Spix's Macaw

The Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is the only member of the parrot genus Cyanopsitta. They are critically endangered, possibly extinct in the wild (IUCN 3.1)[1] The species is conserved through several breeding programs. It was found in Brazil, in parts of the Brazilian state of Bahia. It has a very restricted natural habitat due to its dependence on the Caraibeira (Tabebuia aurea) tree for nesting.

Spix's Macaw is 55–57 cm (21.5–23.5 in) long. It is various shades of blue, including a pale blue head, pale blue underparts, and vivid blue upperparts, wings and tail.[2] The underside of the wings and tail are black. They have a bare area of grey/black facial skin which sometimes fades to white when they are juveniles. Beak is entirely black except in juveniles which have a white stripe down the center of the beak. The white beak stripe and facial skin of juveniles disappears after 1–2 years. The birds' feet are light grey as juveniles, then become dark grey, and are almost black when adults. The eyes are dark as juveniles but fade to white as the birds mature.[3] Its voice is a repeated short grating. Also makes squawking noises.

The Spix's Macaw is named after the German naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix, who discovered the species in 1817.[4] The decline of the species is attributed to hunting and trapping of the birds, destruction of its habitat, and the introduction of the Africanized bee, which competes for nesting sites and kills breeding individuals at their nests. The last three birds were captured for trade in 1987 and 1988. A single male, paired with a female Blue-winged Macaw, was discovered at the site in 1990. A female Spix's Macaw released from captivity at the site in 1995 disappeared after seven weeks. The last wild male died at the site in October 2000.[2] The species probably became extinct in the wild around 2000, when the last known wild bird died.[2] No sightings of this macaw have been made in the wild since 2000, but part of the range has not been surveyed, so it can not be presumed to be extinct in the wild.[1]

Glaucous Macaw

The Glaucous Macaw, Anodorhynchus glaucus, is a large South American parrot. This macaw is critically endangered or possibly extinct. It is closely related to the Lear's Macaw A. leari and the Hyacinth Macaw A. hyacinthinus. In Guaraní, it was called guaa-obi after its vocalizations.

The Glaucous Macaw is 70 centimetres (28 in) long. It is mostly pale turquoise-blue with a large greyish head. The term glaucous describes its colouration. It has a long tail and a large bill. It has a yellow, bare eye-ring and half-moon-shaped lappets bordering the mandible.

This bird is resident in north Argentina, south Paraguay, north-east Uruguay and Brazil. It became rare during the 19th century due to trapping and loss of habitat, and only two acceptable records of wild birds were received in the 20th century. Expeditions by ornithologists to southwestern Paraguay during the 1990s failed to turn up any evidence that the bird was still in existence. Furthermore, only the oldest residents of the region had knowledge of the macaw, with the last sighting considered reliable occurring in 1960[citation needed]. It is most probably that the bird's disappearance is linked to the wholesale felling of the yatay palm (Butia yatay), which nuts appear to have constituted its main food. However, suitable habitat seems to remain in El Palmar National Park in the Argentine province of Entre Ríos, and persistent rumors of the bird's existence necessitate further surveys.

Lears Macaws

Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Anodorhynchus
Species: A. leari
Binomial name
Anodorhynchus leari
Bonaparte, 1856
Range is shown in green

The Lear's Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari), also known as the Indigo Macaw, is a rare Brazilian parrot with a highly restricted range. It is metallic blue with a faint, often barely visible, tinge of green, and a yellow patch of skin at the base of the heavy, black bill. It weighs around 950 g (2 pounds) and is 75 cm (30 inches) long. It was named after the poet, author, and artist, Edward Lear, who published many drawings and paintings of live parrots in zoos and collections. One of his paintings in his book Illustrations of the Family of the Psittacidae, or Parrots strongly resemble this species, although at the time it was believed to be a Hyacinth Macaw — a species which is larger, darker, and has a differently shaped patch of yellow skin adjacent to the base of the bill.

The Lear's Macaw is 70–75 cm (27.5–30 in.) long. The body, tail, and wings are dark blue and the head is a slightly paler shade. It has an area of bare pale-yellow skin adjacent to the base of its beak, and orange-yellow eyerings. It has a large blackish beak and dark grey feet. The general appearance of the Lear's Macaw is similar to the larger Hyacinth macaw and the smaller Glaucous Macaw.

The Lear's Macaw lives in stands of Licuri palm, the nuts of which form a prominent part of its diet. This habitat, while never plentiful, is currently estimated to be around 1.6% of its original cover. The Lear's Macaw also requires a sandstone cliff in which to nest. In order to nest there they apply their saliva to the sandstone which softens it, then excavate small crevasses using their beaks and scrape the dust out of their soon-to-be nests with their feet.


Lear's Macaws adapt to their environment in interesting ways. For example, when a group of macaws are searching for food or a new nesting ground, a small advance party of males will "scout out" the approaching terrain for the safety of the rest of the group. In addition, when danger is found on these hunts for new territory the macaws will let out their signature call which can be heard for miles. The macaw can reach flight speeds of up to 35 miles per hour to escape predators or poachers.


The Lear's Macaw’s rate of reproduction is 1–2 eggs per year during their mating season from December to May. However, not all pairs of birds mate often or at all. Lear's Macaws reach sexual maturity at around 2–4 years of age, but its life span can be anywhere from 30–50 years or more.

more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lear%27s_Macaw

Hyacinth Macaws

Native to central and eastern South America, the Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), or Hyacinthine Macaw, is the largest macaw and the largest flying parrot species in the world, though the flightless Kakapo of New Zealand can outweigh it at up to 3.5 kg. In terms of length it is larger than any other species of parrot. While generally easily recognized, it can be confused with the far rarer and smaller Lear's Macaw. Their popularity as pets has taken a heavy toll on their population in the wild.

The Hyacinth Macaw is 100 cm (39 in) long and 1.5–2 kg (3.3-4.4 lb) in weight. The wingspan is 120–140 cm (48–56 in). It is almost entirely blue and has black under the wings. It has a large black beak with bright yellow along the sides of the lower part of the beak and also yellow circling its eyes.[1] The female and male are nearly indistinguishable, although the female is typically a bit more slender.

These birds nest in existing holes in trees. The clutch size is one or two eggs, although usually only one fledgling survives as the second egg hatches several days after the first, and the smaller fledgling cannot compete with the first born for food. Juveniles stay with their parents until they are three months old. They are mature and begin breeding at seven years of age. Eggs are regularly predated by corvids, possums, coatis and (most prolifically) toucans.[2] Adults have no known natural predators.


The Hyacinth Macaw survives today in three main populations in South America: In the Pantanal region of Brazil, and adjacent eastern Bolivia and northeastern Paraguay, in the Cerrado region of the eastern interior of Brazil (Maranhão, Piauí, Bahia, Tocantins, Goiás, Mato Grosso and Minas Gerais), and in the relatively open areas associated with the Tocantins River, Xingu River, Tapajós River, and the Marajó island in the eastern Amazon Basin of Brazil. It is possible that smaller, fragmented populations occur in other areas. It prefers palm swamps, woodlands, and other semi-open wooded habitats. It usually avoids dense humid forest, and in regions dominated by such habitats, it is generally restricted to the edge or relatively open sections (e.g. along major rivers).

The Hyacinth Macaw is an endangered species due to overcollection for the cage bird trade and habitat loss. Annual grass fires set by farmers can destroy nest trees, and regions previously inhabited by this macaw are now unsuitable due to cattle-ranching, hydroelectric power schemes, agriculture and plantations. Locally, it has been hunted for food, and the Kayapo Indians of Gorotire in south-central Brazil use its feathers to make headdresses and other baubles. While overall greatly reduced in numbers, it remains locally common in the Brazilian Pantanal, where a specific program, the Hyacinth Macaw Project, among others involving artificial nests and awareness campaigns, has been initiated by several ecolodges, and many ranch-owners now protect the macaws on their land.


The Minnesota Zoo with BioBrasil [4] and World Wildlife Fund[5] are involved in Hyacinth Macaw conservation.