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Blue-and-yellow Macaw
Jurong BirdPark, Singapore
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae Subfamily: Psittacinae Tribe: Arini Genus: Ara Species: A. ararauna
Binomial name
Ara ararauna (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna), also known as the Blue-and-gold Macaw, is a member of the macaw group of parrots which breeds in the swampy forests of tropical South America from Panama south to Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Trinidad. It is an endangered species in Trinidad.

Blue-and-Yellow macaw stretching its wings at a Canadian aviary

It can reach 76-86 cm (29.9-33.9 inches) long and weigh 900 to 1300 g (2-3 lbs), making them one of the biggest parrots in the world. They are vivid in appearance with blue wings and tail, black chin, golden underparts and a green forehead. Their beaks are jet black and very strong for crushing nuts. The naked face is white, turning pink in excited birds, and lined with small black feathers.

There is little variation in plumage across the range. Some birds have a more orangey or "butterscotch" underside color, particularly on the breast. This was often seen in Trinidad birds and others of the Caribbean area, and appears to be due to environmental factors.

The Blue and yellow Macaw can live up to 60 years of age, and generally mate for life. They nest at the top of tree trunks and the female generally lays two eggs. The blue-and-yellow Macaw uses its powerful beak for breaking nutshells, and also for climbing up and hanging from trees.

Two Blue-and-yellow Macaw, in a bird park in Argentina near Puerto Iguazú.

Although very popular as pets because of their striking appearance and ability to talk, the price of a single bird may be in excess of (USD) $1,000-$2,000 in North America, and their large size makes domestication difficult.

They require much more effort and knowledge from owners than more traditional pets such as dogs or cats. They are intelligent and social, so for someone who can provide for their needs, they make good and loving companion animals. Blue and Yellows are known to their owners as more of a "one person" bird, and bond very closely to their owners.

Even the most well cared for Blue-and-Gold Macaw will "scream" and make other loud noises, nonetheless, it is possible to make them silent. Loud vocalizations, especially "flock calls", and destructive chewing are natural parts of their behavior and should be expected in captivity. To some extent you can redirect chewing to toys, but a macaw left alone, uncaged in a room will likely redecorate. By providing a number of toys in its cage, one can minimize the destructive chewing as the bird will focus chewing on those appropriate objects.

They require a varied diet, a seed only diet will lead to health problems such as vitamin deficiency. An example of a good diet would be a quality pelleted mix, in conjunction with a mix featuring seed, nuts, and dried fruits, with fresh vegetables (greens and roots) and fruits fed regularly; furthermore, it is quite common (and appreciated by the parrot) to partake with their human owners of safe foods like pasta, bread, etc.

It is important to avoid foods with high fat content (generally) while striving to provide a wide variety of foods. There are some foods which are toxic to birds and parrots as a group. Cherry and most other Rosaceae pits and seed, avocados, chocolate, and caffeine are among the foods toxic to parrots. Chocolate and caffeine are not metabolized by birds the same way they are in humans, Rosaceae seed contain cyanogenic glycosides and avocados contain persin which are both toxic compounds^[1].

• BirdLife International (2004). Ara ararauna. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Doane, Bonnie Munro & Qualkinbush, Thomas (1994): My parrot, my friend : an owner's guide to parrot behavior. Howell Book House, New York. ISBN 0-87605-970-1
• ffrench, Richard; O'Neill, John Patton & Eckelberry, Don R. (1991): A guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago (2nd edition). Comstock Publishing, Ithaca, N.Y.. ISBN 0-8014-9792-2
• Hilty, Steven L. (2003): Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-6418-5

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Ara ararauna

• View occurrences of Ara ararauna in the Biodiversity Heritage Library
• City Parrots
• The Parrot World Trust
• Blue-and-yellow Macaw videos on the Internet Bird Collection.
• Image on PBase