South America - Blue and Yellow Macaw

The Blue and Yellow Macaw is a beautiful and fascinating bird of South America. We hope you enjoy learning about it. To jump to a specific section, use our Quick Jump below by clicking on the headings.

Sizes
-Length: 23 in.
-Tail: 20 in.

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The Scarlet Macaw, a relative of the Blue and Gold Macaw.

Habitat and Habits
-live in tropics/subtropics
    -prefer forests that grow in swampy ground or rivers
-they are sociable
-roosts in forest together at night
-bask in sun and feed starting at dawn
-wary bird
    -avoids human contact
    -disappear/decline in human populated areas

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Blue and Yellow Macaws have beautiful plumage.

Food and Feeding
-completely dependent on trees for food
-likes to eat nuts, fruits, seeds, berries
-in their tropic/subtropics habitats, food is plentiful
-large flocks travel BIG distances each day to assure enough food
-young macaws learn to find feeding grounds by following older experienced birds

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Males and females look the same in the macaw family.

Macaws and Man
-most have been imported to Europe and North America to be sold as pets
    -has serious effect on wild population
-some species are already extinct
-collectors often cut down trees to take young
    -birds are often killed in this process
-greatest threat to macaws is habitat destruction
    -their forests are cut down for farming