Lear's Macaw aka Lears Macaw, Blue Macaw, Indigo Macaw (Lear's)
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The Lear's Macaw, Anodorhynchus leari, (also more commonly known as the Indigo Macaw) is a Brazilian parrot with a highly restricted range.
Description:
The Lear's Macaw plumage is metallic blue tinged with green. There is a distinctive yellow patch of skin by the bill. It weighs around 950 g (2 pounds) and is 75 cm (30 inches) long.
History
For over a century after its being described, the whereabouts of the wild population was unknown. It was eventually discovered in 1978 in the interior northeast of Brazil, in the country's Bahia state. Originally, the bird was thought to be some sort of hybrid derived from the very similar Hyacinth macaw. However, this idea was soon abandoned, as the Lear's Macaw has plumage that differs slightly from that of its close relatives. The macaw was actually first seen by humans in 1950 in a Brazilian zoo, but was not classified as its own species until 1978, as stated above.
Habitat
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, softening it, and then hilariously excavate small crevasses by using their beaks and shooting the dust out of their soon-to-be nests with their feet.
Conservation
The population of the Lear's Macaw, as of 1994, was 140 birds. As reported by the American Bird Conservancy and Fundação Biodiversitas, the population of the Lear's Macaw rose to 751 birds as of July 2007. [2] It was previously listed as Critically Endangered (CITES I). But it has recently been downgraded to "Endangered" as this species has been steadily increasing in numbers owing to intensive conservation action, and although a significant proportion of the population have not reached breeding maturity, the number of mature individuals is now considered to have exceeded 250 for over five years. Some of this apparent increase may be due to improved survey methods but a genuine increase has also taken place; nevertheless continued conservation measures and repeatable monitoring remain a high priority for this species.
As well as habitat loss, the Lear's Macaw has also historically suffered from hunting and, more recently, trapping for the aviary trade. In addition, the wild cows that live near its nesting grounds often stand on the roots of the licuri palms that they eat, causing a large loss of food for these majestic birds. In fact, though the average life span of these trees can be 30-50 years for healthy adult trees, most baby palms barely make it over 8-10 years. Many organizations, such as Fundacao Biodiversitas, BioBrazil, Parrots International, and the Lymington Foundation, along with local ranchers and other independent organizations, are working to help conserve the species. Biodiversitas created the Canudos Biological Station, in 1993, to protect the sandstone cliffs used by the macaws.
All present Lear's Macaw conservation projects are managed under the authority of IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Renewable Resources). The Committee For The Conservation And Management Of The Lear's Macaw advises IBAMA on the conservation of the Lear's Macaw. Participation in the Committee is by invitation by IBAMA and includes Brazilian and international organizations and individuals.
From the American Bird Conservancy 18 July 2007 Press Release: "The count of the Lear’s Macaw population was undertaken by Fundação Biodiversitas staff in June 2007 at the Canudos Biological Station in Brazil, a reserve supported by ABC. A total of 751 individuals were counted as they flew out of the canyons where they roost and nest to their licuri palm feeding areas.
The global population in 1987 was just 70 birds The global population was estimated at 246 birds in 2001, 400-500 in 2004, 630 in 2006 and 960 in 2008.
Behavior
Lear's Macaw has interesting ways that they adapt to their environment in which they live. 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. Then, to escape, the macaw can reach flight speeds of up to 35 miles per hour to escape predators or poachers.
Reproduction
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.
Miscellaneous
This macaw is named after the poet Edward Lear, who, in his Illustrations of the Family of the Psittacidæ, or Parrots, whilst spending some time in Brazil painting the birds, he mistakenly painted this species, unrecognized until much later, believing it to be a Hyacinth Macaw. He also spent a large amount of time writing poems on them.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). Anodorhynchus leari. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 10 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is critically endangered
- Lear’s Macaw Making a Remarkable Comeback in Protected Reserve Surfbirds website, 22 July 2007
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.org. Additional information added by Avianweb.
Training and Behavioral Guidance:
- Pet parrots generally present challenges, such as excessive chewing - especially at certain stages in their life. They do discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage" and they can generally be somewhat naughty, and it really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. Undisciplined parrots will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires. They regard anything in your home as a "toy" that can be explored and chewed on; destroying items that you may hold dear or are simply valuable. Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation.
- Web Resources: I put together web resources for you to help you understand your pet bird and properly direct him. Please visit this website for valuable tips on parrot behavior and training.
- If you are, as I am, a visual learner and prefer step-by-step instructions to train your pet, I recommend:
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
- Stop Biting
- Perform Tricks &
- Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
- and/or try the "Teach Your Parrot to Talk" Training Course.
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
Please visit the following websites for further information:
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Genus: Scientific: Anodorhynchus ... English: Blue Macaws ... Dutch: Blauwe Aras ... German: Blauaras ... French: Aras bleu ... Species: Scientific: Anodorhynchus leari aka Anodorhynchus glaucus leari ... English: Lear's Macaw, Indigo Macaw ... Dutch: Lears Ara ... German: Lear Ara ... French: Ara Lear
CITES I - Protected Species
Distribution: North-western Bahia, Northern Brazil
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots ... Historical Documents and Naturalists' Travel Accounts ... Lear's Macaw in the Wild
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