Great green macaw (Ara ambiguus)

Description

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Great green macaw fact file

• Description
• Biology
• Range
• Habitat
• Status
• Threats
• Conservation
• Find out more
• Glossary
• References
• Print factsheet

Great green macaw description

The great green macaw is a stunning parrot with vibrant plumage. The head, back and upper wing are olive green in colour whilst the rest of the wings and tip of the tail are blue ⁽⁴⁾. There is a scarlet red patch on the tail and on the forehead, whilst the rest of the face is bare with distinctive lines of black feathers ⁽²⁾. The Ecuadorian subspecies Ara ambiguus guayaquilensis can be distinguished by its green tail feathers ⁽⁵⁾ and narrower bill ⁽⁴⁾.

Also known as

Buffon’s macaw.

Synonyms

Ara ambigua.

Spanish

Guacamayo Ambiguo.

Size

Length: 85 – 90 cm ⁽²⁾

Great green macaw biology

Family groups of 5 - 6 birds occupy small home ranges. In Ecuador breeding begins in August and the clutch of up to 3 eggs is laid in a nest in hollows of Cavanillesia plantanifolia trees ⁽²⁾. Elsewhere, nests are usually located in the hollows of mountain almond trees ⁽⁷⁾. Great green macaws feed on the large almond nuts produced by these trees and move through the forest in response to the presence of fruiting trees ⁽²⁾.

Great green macaw range

This species was previously widespread in Central and northern South America, but populations have today become severely reduced ⁽⁵⁾. Of the two subspecies, Ara ambiguus guayaquilensis is found only in a single area near to Guayaquil, Ecuador ⁽⁶⁾. Ara ambiguus ambiguus is known from a wider range running from Honduras to northwest Colombia ⁽²⁾.

Great green macaw habitat

Inhabits the forest edges of lowland tropical rainforest ⁽²⁾. Particularly associated with the mountain almond, or almendro (Dipteryx panamensis) tree which provides food and nest sites in much of this parrot’s range ⁽⁷⁾.

Great green macaw status

Classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List 2006 ⁽¹⁾, and listed on Appendix I of CITES ⁽³⁾.

Great green macaw threats

The decline in abundance of the great green macaw can be largely attributed to a loss of habitat throughout the region. Lowland forests have been converted to banana plantations and cattle ranching, thus producing habitat that is no longer suitable for this parrot ⁽²⁾. In Costa Rica, the mountain almond is logged as a valuable tropical hardwood used for flooring and truck beds; this tree provides vital food and shelter for the great green macaw and its removal has had devastating consequences to the species ⁽⁸⁾. In addition, this highly attractive parrot is under demand from the illegal pet trade and may be captured as a result ⁽²⁾. In both Ecuador and Costa Rica numbers of the great green macaw are worryingly low ⁽²⁾.

Great green macaw conservation

The great green macaw is protected by law and international trade is prohibited by its listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) ⁽³⁾. The DariBiosphere Reserve, Panama and the Los KatNational Park in Colombia protect the species’ strongholds ⁽²⁾. The Great Green Macaw Research and Conservation Project has been working in Costa Rica since 1994 to raise awareness and carry out research into this stunning species ⁽⁶⁾. This parrot is an important flagship species as it is such a habitat specialist; its protection will help to conserve other rainforest species. The proposed creation of the Maquenque National Park would protect vital remaining habitat ⁽⁶⁾ of this species. A ban on logging of the mountain almond has also been proposed ⁽²⁾.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Find out more

For more information on the great green macaw see:

• BirdLife International’s World Bird Database
  http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/search/species_search.html
• Great Green Macaw Research and Conservation Project
  http://www.cct.or.cr/en/proy_ac_lapaverde.htm
• Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund
  http://www.speciesconservation.org/projects/Great-Green-Macaw/159

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Glossary

Subspecies

A population usually restricted to a geographical area that differs from other populations of the same species, but not to the extent of being classified as a separate species.

References

1. IUCN Red List (May, 2006)
   http://www.redlist.org
2. BirdLife International (August, 2003)
   http://www.birdlife.org
3. CITES (August, 2003)
   http://www.cites.org
4. Erritzoe, J. (1993) The Birds of CITES and How to Identify Them. The Lutterworth Press, Cambridge.
5. Macaw Compendium (August, 2003)
   http://www.exoticbird.com/online_parrots/ara_ambigua.html
6. Great Green Macaw Research and Conservation Project (August, 2003)
   http://www.cct.or.cr/en/proy_ac_lapaverde.htm
7. Friends of the Great Green Macaw (August, 2003)
   http://www.greatgreenmacaw.org/
8. World Parrot Trust (August, 2003)
   http://www.worldparrottrust.org/wpt12/greatgreenmacaw.htm