Blue and gold macaw
Blue and gold macaw are social birds that live in large flocks. Each morning they travel from their nesting sites to feeding areas throughout the forest and return before dusk. They are extremely vocal and make a wide variety of noises, including squawks and screams. Their flight is direct and slow with shallow wing beats. Macaws have large, hooked beaks for cracking open nutshells and outer fruit peels. They are able to exert roughly 250 pounds of pressure with their beak.
Behavior
Blue and gold macaw are social birds that live in large flocks. Each morning they travel from their nesting sites to feeding areas throughout the forest and return before dusk. They are extremely vocal and make a wide variety of noises, including squawks and screams. Their flight is direct and slow with shallow wing beats. Macaws have large, hooked beaks for cracking open nutshells and outer fruit peels. They are able to exert roughly 250 pounds of pressure with their beak.
Reproduction and Breeding
Breeding behavior usually begins in November and December and continues through June depending on the birds’ geographical location. Although blue and gold macaws have strong pair bonds and are monogamous, they may re-pair throughout their lives. Pairs make their nest in a hollow of a tree and line it with bark, twigs and moss. The opening to the nest is often quite small, causing the female to squeeze into the nest to lay and incubate the eggs. The female incubates the eggs alone and is fed by her mate. The altricial (helpless) young are fed through regurgitation by both parents until they are able to leave the nest. The fledglings leave the nest after a few months and begin to closely resemble adult birds at six months of age.
Conservation
Blue and gold macaw are still fairly common in many areas of their range. Their wild populations have declined due to habitat destruction and the pet trade, yet they are quite common in captivity. With the increase of captive breeding programs, fewer of these birds are being taken from the wild. Their feathers are still valued for use in souvenir artifacts, thus continuing the pressure on this species.