Blue and yellow macaws can be found throughout subtropical and tropical forests, woodlands, and savannas in South America from Venezuela to Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia and Paraguay. Blue-and-yellow macaws are also found in Mexico and are restricted to Panama in Central America. (Juniper, 1998)
Habitat
Blue and yellow macaws is mainly in rainforests in swampy and riparian areas. They nest high in trees to avoid predation. (Juniper, 1998)
Physical Description
Blue and yellow macaws are from 81 to 91.5 cm long, weigh from 0.9 to 1.8 kg, and have a wing span of 104 to 114 cm. They are vibrantly color, with blue on their backs and wings, yellow under parts, green forehead feathers, and green tips on the end of their wings. Their under-wing coverts and breast are yellow-orange and they have black beaks, throat, and legs. Their eyes are yellow and their facial area consists of bare white skin with several black feather lines around their eyes. (Low, 1983)
Reproduction
Blue and yellow macaws reach sexual maturity at 3 to 4 years of age. Their breeding season is during the first half of the year and they breed about every 1 to 2 years. Nests is high up in tall trees, mainly in cavities already made by other animals. Females lay 2 to 3 eggs and incubate them for 24 to 28 days, after which the young hatch blind and featherless. After 10 days the young begin to develop feathers. Within 3 months fledglings become independent.
blue-and-yellow macaw
BLUE AND GOLD MACAW INTELLIGENCE & PERSONALITY
The Blue and Gold Macaw is a popular parrot species that doesn’t just stand out thanks to its beautiful colours but also its impressive intelligence and huge personality. You’ll never be bored with one of these parrots around.
B&Gs are not only smart and capable of learning numerous tricks and commands but also endlessly playful. They can make great pets for the right owner and form strong bonds with their human flock. However, it’s important to know that parrots, especially the large species, are very high-maintenance.
Macaws’ huge intelligence comes with a strong need for constant mental stimulation. Blue and Gold Macaws are known for their chewing habit, for example. This is a natural behaviour that keeps their beaks healthy and provides enrichment, but it can lead to furniture being destroyed if not properly managed. It’s essential to provide your bird with a variety of toys and activities to satisfy its urge for destruction.
If you’d like to own a Macaw, it’s important to be aware of their powerful beaks. These parrots don’t normally use their beaks to inflict pain, but they can lash out when scared or provoked. Their bites can cause serious injury! Early socialization and proper training are highly important for these large birds.
TALKING ABILITY
Blue and Gold Macaw is renown for its impressive talking ability. These parrots are mimic masters! Although whether a parrot learns to talk or not always depends on the individual, Blue and Golds will usually quickly remember and imitate a variety of household sounds, tunes, and words. Their voices are quite clear.
With great talking ability comes a considerable noise level. If you have a Blue and Gold in your home, it’s going to make absolutely sure you never forget about its presence. These are naturally vocal birds with loud calls. After all, in the wild, they need to be able to hear their flock members even if they’re sitting a few trees over.
In a home setting, their vocal nature means these macaws are not a good fit for you if you can’t stand a lot of noise. They’re also not really suitable as apartment birds. Their screams easily traverse walls, floors, and ceilings!
FEEDING & SUPPLEMENTS
These macaws aren’t known for fussy eaters but remember that a balanced diet is crucial for their health and well-being. They require a little more fat in their daily diet than most other parrots. You can feed your bird high-quality formulated pellets for large parrots as a staple. Supplement with a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits daily.
In addition to the basics, you can enrich your Blue and Gold Macaw’s diet with high-quality mixed seeds, soaked and sprouted pulses, and whole grains. Occasional nuts, like Brazil nuts, are excellent for providing the necessary fats. Lastly, it’s beneficial to include some extra protein in your bird’s diet. You can do this by offering small portions of white meats like lean chicken or maybe some boiled egg.
Make sure your bird has access to fresh, clean water at all times. Both food and water dishes need daily washing to maintain hygiene and prevent any health issues related to spoiled food or contaminated water.
HOUSING FOR YOUR BLUE AND GOLD MACAW
Blue and Gold Macaw, space is obviously the priority. These are among the largest parrots in the world! The cage should be as large as possible to ensure ample room for your bird to move, play, and stretch its wings.
As a basic guideline, the minimum cage size should be at least 68 inches in height, 36 inches in width, and 28 inches in depth. This size allows enough space for your parrot to feel comfortable and be able to move around. Bigger is always better when it comes to parrot cages.
The placement of the cage is just as important as its size. It should be located in an area of your home where there’s frequent human activity but away from areas prone to harmful fumes (kitchen, garage) or drafts and excessive sun (hallways, in front of windows). Macaws are social creatures, so placing the cage in a high-traffic area of your house ensures your parrot feels involved. This reduces the risk of boredom and related behavioural issues like excessive vocalisation.
To cater to its natural chewing instincts and playful nature, it’s essential to equip your bird’s space with a variety of strong, durable toys for large parrots. As we’ve discussed, Blue and Gold Macaws are known for their powerful beaks and love for chewing things, so providing toys that can withstand their beak strength is a must. Rotate toys regularly to keep them fresh and exciting
Origin and History
In the wild, blue and gold macaws enjoy a wide range from Panama in Central America, extending into almost every country of northern South America. They have also been introduce in Puerto Rico.
Blue and golds typically live in the forests near rivers and swamps, though they can be found in a grassy savannah if it has tall trees. Most often traveling in pairs, macaws will gather in large flocks at certain times of the year or will meet up during the morning and evening hours to forage for food.
Wild blue and golds are an endangered species. Much of their population decline in the wild has been due to habitat destruction, hunting, and trapping. Sadly, before captive breeding programs, these young birds were quite often taken directly from the nest and sold for the pet trade. Many defensive parents died protecting their babies, and many young parrots did not survive.
Since 1935, the blue and golds have been bred successfully in the U.S. Breeders are readily available, and their prevalence makes them one of the more affordable large parrots.
Temperament
Their sociability and even, sweet disposition makes blue and gold macaws a great pet. Their intelligence, willingness to learn, and talking ability are a plus.
When allowed to socialize with a variety of people, blue and golds do very well adapting to different people and other birds. The blue and gold is a fantastic bird for tricks. They’re a popular headliner at bird shows, and many owners may even take them out around town with the help of bird leashes and car seats.
Around the house, these macaws may act like friendly dogs. They enjoy being near their owners and seek out attention. They are also content on their perch, watching the activity around them.
Speech and Vocalizations
Blue and gold macaws are capable of ear-shattering calls, which are usually not appreciate by close neighbors. They are not the best choice for those who live in apartments and condominiums or if you have small children who are startle by noise.
This bird is a great talker; it can learn quickly and aims to please. Training is relatively simple as long as you are consistent. They can learn a vocabulary of around 20 words and phrases. Given the clarity of their voice, many people consider them one of the best talking parrots.
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Blue and Gold Macaw Colors and Markings
Blue and gold macaws get their common name from their two most prominent feather colors. They typically have a green forehead, fading into a teal blue that covers the nape, back, tail, and wings. The chest and underside of the wings and belly are a bright golden yellow.
These birds have large black beaks and a black patch of feathers just underneath its beak. White patches of skin adorned with rings of tiny black feathers surround their eyes and cover much of the face.
Blue and gold macaws are monotypic, meaning there is only one bird that falls into the species. However, bird experts suggest that there are two variations or subspecies. These are the Bolivian blue and gold macaw, a larger bird with more of an actual blue coloring than the typical turquoise, and the blue-throated macaw, which has a teal blue throat instead of a black throat.
This bird is a monomorphic species, meaning males and females are barely distinguishable from each other. Many believed that the male has a flatter head, and the female has a narrower beak; the only way to prove the sex of this macaw is through surgical or genetic sexing.
Caring for a Blue and Gold Macaw
Like most macaws, the blue and gold thrives on attention from its owner and will form a strong bond with its family members. Take time to socialize these birds properly and to provide them with adequate mental stimulation; otherwise, they might resort to screaming out of boredom.
These raucous birds require a cage that is at a minimum at least 5-feet tall and at least 3- or 4-feet wide and long. The bird needs lots of room to stretch its wings, hop and climb around, and keep itself occupied.
Some owners even have a dedicated, bird-safe room. Since these birds gnaw on almost anything, remove electrical wires, jewelry, and wooden furniture.
Another consideration before you commit to getting this bird is the cost of ownership. In addition to the cost of the bird, think about the avian veterinarian bills, high-quality feed, and the accessory costs for a cage, play stand, and toys.
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Common Health Problems
Macaws may be long-live birds, but, like all parrots, they are prone to a viral infection called macaw wasting syndrome and overgrown beaks.1
Like other parrots, blue and golds may resort to self-mutilation by feather plucking if they feel neglected or bored.2
A well-balanced diet and adequate exercise are necessary to maintain pet bird health. This bird is prone to developing nutritional disorders like obesity, fatty liver disease, and fatty tumors.3
Diet and Nutrition
In the wild, most macaws, including blue-and-gold macaws, eat a variety of seeds, plant material, fruits, and nuts.
Captive blue and gold macaws should get a varied diet consisting of as many different types of fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. The bird should also get a high-quality pellet diet with some healthy seeds, such as flax, hemp, and chia. Avoid many nut treats; these are high in fat.
Each macaw, depending on its size, will eat about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of parrot mix and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of fruit and vegetables every day. You can feed it once in the morning upon waking and at dusk before it goes to sleep. Remove all uneaten food before bedtime.
Fruits that are good to feed to macaws include apples, pears, plums, cherries, grapes, oranges, bananas, mangos, papayas, and berries. Healthy vegetables include carrots, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and leafy greens. Never feed avocado, chocolate, or rhubarb; these foods are toxic to birds.4 As an occasional training treat, offer nuts like macadamias, walnuts, pecans, almonds, and hazelnuts.
Exercise
Blue and gold macaws are active birds. They love to climb, swing, bounce, and chew. Owners should provide a minimum of 2 to 3 hours of playtime outside of the cage each day so that the bird can stretch and exercise its muscles.
These birds have powerful jaw muscles. Chewing and gnawing are necessary to keep their jaws healthy and in shape.1 Durable toys are a must, as the blue and gold’s beak is known to be destructive. Provide bird-safe chewable toys made of leather and have extras on hand as they get destroy.
Exploratory toys with nooks and crannies provide mental enrichment. The bird uses its big beak to investigate items. A bird gets satisfaction upon breaking things open or pulling them apart.