Red-shouldered Macaw

The Red-shouldered Macaw, is representative of two distinct subspecies: Noble Macaw or Hahn's Macaw. Both are a small parrot native to the tropical lowlands, savannah and swamplands of Venezuela, the Guianas, Bolivia, Brazil, and far south-eastern Peru. It is the smallest macaw. These birds range from 30 to 35 centimetres (12 to 14 inches) in length, and have good speech mimicry. They are frequently bred in captivity for the commercial pet trade. They are not considered to be an endangered species, but wild populations have declined locally due to habitat loss. As most parrots, they are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species, which makes the trade and export of wild caught birds illegal. This status greatly limits the ability to capture or sell wild birds.

Description

The Red-shouldered Macaw, at 30 cm (12 in) long, is the smallest of all the macaws. Like all macaws, it has a long narrow tail and a large head. It has bright green feathers on the body, with dark or slate blue feathers on the head just above the beak. The wings and tail have feathers that are bright green above and olive-green below. The leading edges of the wings, especially on the underside, are red. (These red feathers appear at puberty.) Their eyes are orange, and the skin around the eyes is white without feathers, just as in the larger macaws. This bare patch of facial skin is smaller in proportion to the head than the one seen in most larger macaws. The Hahn's Macaw and Noble Macaw can be distinguished by the Hahn's having a black upper mandible and the Noble having a lighter, horn-colored upper mandible.

Breeding

The Red-shouldered Macaw nests in a hole in a tree. There are usually three or four white eggs in a clutch. The female incubates the eggs for about 24 to 26 days, and the chicks fledge from the nest about 54 days after hatching.

Speech

The Red-shouldered Macaw mimic speech as well as the large macaws: clearly enough to easily understand, but not quite as human-like as an African Grey or a Yellow-headed Amazon. Their natural vocalizations are more akin to screeches than they are to whistles.

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