Blue-throated Macaw

Facts

IUCN CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR)

Facts about this animal

The blue-throated Macaw is about 85 cm in length. The entire upperpart, including the forehead, forecrown and the throat are blue. The bare facial area is creamy white, extending in a narrow strip to the bottom of the beak and bordered on the throat by a broad bluish band which extends up to the yellow-orange ear-coverts. The under tail-coverts are turquoise-blue and the tail is yellow. It has dark grey legs and pale yellow iris with indistinct greyer ring near the pupil. The bill is grey-black. Immature birds are like adult but with brown iris.

Factsheet
Class	AVES
Order	PSITTACIFORMES
Suborder	PSITTACI
Family	PSITTACIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Ara glaucogularis
Name (English)	Blue-throated Macaw
Name (French)	Ara à gorge bleue, Ara canindé
Name (German)	Blaukehlara, Caninde-Ara
Name (Spanish)	Guacamayo amarillo, Guacamayo barbazul
CITES Status	Appendix I
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
Eric Kilby

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Bolivia
Habitat	Gallery forests along rivers and around lakes
Wild population	Approx. 200-300 (Red List IUCN 2011)
Zoo population	122 reported to ISIS (2008)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 11D of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
Derek Ramsey

Why do zoos keep this animal

The blue-throated macaw is critically endangered in the wild. With a view of building up a reserve population, an International Studbook has been established under the WAZA umbrella, and a coordinated conservation breeding programme is operated at the regional level by EAZA.

How this animal should be kept

Parrots must not be kept chained and must not be pinioned. If feather clipped, they should have available an area corresponding at least to that of an aviary for this species, and there must be ample climbing opportunities.

An aviary for a pair must have a surface of no less than 6 x 2.5 m and a height of at least 2 m. In cold and temperate climates a frost free shelter or indoor aviary of at least 2.5 m² x 2 m high is necessary.

A variety of branches for perching, climbing and chewing is necessary to keep these intelligent birds busy.

Parrots may select food items on the basis of colour and texture rather than on taste or nutrient content. Therefore it is important to provide a variety of nutritionally valuable and, at the same time, interesting food. Pellets provide an ideal diet only in combination with other favourable and nutritionally suitable feeds, e.g. a mixture of apple, carrots soaked corn and vitamin/mineral supplement, soaked sunflower seeds, fruit (e.g. grapes, banana, pear, plum, orange, mango), vegetables (e.g. sweet pepper, chicory, courgette), nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts), and dog pellets.