Scarlet macaw
Scarlet macaw | |
---|---|
A. m. cyanopterus Copan, Honduras | |
At Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Psittaciformes |
Family: | Psittacidae |
Genus: | Ara |
Species: | A. macao
|
Binomial name | |
Ara macao | |
Extant distribution of the scarlet macaw
| |
Synonyms | |
Psittacus macao Linnaeus, 1758 |
The scarlet macaw (Ara macao) is a large yellow, red and blue
Taxonomy
The scarlet macaw was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Psittacus macao.[3] The scarlet macaw is now placed in the genus Ara (Lacépède, 1799), one of 6 genera of Central and South American macaws.[4]
The two subspecies can be recognized by size and color detail in the feathers on the wings:[4]
- Ara macao macao (Linnaeus, 1758): South American scarlet macaw, the nominate subspecies. In the wings the medium and secondary coverts have green tips.
- A. m. cyanopterus Wiedenfeld, 1995: North Central American scarlet macaw. The Central American scarlet macaw is larger and has blue on its wings instead of green.
Genetics
In May 2013, it was announced that a team of scientists, led by Dr. Christopher M. Seabury and Dr. Ian Tizard of Texas A&M University had sequenced the complete genome of the scarlet macaw.[5][6] Based on this genome, species-specific microsatellite genetic markers were developed to aid genetic studies throughout the range of the species.[7] These genetic markers were later validated[8] on the trace amount of DNA acquired from feathers, and applied to study red-and-green macaws in a tropical landscape where DNA can degrade very quickly.[9] These markers were proven to be useful to study their population genetics[8] and identification of individuals in the landscape of the Peruvian Amazon.[10]
Description
It is about 81 centimeters (32 in) long, of which more than half is the pointed, graduated tail typical of all
There is bare white skin around the eye and from there to the bill. Tiny white feathers are contained on the face patch. The upper mandible is mostly pale horn in color and the lower is black. Juveniles have dark eyes; adults have light yellow eyes.
It is frequently confused with the slightly larger
Scarlet macaws make very loud, high and sometimes low-pitched, throaty squawks, squeaks and screams designed to carry many kilometers to call for their groups.
The scarlet macaw can live up to 75[11] or even 90[12] years in captivity, although a more typical lifespan is 40 to 50 years.[12][11]
Behavior
A typical sighting is of a single bird or a pair flying above the forest canopy, though in some areas flocks can be seen. They often gather at
Scarlet macaws communicate primarily through raucous honks; however, vocal communication is highly variable, and captive macaws are known to be adept mimics of human speech.Feeding
Wild scarlet macaws feed on fruits, nuts, seeds, flowers and nectar.[15]
They also love to eat insects and larvae. They are seen feeding heavily on bugs, snails and foliage. Snails and bugs are great source of protein, as they need additional protein during breeding seasons.
In Costa Rica's Central Pacific they have learned to feed on introduced Teak trees (
Breeding
While comparatively docile at most times of the year, scarlet macaws may be formidably aggressive during periods of breeding. Scarlet macaws are monogamous birds, with individuals remaining with one partner throughout their lives. The hen lays two or three white
Distribution and habitat
The South American
In Central America, the range extends from extreme eastern and southern Mexico and Panama through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Belize, the island of Coiba and infrequently on the mainland of Panama, and in Costa Rica in isolated regions on the Pacific Coast; the Nicoya Peninsula the Carara National Park and Peninsula de Osa.
The scarlet macaw has escaped or been deliberately released in to Florida, but there is no evidence that the population is breeding and may only persist due to continuing releases or escapes.[18] An introduced population exists in Puerto Rico.
Scarlet macaws inhabit humid lowland
.Conservation status
The habitat of scarlet macaws is also considered to have the greatest latitudinal range for any bird in the genus Ara, as the estimated maximum territorial range covers 6,700,000 km2. Nevertheless, the scarlet macaw's habitat is fragmented, and the bird is mostly confined to tiny populations scattered throughout its original range in Middle America.[19] However, as they still occur in large numbers over most of their original range in South America, the species is classified by IUCN as least concern. Its wild population is currently estimated to be between 50,000 and 499,999 individuals.[1]
Commercial international trade in the species (including parts and derivatives) is prohibited by the bird's listing under CITES Appendix 1 due to poaching for the pet trade.[20]
The northern subspecies, A. m. cyanopterus, is listed as
Aviculture
The scarlet macaw is an early example of a parrot breeding in captivity. Captive breeding occurred in Northern Mexico at Paquime (also called
Today the scarlet macaw is found worldwide in captivity, but is best represented in captivity in the Americas. Captive techniques developed from the pet trade have positively affected wild populations: in areas with low macaws populations, the "extra" babies that typically die in the nest may be reared by humans hands and released into the wild to bolster the population, as has been done by the
See also
- The Ara Project (macaw reintroduction)
- The Macaw Society
- List of macaws
- Iago (Aladdin)
References
- ^ a b c d BirdLife International (2022). "Ara macao". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T22685563A163778999. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturæ per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii. p. 96.
- ^ a b Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2017). "Parrots & cockatoos". World Bird List Version 7.3. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- PMID 23667475.
- ^ "Save the Parrots: Texas A&M Team Sequences Macaw Genome". Newswise.com. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- S2CID 255779630.
- ^ S2CID 255785768.
- S2CID 254418245.
- S2CID 254747306.
- ^ a b Scarlet Macaw Archived 2019-02-25 at the Wayback Machine at the biology website of the Lamar University (retrieved 2019-02-24)
- ^ ISBN 9780199727629, p. 129
- Tambopata-Candamo– The Wonders of Peru with Boyd Norton.
- S2CID 24056335.
- ^ "SCARLET MACAW (Ara macao)". World Parrot Trust. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- .
- ISBN 1-84309-164-X.
- ^ "Nonnatives - Scarlet Macaw". myfwc.com. Archived from the original on 2018-11-06. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
- ^ Juniper, T., and M. Parr., (1998). Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World. Yale University Press.
- UNEP-WCMC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ "Species Profile: Scarlet macaw (Ara macao ssp. cyanopterus)". ECOS. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- ^ Fish and Wildlife Service (26 February 2019). "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing the Scarlet Macaw" (PDF). Federal Register. 84 (38): 6278–6311. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- ^ Rizo (1998). Scarlet Macaw Production and Trade at Paquimé, Chihuahua (Master's thesis).
External links
- World Parrot Trust Parrot Encyclopedia — Species Profiles
- The Scarlet Macaw Genome Project
- Scarlet macaw videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Stamps[usurped] (15 countries) with RangeMap
- Ara macao conservation and reintroduction in Costa Rica