Blue Throat Macaw

A Closer Look at Blue Throat Macaw: Gallery & Guide

Overview of Blue Throat Macaw

The blue -throated macaw (Ara glaucogularis), also known as the Caninde macaw or Wagler's macaw , [3] is a macaw endemic to a small area of north-central Bolivia, known as Los Llanos de Moxos.

The Blue -throated Macaw is a striking mix of vivid turquoise- blue above and bold golden-yellow below. At the base of its large, dark bill are pale facial patches crossed by five or six thin horizontal lines of blue feathers, which form a pattern unique to each individual and can be used to identify individual adults.

Key Details About Blue Throat Macaw

The blue -throated macaw was previously considered an aberrant form of the blueand- yellow macaw (A. ararauna), but these two species are known to occur sympatrically (in the same location) without interbreeding (Kyle 2007a; del Hoyo et al. 1997). Common names in Spanish for the blue -throated macaw include guacamayo barba azul and guacamayo caninde.

Illustration of Blue Throat Macaw
Blue Throat Macaw

Physical Description Blue -throated macaws have very vivid coloration. They have bright turquoise- blue feathers covering their throat , crown, back and the dorsal side of their wings and tail. Golden-yellow feathers grow in a stripe between the blue crown and throat on the side of the face and on the ventral side of their body, wings and tail. On the face there is a sparsely feathered patch of ...

Useful Notes on Blue Throat Macaw

Blue -throated Macaws live only in one very specific, and relatively inaccessible, ecoregion - the Beni Savanna in north-central Bolivia. The Beni is an expansive tropical grassland dotted with palm-dominated "forest islands"and characterized by seasonal patterns of flooding and a severe dry season.

Overview of Blue Throat Macaw

Blue Throat Macaw photo
Blue Throat Macaw

Large macaw endemic to flooded grasslands of El Beni, Bolivia (Llanos de Moxos). Breeds in cavities in tall palms, and threatened by habitat loss. Most of the population is highly localized into a few breeding and foraging localities where grassland is less impacted by grazing. From sympatric (and much more common) Blue -and-yellow Macaw by blue throat and more extensive feathering on face.

Blue -throated macaws have a bright yellow breast, blue wings and a distinctive blue collar. The Houston Zoo is one of a few zoos in the U.S. that breed these critically endangered birds, and we are working with our colleagues in South America to protect them in the wild.

What is the blue -throated macaw ? Brilliantly colored plumage makes the blue -throated macaw , a member of the parrot family and one of at least 17 macaw species, hard to miss.

The Blue -throated macaw is part of the genus Ara, which is a collective term for large, long-tailed parrots known as macaws . This genus includes 8 extant species and a few extinct species. The Ara genus is one of six genera of Central and South American macaws in the tribe Arini, which also includes other long-tailed New World parrots.

Visual Collection