (bibl. estense) 03.jpg
The Brazilian coast in the 1502 Cantino planisphere, possibly the earliest European depiction of macaws

The majority of macaws are now endangered in the wild and a few are extinct. The Spix's macaw is now probably extinct in the wild. The glaucous macaw is also probably extinct, with only two reliable records of sightings in the 20th century. The greatest problems threatening the macaw population are the rapid rate of deforestation and illegal trapping for the bird trade. [8] Prehistoric Native Americans in the American Southwest farmed macaws in establishments known as "feather factories". [9]

International trade of all macaw species is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). Some species of macaws—the scarlet macaw (Ara macao) as an example—are listed in the CITES Appendix I and may not be lawfully traded for commercial purposes. Other species, such as the red-shouldered macaw (Diopsittaca nobilis), are listed in Appendix II and may legally be traded commercially provided that certain controls are in place, including a non-detriment finding, establishment of an export quota, and issuing of export permits.

Hybrids

Sometimes macaws are hybridized for the pet trade.

Aviculturists have reported an over-abundance of female blue-and-yellow macaws in captivity, which differs from the general rule with captive macaws and other parrots, where the males are more abundant.[ citation needed ] This would explain why the blue and gold is the most commonly hybridised macaw, and why the hybridising trend took hold among macaws. Common macaw hybrids include the harlequin ( Ara ararauna × Ara chloroptera ), miligold macaw ( Ara ararauna × Ara militaris ) [10] and the Catalina (known as the rainbow in Australia, Ara ararauna × Ara macao ). In addition, unusual but apparently healthy intergeneric hybrids between the hyacinth macaw and several of the larger Ara macaws have also occasionally been seen in captivity. [11] Another, much rarer, occurrence of a second-generation hybrid (F2) is the miliquin macaw (harlequin and military macaws). [12]

Diet and clay licks

Macaws and Southern mealy amazons at a clay lick in Tambopata National Reserve, Peru Parrots at a clay lick -Tambopata National Reserve, Peru-8c.jpg
Macaws and Southern mealy amazons at a clay lick in Tambopata National Reserve, Peru

Macaws eat a variety of foods including seeds, nuts, fruits, palm fruits, leaves, flowers, and stems. Safe vegetables include asparagus, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, butternut, carrots, corn on the cob, dandelion greens, collard greens, hot peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and zucchini. Wild species may forage widely, over 100 km (62 mi) for some of the larger species such as Ara araurana (blue and yellow macaw) and Ara ambigua (great green macaw), in search of seasonally available foods.

Some foods eaten by macaws in certain regions in the wild are said to contain toxic or caustic substances which they are able to digest. It has been suggested that parrots and macaws in the Amazon Basin eat clay from exposed river banks to neutralize these toxins. [13] In the western Amazon hundreds of macaws and other parrots descend to exposed river banks to consume clay on an almost daily basis [14] – except on rainy days. [15] Donald Brightsmith, the principal investigator of The Macaw Society, located at the Tambopata Research Center (TRC) in Peru, has studied the clay eating behaviour of parrots at clay licks in Peru. He and fellow investigators found that the soils macaws choose to consume at the clay licks do not have higher levels of cation-exchange capacity (ability to absorb toxins) than that of unused areas of the clay licks [16] and thus the parrots could not be using the clay to neutralize ingested food toxins. Rather, the macaws and other bird and animal species prefer clays with higher levels of sodium. [17] Sodium is a vital element that is scarce in environments greater than 100 kilometres from the ocean. [18] The distribution of clay licks across South America further supports this hypothesis – as the largest and most species-rich clay licks are found on the western side of the Amazon Basin far from oceanic influences. [19] Salt-enriched (NaCl) oceanic aerosols are the main source of environmental sodium near coasts and this decreases drastically farther inland. [20]

Clay-eating behaviour by macaws is not seen outside the western Amazon region, even though macaws in these areas consume some toxic foods such as the seeds of Hura crepitans, or sandbox tree, which have toxic sap. Species of parrot that consume more seeds, which potentially have more toxins, do not use clay licks more than species that eat a greater proportion of flowers or fruit in their diets. [20]

Studies at TRC have shown a correlation between clay-lick use and the breeding season. [21] Contents of nestling crop samples show a high percentage of clay fed to them by their parents. Calcium for egg development – another hypothesis – does not appear to be a reason for geophagy during this period as peak usage is after the hatching of eggs.

Another theory is that the birds, as well as other herbivorous animals, use the clay licks as a source of cobalamin, otherwise known as vitamin B12.

Relationship with humans

Macaws and their feathers have attracted the attention of people throughout history, most notably in pre-Columbian civilizations such as the Inca, Wari', and Nazca. Macaw feathers were highly desired for their bright colors and acquired through hunting and trade. [22] Feathers were often used as adornment and were found at both ceremonial and burial sites. South American weavers have used their feathers to create a number of textiles, most notably feathered panels and tabards. Due to the fragile nature of the feathers, many of these pieces have begun to deteriorate over time. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psittacidae</span> Family of birds

The family Psittacidae or holotropical parrots is one of three families of true parrots. It comprises the 12 species of subfamily Psittacinae and 167 of subfamily Arinae including several species that have gone extinct in recent centuries. Some of the most iconic birds in the world are represented here, such as the blue-and-yellow macaw among the New World parrots and the grey parrot among the Old World parrots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conure</span> Group of small to medium-sized parrots

Conures are a diverse, loosely defined group of small to medium-sized parrots. They belong to several genera within a long-tailed group of the New World parrot subfamily Arinae. The term "conure" is used primarily in bird keeping, though it has appeared in some scientific journals. The American Ornithologists' Union uses the generic term parakeet for all species elsewhere called conure, though Joseph Forshaw, a prominent Australian ornithologist, uses conure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spix's macaw</span> Species of macaw that is extinct in the wild

Spix's macaw, also known as the little blue macaw, is a macaw species that was endemic to Brazil. It is a member of tribe Arini in the subfamily Arinae, part of the family Psittacidae. It was first described by German naturalist Georg Marcgrave, when he was working in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil in 1638 and it is named for German naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix, who collected a specimen in 1819 on the bank of the Rio São Francisco in northeast Bahia in Brazil. This bird has been completely extirpated from its natural range, and following a several-year survey, the IUCN officially declared it extinct in the wild in 2019. However, after over 20 years of conservation efforts, 200 macaws have been bred from just two parent birds, and 52 individual birds have since been reintroduced into their natural environment in June 2022.

<i>Anodorhynchus</i> Genus of birds

Anodorhynchus is a genus of large blue macaws from open and semi-open habitats in central and eastern South America. It includes two extant species, the hyacinth macaw and Lear's macaw also known as the indigo macaw, and one probably extinct species, the glaucous macaw. At about 100 centimetres (39 in) in length the hyacinth macaw is the longest parrot in the world. Glaucous and Lear's macaws are exclusively cliff nesters; hyacinth macaws are mostly tree nesters. The three species mainly feed on the nuts from a few species of palms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glaucous macaw</span> Species of bird

The glaucous macaw is a critically endangered or possibly extinct species of large, blue and grey South American parrot, a member of a large group of neotropical parrots known as macaws. This macaw is closely related to Lear's macaw and the hyacinth macaw. In Guaraní, it is called guaa-obi after its vocalizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlet macaw</span> Species of bird

The scarlet macaw is a large yellow, red and blue Neotropical parrot native to humid evergreen forests of the Americas. Its range extends from southeastern Mexico to Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela and Brazil in lowlands of 500 m (1,600 ft) up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft), the Caribbean island of Trinidad, as well as the Pacific island of Coiba. Formerly, the northern extent of its range included southern Tamaulipas. In some areas, it has suffered local extinction because of habitat destruction, or capture for the parrot trade, but in other areas, it remains fairly common. It is the national bird of Honduras. Like its relative the blue-and-yellow macaw, the scarlet macaw is a popular bird in aviculture as a result of its striking plumage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-and-green macaw</span> Species of bird

The red-and-green macaw, also known as the green-winged macaw, is a large, mostly-red macaw of the genus Ara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-and-yellow macaw</span> Species of bird

The blue-and-yellow macaw, also known as the blue-and-gold macaw, is a large Neotropical parrot with a mostly blue dorsum, light yellow/orange venter, and gradient hues of green on top of its head. It is a member of the large group of neotropical parrots known as macaws. It inhabits forest, woodland and savannah of tropical Central and South America, as well as the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. They are popular in aviculture because of their striking color, ability to talk, ready availability in the marketplace, and close bonding to humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyacinth macaw</span> Species of bird (parrot)

The hyacinth macaw, or hyacinthine macaw, is a parrot native to central and eastern South America. With a length of about one meter it is longer than any other species of parrot. It is the largest macaw and the largest flying parrot species; the flightless kākāpō of New Zealand outweighs it at up to 3.5 kg. While generally easily recognized, it could be confused with the smaller Lear's macaw. Habitat loss and the trapping of wild birds for the pet trade have taken a heavy toll on their population in the wild, so the species is classified as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List, and it is protected by its listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

<i>Ara</i> (bird) Neotropical genus of macaws

Ara is a Neotropical genus of macaws with eight extant species and at least two extinct species. The genus name was coined by French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1799. It gives its name to and is part of the Arini, or tribe of Neotropical parrots. The genus name Ara is derived from the Tupi word ará, an onomatopoeia of the sound a macaw makes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neotropical parrot</span> Subfamily of birds

The neotropical parrots or New World parrots comprise about 150 species in 32 genera found throughout South and Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean islands and the southern United States. Among them are some of the most familiar and iconic parrots, including the blue and gold macaw, sun conure, and yellow-headed amazon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-headed macaw</span> Species of bird

The blue-headed macaw or Coulon's macaw is a macaw native to eastern Peru, northwestern Bolivia, and far western Brazil. It has a total length of about 41 cm (16 in), making it a member of the group of smaller macaws sometimes known as the mini-macaws, which includes any species of macaw with a total length of 50 cm (20 in) or less. As in all macaws, its tail is long and pointed and the bill is large and heavy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser Antillean macaw</span> Extinct bird from the Caribbean

The Lesser Antillean macaw or Guadeloupe macaw is a hypothetical extinct species of macaw that is thought to have been endemic to the Lesser Antillean island region of Guadeloupe. In spite of the absence of conserved specimens, many details about the Lesser Antillean macaw are known from several contemporary accounts, and the bird is the subject of some illustrations. Austin Hobart Clark described the species on the basis of these accounts in 1905. Due to the lack of physical remains, and the possibility that sightings were of macaws from the South American mainland, doubts have been raised about the existence of this species. A phalanx bone from the island of Marie-Galante confirmed the existence of a similar-sized macaw inhabiting the region prior to the arrival of humans and was correlated with the Lesser Antillean macaw in 2015. Later that year, historical sources distinguishing between the red macaws of Guadeloupe and the scarlet macaw of the mainland were identified, further supporting its validity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guadeloupe amazon</span> Hypothetical extinct species of parrot from the Caribbean

The Guadeloupe amazon or Guadeloupe parrot is a hypothetical extinct species of parrot that is thought to have been endemic to the Lesser Antillean island region of Guadeloupe. Mentioned and described by 17th- and 18th-century writers, it received a scientific name in 1789. It was moved to the genus Amazona in 1905, and is thought to have been related to, or possibly the same as, the extant imperial amazon. A tibiotarsus and an ulna bone from the island of Marie-Galante may belong to the Guadeloupe amazon. In 1905, a species of extinct violet macaw was also claimed to have lived on Guadeloupe, but in 2015, it was suggested to have been based on a description of the Guadeloupe amazon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martinique macaw</span> Extinct species of bird

The Martinique macaw or orange-bellied macaw is a hypothetical extinct species of macaw which may have been endemic to the Lesser Antillean island of Martinique, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was scientifically named by Walter Rothschild in 1905, based on a 1630s description of "blue and orange-yellow" macaws by Jacques Bouton. No other evidence of its existence is known, but it may have been identified in contemporary artwork. Some writers have suggested that the birds observed were actually blue-and-yellow macaws. The "red-tailed blue-and-yellow macaw", another species named by Rothschild in 1907 based on a 1658 account, is thought to be identical to the Martinique macaw, if either one ever existed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mini-macaw</span>

Mini-macaws are a loosely defined group of small-to-medium-sized macaw species within the tribe Arini. The term has no fixed taxonomic meaning and is principally used in aviculture to describe a small macaw belonging to one of a number of different genera, with overall length being the sole criterion for inclusion. Any macaw with an overall length of less than about 50 cm can be described as a "mini-macaw". Additionally, the "mini-" prefix may be added to the species name when describing the bird in question. Mini-macaws have predominantly green plumage with various accenting colours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Macaw Society</span> Research project at Texas A&M University

The Macaw Society is a long-term research project on the ecology and conservation of macaws and parrots under the direction of Donald Brightsmith and Gabriela Vigo of the Schubot Center for Avian Health at the Texas A&M University. The project has been working with wildlife and local communities since 1989. The long-term research and monitoring have provided many insights into various aspects of parrot and wildlife of south-eastern Peru. Macaws are among the most effective flagship species for ecosystem conservation in the Amazonian rainforest.

Charles A Munn III is an American conservation biologist and ecotourism entrepreneur. Munn is the founder and owner of SouthWild, a conservation-based ecotourism company that offers photography safaris throughout South America. In 2013, Condé Nast Traveller listed him as one of worlds's three leading experts on wildlife tourism, and the only one for South America. From 1984-2000 he was a conservation field biologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society. He also founded Peru Verde Conservation Group, the BioBrasil Foundation, and Tropical Nature Conservation Group. Munn is an American citizen but spends most of his time in Brazil and Chile. He is based in the Mato Grosso state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hybrid macaw</span> Crossbred bird

Hybrid macaws are the product of cross breeding of more than one species of macaw, resulting in a hybrid. They are often characterized and bred for their unique and distinct coloring, and for this reason, are highly sought after and valued in the exotic pet trade. Macaws are native to tropical North and South America. Hybridization of macaws occurs both in nature and captivity, being one of the few species that can produce viable, fertile offspring unlike many other hybrids produced from crossing different species resulting in sterile hybrids with factors that limit their success of survival. Hybrid macaws do not hold any scientific names, and are often labeled by the two macaw species they are produced from

References

  1. ↑ "macaw" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  2. ↑ South American Classification Committee Archived 2007-02-24 at the Wayback Machine To reassign the genus of three macaws.
  3. 1 2 3 Abramson, J., Speer, B. L., & Thomsen, J.B. 1999, "The Large Macaws, Their Care and Breeding", Raintree Publications: CA
  4. ↑ "Facial fingerprint". webparrots.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-10. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  5. ↑ "Zoological Nomenclature Resource: Psittaciformes (Version 9.004)". www.zoonomen.net. 2008-07-05.
  6. 1 2 Fuller, Errol (1987). Extinct Birds. Penguin Books (England). pp. 148–9. ISBN   978-0-670-81787-0.
  7. ↑ Wetmore, A. (1937). "Ancient records of birds from the island of St. Croix with observations on extinct and living birds of Puerto Rico". Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico. 21 (1): 5–16. doi: 10.46429/jaupr.v21i1.14340 .
  8. ↑ Snyder, N.; McGowan, P.; Gilardi, J.; Grajal, A., eds. (2000). Parrots: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan 2000–2004. Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. ISBN   978-2-83170504-0.
  9. ↑ Watson, Traci (2017). "Prehistoric Native Americans farmed macaws in 'feather factories.'". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2017.21803. S2CID   164761495.
  10. ↑ "Miligold Macaw, Hybrid Cross between a Military Macaw and a Blue and Gold Macaw". Animal-world.com. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
  11. ↑ Macaws, Hybrid Names, and pages on individual hybrids.
  12. ↑ Vargas, Theresa. "An unlikely parrot love story may have resulted in a new species". Washington Post. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  13. ↑ Gilardi, James D. (1996). Ecology of Parrots in the Peruvian Amazon: Habitat Use, Nutrition, and Geophagy (Ph.D.). Davis, California: University of California at Davis.
  14. ↑ Munn, C. A. (January 1994). "Macaws: winged rainbows". National Geographic. 185 (1): 118–140.
  15. ↑ Brightsmith, D. J. (2004). "Effects of Weather on Parrot Geophagy in Tambopata, Peru". The Wilson Bulletin. 116 (2): 134–145. doi:10.1676/03-087b. JSTOR   4164648. S2CID   83509448.
  16. ↑ Brightsmith, Donald J.; Muñoz-Najar, Romina Aramburu (2004). "Avian Geophagy and Soil Characteristics in Southeastern Peru". Biotropica. 36 (4): 534–543. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7429.2004.tb00348.x.
  17. ↑ Powell, Luke L.; Powell, Thomas U.; Powell, George V. N.; Brightsmith, Donald J. (2009). "Parrots Take it with a Grain of Salt: Available Sodium Content May Drive Collpa(Clay Lick) Selection in Southeastern Peru". Biotropica. 41 (3): 279–282. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00514.x . S2CID   86506489.
  18. ↑ Kaspari, M.; Yanoviak, S. P.; Dudley, R. (2008). "On the biogeography of salt limitation: A study of ant communities". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 105 (46): 17848–17851. Bibcode:2008PNAS..10517848K. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0804528105 . PMC   2584704 . PMID   19004798.
  19. ↑ Lee, Alan T. K.; Kumar, Sunil; Brightsmith, Donald J.; Marsden, Stuart J. (2009). "Parrot claylick distribution in South America: Do patterns of 'where' help answer the question 'why'?". Ecography. 33 (3): 503–513. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0587.2009.05878.x.
  20. 1 2 Lee, A. T. K. (2010). Parrot Claylicks: Distribution, Patterns of Use and Ecological Correlates from a Parrot Assemblage in Southeastern Peru (Ph.D.). Manchester Metropolitan University.
  21. ↑ Brightsmith, D. J. 2006. "The psittacine year: what drives annual cycles in Tambopata's parrots?" Archived 2015-09-06 at the Wayback Machine Proceedings of the Loro Parque International Parrot Symposium, Tenerife, Spain.
  22. ↑ "Gold and the Incas - LEARN MORE| | Plume". nga.gov.au. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  23. ↑ "When Feathers Were the Treasures of the Rainforest". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
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