Blue and Yellow Macaw

(Ara ararauna)

Live: Central America and northern South America

Habitat: Rainforest areas

Diet: Seeds, fruits and nuts

Gestation: 2-4 chicks are born annually and fledge at 3 months

Lifespan: Up to 80 years in captivity

Status: Least concern 

General: These macaws live in noisy flocks in the rainforests of South America, and keep in contact with a range of calls from harsh squawks to piercing shrieks.

As well as being accomplished flyers, they spend much of their time climbing around the treetops, using their characteristic curved beak as an extra limb to help them climb. Similarly, they will use their feet to help hold food whilst they eat.

Many macaws pair for life, a bond often found in captivity in the form of attachment to the keeper. Eggs are incubated exclusively by the female, and the male provides her with food during this time. The male also has a role in the feeding of the babies.

Deforestation is a threat to all macaws, but the biggest threat is capture for the pet trade. Youngsters are taken from the nest, and adult birds are killed for food and feathers.