Lear's Macaw
A species of Blue Macaws Scientific name : Anodorhynchus leari Genus : Blue Macaws
Lear's Macaw, A species of Blue Macaws
Botanical name: Anodorhynchus leari
Genus: Blue Macaws
Content
Description General Info
Description
Lear's macaw is 70–75 cm (27.5–29.5 in) long and weighs around 950 g (2.09 lb). The body, tail, and wings are dark blue and the head is a slightly paler shade. It has an area of pale-yellow skin adjacent to the base of its beak, and orange-yellow eye rings. It has a large, blackish beak and dark grey feet. Lear's macaw is similar to the larger hyacinth macaw and the slightly smaller glaucous macaw. The hyacinth macaw can be distinguished by its darker plumage, lack of greenish tinge, and a differently shaped patch of yellow skin adjacent to the base of the bill. The glaucous macaw is paler and has a more greyish head.
Size
75 cm
Life Expectancy
60 years
Nest Placement
Cliff
Feeding Habits
Lear's Macaw primarily feeds on up to 350 licuri palm nuts daily, but also eats Melanoxylon, Atropha pohliana, Dioclea, Spondias tuberosa, Zea mays, Schinopsis brasiliensis, and Agave flowers. These birds exhibit specialized feeding behaviors to access and consume these foods.
Habitat
The habitat of lear's Macaw primarily consists of semi-arid caatinga thornscrub vegetation, characterized by the presence of licurí palm clusters, which are critical to this bird’s diet. These areas often adjoin expansive pastures. Key to the species' nesting and roosting behaviors are the nearby sandstone cliffs, which provide essential shelter and breeding sites for lear's Macaw.
Dite type
Granivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Behavior
When a group of macaws is searching for food or a new nesting ground, a small advance party of males "scouts out" the approaching terrain. In addition, when danger is found on these hunts for new territory, the macaws let out their signature call which can be heard for miles. The macaw can reach flight speeds up to 35 miles per hour to escape predators or poachers.
Distribution Area
For over a century after it had been described, the whereabouts of the wild population was unknown. It was eventually rediscovered in 1978 by ornithologist Helmut Sick in Bahia in the interior northeast of Brazil. Some thought the bird was a hybrid or variant involving the similar hyacinth macaw, but this idea was soon abandoned, as plumage, size, and proportions of Lear's macaw differ from those of its close relatives. It is known from two colonies at Toca Velha and Serra Branca, south of the Raso da Catarina plateau in northeast Bahia. In 1995, a roosting site holding 22 birds was located at Sento Sé/Campo Formoso, 200 km (120 mi) to the west. Lear's macaw inhabits stands of licuri palm. This habitat, while never plentiful, is currently estimated to be around 1.6% of its original cover. Cattle that live near its nesting grounds often stand on the roots of young licuri palms, killing them, so causing a large loss of food for these birds. In fact, though the lifespan of these palms can be 30–150 years, most trees do not make it over 8–10 years. Lear's macaw also requires a sandstone cliff in which to nest. To nest there, they apply their saliva to the sandstone which softens it, then excavate small crevasses using their beaks and scrape the dust out of their soon-to-be nests with their feet.
Species Status
In 1983, the global population was estimated to number just 60 birds. Population in 2010 was estimated as between 1100 and 1200 individuals. It is currently listed as an endangered species (CITES I). As well as habitat loss, Lear's macaw has historically suffered from hunting and more recently trapping for the aviary trade. Various conservation organizations under ICMBio, along with local ranchers and other independent organizations, are working to help conserve the species. Fundação Biodiversitas created the Canudos Biological Station in 1993 to protect the sandstone cliffs used by the macaws to nest. Current Lear's macaw conservation projects are managed under the authority of Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources. The Committee for the Conservation and Management of the Lear's Macaw advises the institute on the conservation of Lear's macaw. The committee includes Brazilian and international organizations and individuals. In 2009, the conservation status of the species was downgraded to endangered from critically endangered by the IUCN. This was prompted by an increase in the population, which based on annual 2009 counts at the Toca Velha and Serra Branca roosting sites is estimated to be 1000 individuals.