Red-shouldered Macaw

The Red-shouldered Macaw (Diopsittaca nobilis) is the smallest macaw being 30–35 centimetres (12–14 inches) in length. It is a parrot native to the tropical lowlands, savannah, and swamplands^[2] of Venezuela, the Guianas, Bolivia, Brazil, and far south-eastern Peru. It has two distinct subspecies, the Noble Macaw and the Hahn's Macaw, and a possible poorly distinct third subspecies that has longer wings, but is otherwise similar to the Noble Macaw. Red-shouldered Macaws are frequently bred in captivity for the pet trade, where they are sometimes described as mini-macaws.

Red-shouldered Macaws are not considered to be an endangered species, but wild populations have declined locally due to habitat loss. As with most parrots, they are listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species, which makes the trade and export of wild caught birds illegal.

Taxonomy

The Red-shouldered Macaw comprise two distinct subspecies, D. n. nobilis (Hahn's Macaw) and D. n. cumanensis (Noble Macaw), and some parrots with longer wings might represent a poorly differentiated subspecies, D. n. longipennis, which intergrades with D. n. cumanensis in central Goiás, Brazil.^[3] Previously the Red-shouldered Macaw was included in the genus Ara with the other macaws.

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.^[4]

Speech

Their natural vocalizations are more akin to screeches than they are to whistles.

References

Cited texts

• Forshaw, Joseph M. (2006). Parrots of the World; an Identification Guide. Illustrated by Frank Knight. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691092516. 

External links

• AvianWeb - Macaw conservation status
• Explanation of CITES bird regulations
• BirdLife International (2009). "Diopsittaca nobilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.3. International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/142591/0. Retrieved 16 September 2010.