Hyacinth Macaw aka Lear's Macaw

[Pado]

GOOD DAY FOR PARROTS !!!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A spectacular Brazilian blue parrot, the Lear's Macaw, has come back from the brink of extinction with more than 750 birds in the wild counted in a recent survey, wildlife conservationists said on Wednesday.

That is more than 10 times the number reported in the wild in the late 1980s, according to the American Bird Conservancy, which attributed the creature's comeback to protection of its natural habitat in the state of Bahia in northeastern Brazil.

The macaw has brilliant blue feathers with yellow patches around its beak and eyes. It nests on sandstone cliffs and feeds primarily on licuri palm nuts, the conservancy said in a statement.

Conservationists counted the number of macaws in June as the birds flew from the canyons where they roost to the feeding grounds. They found 751 Lear's Macaws. The global population of this species was just 70 birds in 1987; in 2003 it was 455, and until the June count, the estimated population was 600.

The species is currently threatened by hunting and the illegal pet trade, the conservation group said.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s115/Pado_photo/Pics/0.jpg

[Plato&Mya]

Oh, what an awesome picture and article! thanks for sharing!:D

[ArtS]

Great news!

Its my favorite parrot!

Art S.

[Morena]

That's great news. It's always nice to hear good news about come backs in the wild. The Lear's Macaw is absolutely beautiful!!

Morena

[Pado]

where did you find that article?

meghanxx4 - From the Washington/Reuters - I love a good comeback story :)
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN1832530120070718?feedType=RSS&rpc=22&sp=true

[ArtS]

What's the difference between Lear's and Hyacinth macaws.

Regards,

Art S.

[Pado]

What's the difference between Lear's and Hyacinth macaws.

Regards,

Art S.

I believe they are a related species of MaCaw - kind of like the Pacific Parrotlet and the Green Rump would be.

Here I found this:There are six genera of macaws and the Hyacinth is one of three species of the genus Anodorhynchus. One of the other two species of this genus is thought to be extinct (A. glaucus, the Glaucus Macaw) and the other (A. leari, called either the Lear's or Indigo Macaw) is severely threatened.

http://www.hyacinthmacaw.org/hyacinthmacaw.htm

[ArtS]

Meghan,

From what I read, on the net they seem to be related species but not the same. In fact, for a long time it wasn't clear that they were different species until Mr. Lear made the distinction. However, I haven't been able to find anything explaining the differences.

Regards,

Art S.

[Pado]

The Hyacinth Macaw is the largest of the "Blue Macaws" - they are a deep cobalt blue. The Lear's is a smaller bird and has a grayer blue color to it and a broader yellow patch of skin both around the eye and at the base of the beak

There is an effort by BioBrasil to save the species as a whole.

http://www.mnzoo.com/animals/bird_show/hmacaw_1.asp

http://www.mnzoo.com/conservation/international/cat/lears.asp

[Pado]

I found a picture of a Hyacinth and a Lear's Macaw together -

The Hyacinth is the larger of the two:

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s115/Pado_photo/Blue%20Macaws/blueMacaws.jpg

[ArtS]

Thanks Pado!

[Pado]

Because of this thread I'm fascinated with these birds now and what I'm reading about them :p -
I had to post this picture - they look totally cartoon like but its a real picture of two wild Hyacinth Macaws in flight :D :D

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s115/Pado_photo/Blue%20Macaws/blue244.jpg

[ArtS]

Pado,

If you get really interested, my vet breeds Hyacinth Macaws!

Regards,

Art S.

[Pado]

Humm, as gorgeous as they are I don't think I want to mortgage my house for one :D :D

[memmey]

AND they can chew the corner of your kitchen counter off if you don't occupy them. They smell like cotton candy to me. I used to have the smallest one of the Macaw's, her name was Tootie Marie, she was a Noble Macaw.

[Pado]

AND they can chew the corner of your kitchen counter off


Sounds like a statement made from experience? Did Tootie Marie do that? :eek:

The cotton candy part sounds like a plus :D yumm

[memmey]

Nah, she was small about the size of a conure but a friend had a big one and oh my!.......they need WOOD....LOL