Glaucous Macaw
Encyclopedia
The Glaucous Macaw, Anodorhynchus glaucus, is a large South American parrot. This macaw
is critically endangered or possibly extinct. It is closely related to the Lear's Macaw
A. leari and the Hyacinth Macaw
A. hyacinthinus. In Guaraní
, it was called guaa-obi after its vocalizations.
describes its colouration. It has a long tail and a large bill. It has a yellow, bare eye-ring and half-moon-shaped lappets bordering the mandible.
, south Paraguay
, north-east Uruguay
and Brazil. It became rare during the 19th century due to trapping and loss of habitat
, and only two acceptable records of wild birds were received in the 20th century. Expeditions by ornithologists to southwestern Paraguay
during the 1990s failed to turn up any evidence that the bird was still in existence. Furthermore, only the oldest residents of the region had knowledge of the macaw, with the last sighting considered reliable occurring in 1960. It is most probable that the bird's disappearance is linked to the wholesale felling of the yatay palm (Butia yatay), which nuts appear to have constituted its main food. However, suitable habitat seems to remain in El Palmar National Park
in the Argentine province of Entre Ríos
, and persistent rumors of the bird's existence necessitate further surveys.
Macaw
Macaws are small to large, often colourful New World parrots. Of the many different Psittacidae genera, six are classified as macaws: Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, and Diopsittaca...
is critically endangered or possibly extinct. It is closely related to the Lear's Macaw
Lear's Macaw
The Lear's Macaw , also known as the Indigo Macaw, is a rare Brazilian parrot with a highly restricted range. It is metallic blue with a faint, often barely visible, tinge of green, and a yellow patch of skin at the base of the heavy, black bill. It weighs around 950 g and is 75 cm long...
A. leari and the Hyacinth Macaw
Hyacinth Macaw
The Hyacinth Macaw , or Hyacinthine Macaw, is a parrot native to central and eastern South America. With a length of about 100 cm it is longer than any other species of parrot...
A. hyacinthinus. In Guaraní
Guaraní language
Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...
, it was called guaa-obi after its vocalizations.
Description
The Glaucous Macaw is 70 centimetres (27.6 in) long. It is mostly pale turquoise-blue with a large greyish head. The term glaucousGlaucous
Glaucous is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the Glaucous Gull , Glaucous-winged Gull , Glaucous Macaw , and Glaucous...
describes its colouration. It has a long tail and a large bill. It has a yellow, bare eye-ring and half-moon-shaped lappets bordering the mandible.
Range and decline
This bird is resident in north ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, south Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, north-east Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
and Brazil. It became rare during the 19th century due to trapping and loss of habitat
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
, and only two acceptable records of wild birds were received in the 20th century. Expeditions by ornithologists to southwestern Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
during the 1990s failed to turn up any evidence that the bird was still in existence. Furthermore, only the oldest residents of the region had knowledge of the macaw, with the last sighting considered reliable occurring in 1960. It is most probable that the bird's disappearance is linked to the wholesale felling of the yatay palm (Butia yatay), which nuts appear to have constituted its main food. However, suitable habitat seems to remain in El Palmar National Park
El Palmar National Park
El Palmar National Park is one of Argentina's national parks, located on the center-west of the province of Entre Ríos, mid-way between the cities of Colón and Concordia...
in the Argentine province of Entre Ríos
Entre Ríos Province
Entre Ríos is a northeastern province of Argentina, located in the Mesopotamia region. It borders the provinces of Buenos Aires , Corrientes and Santa Fe , and Uruguay in the east....
, and persistent rumors of the bird's existence necessitate further surveys.
External links
- 3D view of specimens RMNH 110.103 and RMNH 110.114 at NaturalisNaturalisNaturalis is the national natural history museum of the Netherlands, based in Leiden. It originated from the merger of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie and the Rijksmuseum van Geologie en Mineralogie in 1984. In 1986 it was decided that the museum had to become a public museum and a new...
, Leiden (requires QuickTimeQuickTimeQuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
browser plugin). - The Glaucous Macaw at Bluemacaws.org