Great green macaw
| Great green macaw | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Superfamily: | Psittacoidea |
| Family: | Psittacidae |
| Subfamily: | Arinae |
| Tribe: | Arini |
| Genus: | Ara |
| Species: | A. ambiguus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ara ambiguus (Bechstein, 1811) | |
| subspecies | |
|
A. a. ambiguus | |
 | |
| range indicated by red area | |
The great green macaw (Ara ambiguus), also known as Buffon's macaw or the great military macaw, is a Central and South American parrot found in Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador. Two allopatric subspecies are recognized; the nominate subspecies is found in Central America to northern Colombia, while A. a. guayaquilensis is found in western Ecuador and possibly south-western Colombia.[2]
Taxonomy
The scientific name has recently been changed to A. ara ambiguus. to bring the name in gender agreement.[3]
Description
Great green macaws are the largest parrots in their natural range, the second heaviest macaw species (although are relatively shorter tailed than other large macaws such as the red-and-green macaw and are thus somewhat shorter), and the third heaviest parrot species in the world. This species averages 85–90 cm (33–36 in) in length and 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) in weight.[4] They are mainly green and have a reddish forehead and pale blue lower back, rump and upper tail feathers. Tail is brownish red tipped with very pale blue. The bare facial skin is patterned with lines of small dark feathers, which are reddish in older and female parrots.[5]
The great green macaw appears superficially similar to, and may easily be confused with the somewhat smaller military macaw.
Status
The parrot is endangered, and has been one of the key elements in the proposal for the formation of a new National Park in Costa Rica, Maquenque National Park. Already significant parts of the bird's existing habitat is covered by Nature reserves and other conservation projects.
Aviculture
Buffon's macaw is sometimes bred in captivity, having a less nervous personality than most other macaws, but it is still very rarely seen as a pet.
See also
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2013). "Ara ambiguus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ↑ Forshaw, Joseph M.; Cooper, William T. (1981) [1973, 1978]. Parrots of the World (corrected second edition ed.). David & Charles, Newton Abbot, London. ISBN 0-7153-7698-5.
- ↑ David, N. and Gosselin, M. 2002. The grammatical gender of avian genera. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 122: 257-282.
- ↑ CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses, 2nd Edition by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (2008), ISBN 978-1-4200-6444-5.
- ↑ "Species factsheet: Ara ambiguus". BirdLife International (2008). Retrieved 24 July 2008.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ara ambiguus. |
- Ara ambiguus conservation and reintroduction in Costa Rica
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