The blue Macaw (Hyacinth macaw) Fauna – Birds

The blue Hyacinth Macaw inhabits South America. Its natural habitat range includes eastern Bolivia, northern Paraguay and much of Brazil, from the Amazon, the Tapajós River to the south at the river mouth in Maranhão to the region south of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. Notwithstanding, this variety has not being seen in the whole area. Their numbers were severely reduced due to indiscriminate hunting to supply the pet market trade. It is estimated that in the early 1980 ‘s, about 10,000 Blue Macaw’s were caught disappearing entirely in Paraguay. Today, at the end of 2002, we are seeing an increase in quantity thanks to the work of the Brazilian wildlife preservation team. However, it’s still considered as a seriously threatened specie. According to McGrath (2002) is estimated that a total Blue Macaw population out in nature is approximately 6,500, which is very successful, since according to Sick (1993), in 1988 the quantity estimated was to exceed 2,500. We are unsure if they have returned to their usual living area in Paraguay, nor we know about their population in Bolivia either. The Blue Macaws lives in the jungles, in the vegetation openings where palms exist. You will also see them in the gallery forests (forests that grow on the riverbanks), in the forest which is not very humid, and groves of the plains like the wetlands (pantanal) of Brazil. Usually they stay in pairs or small groups. These groups which a decade ago did not approximate ten, now they are counting up to 2 dozen pairs. They have being documented from a elevation of 800 meters above sea level. They place their nest in hollow trees, palms and cracks in the rocks, and accepts nest boxes placed in the trees for preservation. They usually lay two eggs but it could be from one to three. Incubation takes about 30 days. The young chicks leave the nest within two/three months of birth, but remain with parents for another six months, learning how to survive. Once they get independent from parents, there are groups of the same specie with which they integrate. This birds become adults at age seven. Once a pair is formed the bond is for life. The estimated longevity when living in the wild is about 50 years. Their nutrition is based on large seeds complemented with fruits. This is the largest specie in the Psittaciformes variety (parrots and their relatives). Its length is between 93 cm and one meter. It weighs up to 1.5 kg. Both genders are similar, in fact, identical. To determine the gender, because apparently macaws have their own system which works better, will be necessary to do blood tests. Although according to McGrath (2002) in their nature habitat, after incubation period, the females shows their tail feathers somehow bent, due to time spent in the nest. Otherwise, the blood test is the only way we know for sure. The Blue macaw live in the Guaraní region