Common Name: Military Macaw Scientific Name: Ara militaris
VULNERABLE Military Macaw Distribution: Central & Northern South America Habitat: Tropical Forest Height: 70 - 71cm Weight: 972 - 1134g Diet: Herbivorous
This colourful parrot has a red forehead and a white bare skin face. The rest of the head and body are green. There is yellow on the throat and pale blue on the lower back, rump and tail. The tail is blue above and tipped with red and yellowish on the underside. The flight feathers are also yellow below. There are three sub species of military macaw found in Mexico, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. The species occupies dry evergreen forest, tropical deciduous forest and gallery woodland. During the breeding seasons they may move to different areas looking for nest sites. The species feeds on a species of palm and takes fruit and figs. The breeding season appears to range form March to July and the nest is constructed in a tree hole, old woodpecker nest or on a cliff. The female lays 2 – 3 eggs. Little is known about the rearing of chicks.