Blue and Gold Macaws In The Wild

If you’ve seen parrots on television or in movies, chances are you’ve seen Blue and Gold or Blue and Yellow Macaws. This large bird (Ara Ararauna) is also known as a Hyacinth Macaw and is one of the largest of the parrot species. They have brilliant blue and yellow feathers and grow to be over 36 inches long. Blue and Gold Macaws in the wild can be seen soaring above the canopy of their native habitat.

The blue and gold macaw has a large range that extends from Eastern Panama to Columbia and from Ecuador to Brazil. While they may not be considered an endangered species, their habitat is constantly being affected by hunting, trapping, and deforestation. They prefer to live in primarily forests and rainforests although their habitat is dwindling each year.

Non-breeding Blue and Gold Macaws congregate in large numbers, often with as many as 50 birds in one flock. Once breeding season begins, which could be at any time depending upon the pair, these parrots will mate for life. Generally they reach sexual maturity at around five to seven years of age.

While it is nearly impossible to tell male and female Blue and Gold Macaws apart by merely seeing them, the birds themselves have no problems. A breeding pair of Blue and Gold Macaws mates may lay up to three eggs over a period of a few days. She would lay the eggs in the cavities of palm trees. Both parents would care for the young until they are weaned at approximately four months. The young remain with their parents for up to a year. Blue and Gold Macaws can live up to 50 years in the wild and up to 80 years in captivity if they are well taken care of.

In the wild, Blue and Gold Macaws eat primarily fruits, leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts, and tree bark. They may also small animals. You may expect to see the parrots flying through the air, but you may also see them around cliffs of clay as they need the minerals and detoxifying properties of the clay to help them digest poisonous seeds they may eat.

Blue and Gold Macaws love a tall tree and can often be seen in the treetops in their natural habitat. They remain in their range rather than migrating from one area to another. Even though they aren’t considered an endangered species at the moment, scientists have noted that their numbers have been declining in recent years. They believe part of the decline is due to deforestation in their home range, but some of the problem may be associated with illegal pet trading.

Although the species has declined in some areas, these beautifully colored parrots can still be found in large areas from eastern Panama to Bolivia in the south. If you should travel to South America to find Blue and Gold Macaws in the wild, you’ll nearly always be able to find flocks of this parrot to watch in amazement at the beauty of nature.

Blue and Gold Macaw
The Beautiful Blue and Gold Macaw