- Blue-winged Macaw
Taxobox
name = Blue-winged Macaw
image_width = 250px
image_caption =
status = NT | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo =Psittaciformes
familia =Psittacidae
genus = "Primolius "
species = "P. maracana"
binomial = "Primolius maracana"
binomial_authority = Vieillot, 1816The Blue-winged Macaw ("Primolius maracana"), in
aviculture more commonly known as Illiger's Macaw, is aspecies of macaw found in central and easternSouth America . It was previously placed in thegenus "Ara" or "Propyrrhura". Blue-winged Macaws have been known to reach an age of 50-60 years.Description
It has a total length of approximately 40 cm (16 in). It has a heavy black bill, a long tail and a mainly green
plumage . The upperside of theremiges and primary coverts are blue, as indicated by itscommon name . The underside of the wings is yellowish, the tail-tip, crown and cheeks are bluish, and the tail-base and small belly-patch are red. The iris is amber. It and theRed-bellied Macaw are the only macaws where the bare facial-skin is yellowish, but this often fades to white in captivity. Unlike the Red-bellied Macaw, the Blue-winged has a red lower abdomen and a red lower back.cite web| publisher =BirdLife International (2008) |url = http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=1557&m=0 |title = Species factsheet: "Primolius maracana" |accessdaymonth = 24 July | accessyear = 2008]Habitat and food
The Blue-winged Macaw occurs in eastern and southern
Brazil (with a remnant population north-east), easternParaguay and, at least formerly, in far north-easternArgentina . It occurs inevergreen and deciduous forests, with a preference for gallery forest. They mainly feed on seeds ofCnidoscolus phyllacanthus ,Jatropha ,Guazuma ulmifolia and the non-nativeMelia azederach . However, the birds also feed on fruits and nuts.Breeding
The Blue-winged Macaw attain sexual maturity between 2 and 4 years after they are born. Adult females usually produce two eggs which take approximately 29 days to hatch. Young Blue-winged Macaws learn to fly about 11 weeks after they have hatched. They stay with their parents for about a year after learning to fly. Relatively little information exists on its reproduction in the wild, but the breeding season in north-eastern Brazil is apparently from December to February.
Threats
These birds are affected mostly by
deforestation . They were also captured for thecagebird trade - from 1977 to 1979, 183 birds arrived to theUnited States fromParaguay . It has declined in the southern part of its range, and there are no recent records from theMisiones Province in Argentina. Therefore, it was previously considered vulnerable. Information from Brazil suggests it remains widespread and even has re-colonised areas in its historical range in southern Rio de Janeiro. This has led to it being downlisted tonear threatened .References
* [http://www.swbg-adventurecamps.com/animal-info/animal-bytes/animalia/eumetazoa/coelomates/deuterostomes/chordata/craniata/aves/psittaciformes/illigers-macaw.htm ANIMAL BYTES - Illiger's Macaw]
* http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/blue-wingedmacaw.htmlExternal links
* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=2244 Blue-winged Macaw videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
* [http://piclib.nhm.ac.uk/piclib/webimages/0/35000/900/35943_sml.jpgPhoto of a captive Blue-headed Macaw]
* [http://vireo.acnatsci.org/search.html?VIREO_SESSION_ID=2ff665215284371310cc1f368a666fb6&Form=Search&SEARCHBY=Common&KEYWORDS=blue-winged+macaw&showwhat=images&AGE=All&SEX=All&ACT=All&Search=Search&VIEW=All&ORIENTATION=All&RESULTS=24 Blue-winged Macaw photo gallery] VIREO
* [http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/photos/promar5402.jpgPhoto] ; [http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/blue-wingedmacaw.html Aticle & synopsis] arthurgrosset–"South American Birds"
* [http://www.tropicalbirding.com/tripReports/TR_Pant-Amaz-Oct2006/bwmacaw.jpgPhoto-High Res] ; [http://www.tropicalbirding.com/tripReports/TR_Pant-Amaz-Oct2006/TR_Pant-Amaz-Oct2006.html Article] tropicalbirding
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.