Sunday, January 4, 2015

Creature Feature #442: Macaw

The Macaw are large brightly coloured parrots from South America. Many species, like this Scarlet Macaw, inhabit the rainforests, but other species (like the Spix Macaw) favour dry forest. They are characterised by their long tails and bare faces. The facial feather pattern is as unique as a fingerprint. His diet is vegetarian, including nuts and seeds. These he cracks open with his powerful bill. He also frequently visits clay licks, breaking off chunks of clay. This is thought to add sodium to his diet. Many species are kept as pets, and wild populations are threatened by poaching and deforestation.

I intend to do more on the Spix Macaw, one of my favourites (Blu!) at a later date.

The Scarlet Macaw is classified as "Least Concern".

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