Macaw
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Reference: ITIS 177653, 177659 as of 2002-07-15 | ||||||||||||
Macaws eat nuts and fruit and can destroy trees, so if kept as pets they should be provided with twigs to break. The blue-and-gold macaw has feathers which are blue on one side and yellow on the other.
Parrots are zygodactyl, like woodpeckers, having 4 toes on each foot - two front and two back.
Other varieties of Macaw include the Scarlet macaw, the Military macaw, the Yellow-collared macaw, the Severe macaw, the Green-winged macaw, and the Hahn macaw.
Pictured here is a domestically-bred blue and gold (1991) living in North Carolina USA with his host humans. Of the many different varieties, only the Blue and Gold Macaw is not endangered in the wild. The greatest problems threatening the macaw population are the rapid rate of deforestation, a low rate of reproduction, and the popularity of the colorful birds in zoos and as pets.
As they make lovable pets, here are some pointers and facts about having one:
Bonding: Macaws have a long life span - Claimed 150 years in the wild and 75 years in captivity. They will bond primarily with one person - their keeper.
Other sub-bondings also take place and most macaws that are subjected to non-aggressive behavior (aka love) will trust MOST humans and can be handled by even strangers if someone familiar is within eyeshot of the bird.
Not to be confused with the island of Macau.
