Military Macaw - The three subspecies of the Military Macaw are distinguished geographically. The ‘Ara militaris militaris’ are often found in areas of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. The ‘Ara militaris mexicana’ occupy areas in Mexico and the ‘Ara militaris boliviana’ live in Bolivia and Argentina.
According to the IUCN Red List, there is thought to be between 10,000 and 20,000 individuals across its range, though the website acknowledges other lower estimates of less than 10,000. The home range of Military macaws is large, due to the fact that they will fly miles from their roost to forage for food.
Military Macaw
If you are interested in having a macaw as a pet, do extensive research before deciding. They are long-lived birds, and may outlive many humans. They require lots of stimulation, enrichment, and attention. If you are determined in getting a macaw or other parrot, please consider getting a rescued bird as opposed to a young/baby one to avoid the risk of getting one that was smuggled from the wild (a very traumatic experience for birds) and supporting the illegal pet trade. The Oakland Zoo is a conservation partner to Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue, a good organization to adopt from.
Military Macaw Reproduction
The three subspecies of Military Macaw breed at different times. However this probably has more to do with the geographical region they are residing in than anything else. Breeding in the militaris species occurs from January to March. The mexicana species breeds from April to July and the boliviana species breeds in November and December.
There is significant variation in the breeding season across the entire range of the Military macaw. Temperature could be a factor, but food availability may also factor in, as fruits are only available part of the year.
At first glance, these parrots may not be as striking as some of their cousins, but these parrots are beautiful nonetheless. They are fun-loving and sociable, and many of those kept as pets have distinguished themselves as excellent talkers.
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Are Military Macaws Good For Beginners?
As a generally well-tempered macaw, a military macaw can be a good first bird for beginners, though a smaller parrot, such as a parakeet (learn more here), is usually recommended for those with no avian experience.
Military Macaws are monogamous and remain with their mates for life. As they fly around in large flocks, the mates/pairs will fly together. They will also be found flying in pairs in their feeding and roosting/nesting areas.
The Military Macaws (Ara militaris) received their name when they were first imported into Europe by military personnel; also some suggest that this species was named for the overall “army or olive green” color of its plumage.
Militaries do well in a large macaw cage as an indoor pet. They enjoy toys, especially wood items that they can chew. They are quite capable talkers and can be easily trained, including being potty trained to the cage.
Hahn’s Macaw
According to the American Federation of Aviculture, Hahn’s macaws are the world’s smallest macaw parrot. Hahn’s macaws are also known as the red-shouldered macaw because of the red feathers on their shoulder and the mini macaw due to their tiny size.
The Military macaw is one of the larger species of macaw, reaching up to 33 inches in height, including tail. It is a medium green on the crown, neck, front, upper back and wings. The forehead is brilliant red, and the flight feathers and rump is light blue. The tail is reddish above and yellow below. The cheeks are white, with small black feathers. The eyes are yellow and the beak is black. The juvenile coloration is duller, and the eyes are gray.
In the wild, scarlet macaws are found in flocks at Peruvian salt licks, where they ingest the clay from gigantic red walls. It’s thought that clay protects parrots from toxins and provides sodium and calcium when missing from a parrot’s diet.
They reach 12 to 14 inches and 140 to 165 g, making them small and light. So, Hahn’s macaws don’t need a large cage; the minimum size should be 34″ wide x 24″ deep x 36″ tall.
Military Macaw Diet
They live in pairs, in families, or in large flocks, usually roosting in the highest outer branches of trees or foraging for fruits and nuts. They are usually easily identified even out of sight by their loud screeching and croaking.
Lear’s macaws eat up to 350 nuts daily in the wild, providing them ample energy. Most macaws need more fat and oil in their diet than other parrot species because they’re more active. This would make them obese in captivity, but Lear’s macaws are rarely seen as pets.
Not only are blue-and-gold macaws physically large, but they’re also larger than life in voice and attitude. They enjoy listening to themselves, so they make lots of noise. However, they’re also popular pets due to their loving, sensitive nature.
The Military Macaws diet consists of seeds, fruits, nuts, berries and other vegetation found on treetops in the rainforests. Their beaks are well adapted for eating various seeds and nuts as they have the ability to break open the hardest of shells with relative ease.
Ecological Web
Military macaws, as well as other parrots, are important pollinators and seed dispersers of their habitat. Thus, they can shape the flora of their habitat. They also are prey to jaguars, eagles and hawks, monkeys, and snakes.
"There are 3 subspecies of Military macaw; the nominate subspecies, A. m. militaris, is smaller than the A. m. mexicanus subspecies, and the A. m. boliviana subspecies has a red-brown throat and the feather tips on the primary feathers and tail are dark blue. A. m. militaris is found in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador. A. m. mexicanus ranges along the Pacific coast in Mexico from Sonora to Jalisco, and the range of A. m. boliviana is restricted to the eastern slope of Andes in Bolivia and Argentina. The Military macaw is sometimes confused with a similarly colored and larger species, the Great green macaw (also called the Great military macaw)."
Military Macaws are now listed as Vulnerable on the 2006 IUCN Red List Category. They are also listed as CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Appendix I, which protects the birds from being captured for trade.
Military Macaws will leave their roosts in flocks around dawn and head to their feeding areas. They will also visit heaps of clay known as ‘macaw licks’. These clay licks are found along riverbanks or sometimes inside the Amazon rainforest. Macaws will flock to feed on these clay deposits, which appear to detoxify the poisons found in the seeds and vegetation of the rest of their diet.
Species Specifics
The Military macaw, like all parrots, has zygodactyl feet, which mean that two toes point forward and two toes point backward. This allows the macaws to grip better, which is important as they often hold their food with their feet or walk along branches rather than fly.
The plumage is mostly green, except for the red tuft of feathers on the forehead (behind the cere of the beak) , white cheek patches with tiny black feathers, bluish-red primary wing feathers, and tail feathers that are brown red above and yellow underneath.
Scarlet macaws are one of the most distinctive macaw species due to their bright red feathers. They also have light blue feathers on the rump and tail, yellow feathers on the upper wings, and dark blue feathers on the wings and tail end. The tail flight feathers have a gold tint.
The population and distribution of the Military Macaw has been decreasing over the past fifty years. The abundance of the Military Macaw has now decreased to less than 10,000 globally. This decrease is mostly due to deforestation and the capturing of wild birds for the pet trade industry.
Military Macaw Conservation Status
In the wild, their breeding season stretches from about January to March. The female can lay as many as four eggs which are incubated for about a month, 28 days before they hatch. The female is the only one who tends the eggs and the young. Captive birds readily hybridize with related species
Breeding season varies along a north-south axis; in Mexico, breeding season begins in June, in middle parts of their range it begins in summer, and in the southernmost part of the range, breeding season is in winter. Military macaws will pair for life, and will often preen and feed each other. Nests are laid on cliff faces or high up in trees. The female will lay 2-4 eggs, which are incubated for about 25-28 days. The female will incubate the eggs and brood the chicks, which hatch featherless and need parental care. The male will feed the female and later her chicks.
The average hyacinth macaw measures 40 inches from the top of its head to the tip of the tail. It also has a wingspan of 48 inches and weighs 1.2 to 1.7 kg, making it one of the heaviest parrots and the biggest.
Hi, I'm Carrie. I have a passion for all birds, but especially parrots. I’ve got a 15-year-old blue and gold macaw, a 7-year-old African grey, and a 6-year-old Senegal parrot. First-hand experience and research have taught me so much about these characterful birds. So, a few years ago, I started “all about parrots” to share my knowledge and experience with a wider audience.
Reproductive Behavior
They are probably the smallest of the large macaws at a length of 27 – 33 inches (70 – 84 cm) from beak to tail. Their wing length: 14 inches; wingspan: 39 – 43 inches; and weight: 862 – 1074g.
Is a military macaw a good pet? Military macaws can be excellent pets and will form a close bond with owners, but they do require a commitment of time and money. They are highly intelligent and typically easy to train, and they are capable of learning to speak, though not as clearly as other macaws.
In South America, it is found in humid lowland forest, gallery forest, and wooded foothills and canyons. In Mexico, the Military macaw can be found in riparian forest, arid and semi-arid woodlands, and human lowlands. Its habitat ranges in elevation from 1640 feet to 4900 feet, occasionally going higher.
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