Great Green Macaw

Overview

The great green macaw, also known as Buffon's macaw, is a critically endangered Central and South American parrot belonging to the genus Ara. It is the largest parrot in its natural range and the third heaviest in the world, averaging 85–90 cm in length.

Identification

• Mainly green plumage with a reddish forehead and pale blue lower back, rump, and upper tail feathers.
• Large size, averaging 85–90 cm in length and 1.3 kg in weight.
• A powerful beak particularly suited for breaking open large nuts.
• Juveniles have grey eyes and shorter, yellow-tipped tails, distinguishing them from adults with black eyes.

Habitat

Found in tropical forests in the Atlantic wet lowlands of Central America and the Pacific coastal lowlands of South America, including deciduous dry tropical forests in some areas. In Costa Rica, the species is closely associated with the almendro tree (Dipteryx oleifera) and typically lives below 600 m during breeding, though it disperses to higher elevations afterwards.

Diet

Feeds on a wide variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, flowers, roots, and bark, with the almendro tree being a major source of nutrition during the breeding season. The species possesses a beak capable of cracking open larger nuts than the sympatric scarlet macaw, and it may migrate long distances to follow the asynchronous ripening of fruit.

Did you know?

The male bird produces semen with a low sperm concentration that is only available during the breeding season, a physiological constraint that likely aids in synchronising mating efforts within the pair bond.