Blue and Gold Macaw
Common Name: Blue and Gold Macaw
Scientific Name: Ara ararauna
Physical Description: The Blue and Gold Macaw, aptly named for its bright blue back and tail feathers, and yellow breast, weighs on average 2 pounds and has a 3–4-foot wingspan4. Their forehead is a vibrant green, which helps to stand out from similarly colored species. They have zygodactyl feet, with two toes facing forward, and two backwards, perfectly suited for perching and gripping branches and food. They are also capable of using their strong beak to hold, break open, and drop food items, and their long black tongue can pull out food from the insides of nut and fruit casings.
Habitat: Rainforest and Savanna
Range: They live in northern South America, near the equator. They can be found in countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana
Diet: Nuts, Fruits, seeds and berries
Life Span: They live 35 years in the wild and up to 112 in human care.
Social Structure: Blue and Gold Macaws are monogamous, breeding for life with a partner in their larger flock. Both parents at involved in the rearing process, with young fledging after 3 months.
Status: Least Concern
Other: The Blue and Gold Macaw is heavily poached for the pet trade, with young taken from nests or bred within human facilities. The population also faces threats from deforestation and habitat fragmentation due to human activity. Newton is a Blue and Gold Macaw at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo who also serves as an ambassador animal for the education department!
[1] https://ebird.org/species/baymac
[2] https://zooatlanta.org/animal/blue-and-yellow-macaw/
[3] https://www.iucnredlist.org/ja/species/22685539/131917270
Scientific Name: Ara ararauna
Physical Description: The Blue and Gold Macaw, aptly named for its bright blue back and tail feathers, and yellow breast, weighs on average 2 pounds and has a 3–4-foot wingspan4. Their forehead is a vibrant green, which helps to stand out from similarly colored species. They have zygodactyl feet, with two toes facing forward, and two backwards, perfectly suited for perching and gripping branches and food. They are also capable of using their strong beak to hold, break open, and drop food items, and their long black tongue can pull out food from the insides of nut and fruit casings.
Habitat: Rainforest and Savanna
Range: They live in northern South America, near the equator. They can be found in countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana
Diet: Nuts, Fruits, seeds and berries
Life Span: They live 35 years in the wild and up to 112 in human care.
Social Structure: Blue and Gold Macaws are monogamous, breeding for life with a partner in their larger flock. Both parents at involved in the rearing process, with young fledging after 3 months.
Status: Least Concern
Other: The Blue and Gold Macaw is heavily poached for the pet trade, with young taken from nests or bred within human facilities. The population also faces threats from deforestation and habitat fragmentation due to human activity. Newton is a Blue and Gold Macaw at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo who also serves as an ambassador animal for the education department!
[1] https://ebird.org/species/baymac
[2] https://zooatlanta.org/animal/blue-and-yellow-macaw/
[3] https://www.iucnredlist.org/ja/species/22685539/131917270
