macaw

Macaws
Hyacinth Macaws at Vancouver Aquarium
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Psittaciformes
Family:	Psittacidae
Subfamily:	Psittacinae
Tribe:	Arini
Genera
Ara Anodorhynchus Cyanopsitta Primolius Orthopsittaca Diopsittaca

For the Chinese special administrative region, see Macau.

Macaws are small to large, often colourful New World parrots. Of the many different Psittacidae (true parrots) genera, six are classified as macaws: Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, and Diopsittaca. Previously, the members of the genus Primolius were placed in Propyrrhura, but the former is correct in accordance with ICZN rules.^[1] Macaws are native to Mexico, Central America, South America, and formerly the Caribbean. Most species are associated with forest, especially rainforest, but others prefer woodland or savannah-like habitats.

Large, dark (usually black) beaks, and relatively hairless, light coloured, medial facial (facial patch) areas distinguish macaws. Sometimes the facial patch is smaller in some species, and limited to a yellow patch around the eyes and a second patch near the base of the beak in the members of the genus Anodorhynchus, or Hyacinth Macaw. A macaw's facial feather pattern is as unique as a fingerprint.^[2]

Some of the macaw species are known for their impressive size. The largest parrot in length and wingspan is the Hyacinth Macaw. The heaviest macaw is the Buffon's, although the heaviest parrot is the flightless Kakapo. While still relatively large parrots, the macaws of the genera Cyanopsitta, Orthopsittaca and Primolius are significantly smaller than the members of Anodorhynchus and Ara. The smallest member of the family, the Red-shouldered Macaw, is no larger than some parakeets of the genus Aratinga.

Macaws, like other parrots, toucans and woodpeckers, are zygodactyl, having their first and fourth toes pointing backwards.

Species in taxonomic order

There are 18 species of Macaws, including extinct and critically endangered species.^[3] In addition, there are several hypothetical extinct species that have been proposed based on very little evidence.^[4]

• Anodorhynchus
  • Glaucous Macaw, Anodorhynchus glaucus (critically endangered or extinct)
  • Hyacinth Macaw, Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus
  • Indigo Macaw or Lear's Macaw, Anodorhynchus leari
• Cyanopsitta
  • Little Blue Macaw or Spix's Macaw, Cyanopsitta spixii (extinct in the wild)

From L to R: Scarlet Macaw, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, and Military Macaw

• Ara
  • Blue-and-yellow Macaw or Blue-and-gold Macaw, Ara ararauna
  • Blue-throated Macaw, Ara glaucogularis
  • Military Macaw, Ara militaris
  • Buffon's Macaw or Great Green Macaw, Ara ambiguus
  • Scarlet Macaw or Aracanga, Ara macao
  • Green-winged Macaw, Ara chloroptera
  • Red-fronted Macaw, Ara rubrogenys
  • Chestnut-fronted Macaw or Severe Macaw, Ara severa
  • †Cuban Red Macaw, Ara tricolor (extinct)
  • †Saint Croix Macaw, Ara autocthones^[5] (extinct)
• Orthopsittaca
  • Red-bellied Macaw, Orthopsittaca manilata
• Primolius
  • Blue-headed Macaw, Primolius couloni
  • Illiger's Macaw or Blue-winged Macaw, Primolius maracana
  • Golden-collared Macaw, Primolius auricollis
• Diopsittaca
  • Red-shouldered Macaw or Hahn's Macaw, Diopsittaca nobilis

Hypothetical extinct species

Several hypothetical extinct species of macaws have been postulated based on very little evidence, and they may have been subspecies, or familiar parrots that were imported onto an Island and later presumed to have a separate identity.^[4]

• Martinique Macaw, Ara martinica, Rothschild 1905
• Red-tailed Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Ara erythrura, Rothschild 1907
• Lesser Antillean Macaw, Ara guadeloupensis, Clarke, 1905
• Jamaican Green-and-yellow Macaw, Ara erythrocephala, Rothschild 1905
• Jamaican Red Macaw, Ara gossei, Rothschild 1905
• Dominican Green-and-yellow Macaw, Ara atwoodi, Clarke, 1905
• Oné Couli, Anodorhynchus purpurascens

Extinctions and conservation status

The majority of macaws are now endangered in the wild. Six species are already extinct, and Spix's Macaw is now considered to be extinct in the wild. The Glaucous Macaw is also probably extinct, with only two reliable records of sightings in the 20th century. The greatest problems threatening the macaw population are the rapid rate of deforestation and the illegal trapping for the bird trade.

International trade of all macaw species is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). Some species of macaws for example, the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) are listed on Appendix I and may not be traded for commercial purposes. Other species for example, the Red-Shouldered Macaw (Diopsittaca nobilis) are listed on Appendix II and may be legally traded commercially provided that certain controls are in place. The controls include a non-detriment finding, establishment of an export quota and issuing of export permits.

Hybrids

A common trend in recent years is hybridising macaws for the pet trade. Hybrids are typical macaws, with the only difference from true species being their genetics and their colours. Male offspring tend to take on the traits of the mother, and the females take the traits of the father. As for their temperament and behaviour, they seem to inherit traits of both parents.

Aviculturists have reported an over abundance of female blue and gold macaws in captivity, which differs from the general rule with captive macaws and other parrots, where the males are more abundant. This would explain why the blue and gold is the most commonly hybridised macaw, and why the hybridising trend took hold among macaws. Common macaw hybrids include Harlequins (Ara ararauna x chloroptera) and Catalinas (known as Rainbows in Australia, A. ararauna x macao).^[6]

Clay licks

Macaws are fruit eaters but change their diet from time to time, due to lack of essential nutrients contained in each fruit. It is often hard for macaws to find ripe fruit, seasons may vary where certain fruits may not be available in the vicinity of their habitat. They are then forced fly far for ripe fruit or accept nearby fruit which may be unripe. In eating unripe fruit, Macaws suffer similar as a person would after eating unripe fruit. They get stomach aches.^[7] Like parrots, macaws have a unique way with dealing with this problem, by eating clay, which is believed to work as an antidote to the poisonous seeds they eat.^[7][8][9] The chemicals in the clay mix with the poison allowing it to pass through the bird's digestive system without harming the bird.

Catalina Macaw (a hybrid of a scarlet macaw and a blue and gold macaw).

Donald Brightsmith, the principal investigator of the Tambopata Macaw Project, has been leading research at the Tambopata Research Center since 1999. Findings from the center located in the Amazon basin in southeastern Peru show that the soil macaws choose to consume at the clay licks they frequent did not have higher levels of cation exchange capacity (ability to adsorb toxins) than that of unused licks. What the findings do show is that the macaws, along with other bird species, prefer soil with higher levels of sodium.

It is possible that the birds are using taste to find soil that also meets other physiological needs. However, the macaws on the coast of Costa Rica do not use clay licks and this is possibly related to the fact that the mangroves which supply a portion of their diet are high in sodium.

Continuing projects at TRC are also showing a correlation between clay lick use and breeding season. Calcium for egg development - another hypothesis - does not appear to be a reason for geophagy during this period as peak usage is after the hatching of eggs. Contents of nestling crop samples show a high percentage of clay fed to them by their parents.

Gallery

Blue-and-gold Macaws (Ara ararauna)

Military Macaw (Ara militaris)

Wing clipped Scarlet Macaws

Golden-collared Macaw

References

• Abramson, J., Speer, B. L., & Thomsen, J.B. 1999, "The Large Macaws, Their Care and Breeding", Raintree Publications:CA
• Brightsmith, D. J. 2006. The psittacine year: what drives annual cycles in Tambopata's parrots? Proceedings of the Loro Parque International Parrot Symposium, Tenerife, Spain. http://vtpb-www2.cvm.tamu.edu/brightsmith/
• Brightsmith, D., and R. Aramburú. 2004. Avian geophagy and soil characteristics in southeastern Peru. Biotropica 36:534-543. http://vtpb-www2.cvm.tamu.edu/brightsmith/Clay%20lick%20soil%202004.pdf
• Gilardi, J. D. 1996. Ecology of parrots in the Peruvian Amazon: Habitat use, nutrition, and geophagy. Ph.D. dissertation. University of California at Davis, Davis, California.

External links

• City Parrots Scarlet Macaws
• Macaws at the Open Directory Project
• ParrotScience - parrot information site
• San Diego Zoo Animal Bytes: Macaw