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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
green-winged
macaw, green wing macaw |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Psittaciformes |
| FAMILY: |
Psittacidae
(true parrots) |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Ara
(macaw) chloroptera (green wing) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
The
green-winged macaw is a large parrot covered with
mostly red plumage. The wing and tail feathers are
blue and green, hence its name. This macaw has a
white, naked face, striped with small red feathers.
The beak is strongly hooked and the feet are zygodactylous
(2 toes that point forward and 2 toes that point
backward). |
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| SIZE: |
Approximately
65-92.5 cm (26-37 in); wingspan 102-122.5 cm (41-49
in) |
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| WEIGHT: |
Approximately
1250-1700 g (43.8-59.5 oz.) |
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| DIET: |
Feeds
on seeds, fruits, nuts, berries, leaves, salts and
minerals of riverbanks |
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| INCUBATION: |
Approximately
28 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
Up
to 3 eggs |
| FLEDGING
DURATION |
90-100 days |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
3-4
years |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Up
to 60-80 years |
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| RANGE: |
Widely
distributed throughout South America |
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| HABITAT: |
Found
in tropical rainforests, savannas, and mangroves |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Appendix
II |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Green-winged
macaws are the second largest parrots next to the
hyacinth macaw. |
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| 2. |
They
have one of the largest, broadest ranges of any
macaw species. |
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| 3. |
Macaws
are normally monogamous, having only one mate for
life. |
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| 4. |
They
are often mistaken for scarlet macaws due to their
general red appearance. |
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| 5. |
In
the wild, macaws often flock to mountains of clay
known as "macaw licks". Such licks contain
minerals and salts essential to the bird's diet. |
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| 6. |
In
the wild, macaws do not mimic other birdcalls. Mimicry
is only noted in captive species, only then do they
attempt to copy human speech. |
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| 7. |
Macaws
are able to reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. |
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Macaws
are very messy eaters - their extremely strong
beaks are perfectly adapted for eating all sorts
of nuts and seeds, as seen in their ability to
crack open incredibly hard-shelled nuts (such
as Brazil nuts) with ease. In the course of daily
feeding, macaws allow plenty of seeds (while eating,
as well as in their droppings) to fall to the
forest floor, thus regenerating much of the forest
growth.
Largely
a forest dwelling species, green-winged macaws,
along with many of their parrot relatives, are
under pressure from deforestation and human population
growth.
They
are also popular in the pet trade, going easily
for as much as $1500.
The
green-winged macaw is extinct in some parts of
its range, including Argentina.
The
U.S. Wild Bird Act forbids the commercial import
of any bird listed by CITES which includes most
parrots - endangered or threatened.
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|
| Forshaw,
J.M. Parrots of the World. New Jersey. T.F.H.
Publications Inc. 1978. |
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|
Marrison,
C. and A. Greensmith. Birds of the World.
New York: Dorling Kindersley, Inc. 1993.
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| Perrins,
C. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Birds. New
York: Facts on File Publications. 1985. |
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| http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/search/simple/ |
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