Blue and Gold Macaw
This strikingly colored parrot is named for its bright and vibrant coloration.
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Ara
Species: A. ararauna
Common Names: Blue & Gold Macaw, Blue & Yellow Macaw
Found mainly in forests (and occasionally within cities), the blue and gold macaw can be found in a number of countries in South America, including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. It is also found in Panama in Central America.
They eat mostly seeds, nuts, and fruit, cracking open hard shells with their strong beaks.
Blue and gold macaws mate for life. They make nests in cavities high up in trees, and usually lay two or three eggs per clutch. Both parents help raise the hatchlings, which become independent around three months after they’re born.
The blue and gold macaw is a bright electric blue on the back of its body, with a rich yellow on the front. Its forehead is a lime green. Its face is mostly white and bare, other than a few black feathers forming a pattern around the eyes.
Like most other macaws, this bird is large in size with a long tail. It can measure 34 inches in length and weigh up to three pounds. Its bill is large, heavy and hooked.
These birds have become popular in the pet trade, although keeping blue and gold macaws requires a level of care that most beginners are not prepared for. They require lots of space and attention, are loudly vocal with screams and squawks, and engage in destructive chewing behavior. They can also live more than 60 years in captivity, so caring for them is a long term commitment.
The blue and gold macaw is a species of Least Concern. Though it remains fairly common throughout much of its wide range, the Paraguay population has been nearly wiped out.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-and-yellow_macaw
https://zooatlanta.org/animal/blue-and-yellow-macaw/
Safari Ltd Blue and Gold Macaw Toy Figures:
Wings of the World Blue and Gold Macaw Figure