Home Directions News & Events Animals A-Z
 

AMPHIBIANS:
Pac Man Frog

BIRDS:
Chickens
Cockatoo, Sulfer Crested
Chinese Geese
Ducks
Helmeted Guinea Fowl
Macaw, Blue & Yellow
Miniature Macaw
Parrot, Amazon

MAMMALS:
Black Bear
Bobcat
Capuchin, Black & White
Coati Mundis
Cougar
Deer, Fallow
Ferrets
Goat (Pygmy)
Hedgehog
Lemur, Ringtailed
Leopard, black
Liger
Lion (African)
Lion (Barbary)
Macaque, Java
Macaque, Snow
Marmoset
Pig
Sheep
Tiger (Bengal)
Tiger (Siberian)
Vervet
Wolves
Zebra

REPTILES:
Alligator
Anaconda
Bearded Dragon
Boa, Columbian
California King Snake
Corn Snake
Iguana
Lizard, African Plated
Python, Burmese
Python, Reticulated
Python, Royal
Skink, Blue Tongue
Tortoise, Spurred

Field Trips ZooMobile Volunteer! Kids Camp F.A.Q.
Blue & Yellow
Macaw
DESCRIPTION:
Upper parts blue, darker on flight feathers and tail; forehead green-blue; underparts from side of neck are yellow but under-tail coverts are dull turquoise; black throat border to white facial skin; legs are grey-horn color; bill is black; eyes are yellowish-white; feet are black. The white facial skin patches may blush to pink when excited. About 25 inches long.

GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:
Panama and South America to northern Argentina. Inhabits forests and tall palms growing in swamps or along water courses.

DIET:

Seeds, fruits, nuts and probably vegetable matter.


LIFE CYCLE/SOCIAL STRUCTURE:
Associate in pairs even within large flocks. Fly close together, wings almost touching. Generally seen flying above the forest canopy or feeding among branches of tall trees. Have regular roosting sites. In early morning, flocks leave to fly to feeding grounds (may be some distance away). Return flights commence just before sunset. Numbers in evening flights run into the hundreds. Breeds late spring. Nests in holes of dead trees. 2 to 4 white eggs are incubated by the female for 24-26 days. The young remain in the nest for about 13 weeks, at which time they resemble adults with shorter tails. Life span is 33 years.


SPECIAL ADAPTATIONS:

Flight is direct with slow shallow wingbeats. They are quite fast for such a large bird.


STATUS IN WILD:

Illegal traffic in live birds has put the species in imminent danger of extinction. Only in the extensive lowland swamps are they numerous.


Special thanks to the Oakland Zoo website where most of this data was obtained.  Please visit them at http://www.oaklandzoo.org