Red-bellied Macaw
Encyclopedia
The Red-bellied Macaw, Orthopsittaca manilata, is a medium-sized, mainly green parrot
. It is the only species of the genus Orthopsittaca, and it does not have any subspecies
.
It is a resident bird
in tropical Amazon
ian South America
, from Colombia
and Trinidad
south to Amazonian Peru
and Bolivia
, and central Brazil
as far as the northwestern cerrado
of Brazil. Its habitat is forest and swamps with Moriche Palm
s (Mauritia flexuosa). Their life revolves solely around this species of palm tree. Although locally common, in places it has been adversely affected by clearing of the palms for use as posts, or to allow cattle ranching; also by capture for the pet trade.
about 300 g in weight and about 46 cm (18 in) in length including its long pointed tail. Male and female have similar external appearances, and the adults have dark-grey beaks. The cere
and much of the face are covered with bare mustard-yellow skin, and the irises are dark brown. The forehead is bluish. The chin, throat and upper chest are greyish with some green scalloping, and the lower abdomen is brownish-red. The underwings and undertail are dull yellow. The legs are dark grey. Juveniles are duller in colour than adults and have a grey beak that has conspicuous white mid-line stripe running along the length of the top of the upper beak (along the culmen). The Spix's Macaw
is the only other macaw that has a similar white culmen in the juveniles.
).
from the nest about 77 days after hatching.
, the Red-bellied Macaw is throughout, except in the northwest quadrant centered on a large region of the Rio Negro flowing from Colombia-Venezuela; it ranges through the Guianas including the Guiana Highlands into eastern Venezuela, the lower Orinoco River Basin and across to the island of Trinidad
.
Its southern limit in Brazil is the south-central and northwestern cerrado
bordering the Amazon Basin
.
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
. It is the only species of the genus Orthopsittaca, and it does not have any subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
.
It is a resident bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in tropical Amazon
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
ian South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, from Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
south to Amazonian Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, and central Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
as far as the northwestern cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
of Brazil. Its habitat is forest and swamps with Moriche Palm
Moriche Palm
The Moriche Palm, Mauritia flexuosa, also known as the Ité Palm, Ita, Buriti, or aguaje , is a palm tree. It grows in and near swamps and other wet areas in tropical South America....
s (Mauritia flexuosa). Their life revolves solely around this species of palm tree. Although locally common, in places it has been adversely affected by clearing of the palms for use as posts, or to allow cattle ranching; also by capture for the pet trade.
Description
The Red-bellied Macaw a mainly green medium-sized macawMacaw
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...
about 300 g in weight and about 46 cm (18 in) in length including its long pointed tail. Male and female have similar external appearances, and the adults have dark-grey beaks. The cere
Cère
The Cère is a long river in south-western France, left tributary of the Dordogne River. Its source is in the south-western Massif Central, near the mountain Plomb du Cantal...
and much of the face are covered with bare mustard-yellow skin, and the irises are dark brown. The forehead is bluish. The chin, throat and upper chest are greyish with some green scalloping, and the lower abdomen is brownish-red. The underwings and undertail are dull yellow. The legs are dark grey. Juveniles are duller in colour than adults and have a grey beak that has conspicuous white mid-line stripe running along the length of the top of the upper beak (along the culmen). The Spix's Macaw
Spix's Macaw
Spix's Macaw is the only member of the parrot genus Cyanopsitta. They are critically endangered, possibly extinct in the wild The species is conserved through several breeding programs. It was found in Brazil, in parts of the Brazilian state of Bahia...
is the only other macaw that has a similar white culmen in the juveniles.
Behaviour
Red-bellied Macaws make reedy, high-pitched screams. They eat the fruit and seeds of palm trees, especially the Moriche Palm. They roost communally in these palms, and large numbers can be seen at the roost sites at dawn and dusk; (see crepuscularCrepuscular
Crepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight, that is during dawn and dusk. The word is derived from the Latin word crepusculum, meaning "twilight." Crepuscular is, thus, in contrast with diurnal and nocturnal behavior. Crepuscular animals may also be active on a bright...
).
Breeding
The Red-bellied Macaw nests in a hole in a tree, their primary choice being the Moriche Palm. There are usually two to four white eggs in a clutch. The female incubates the eggs for about 27 days, and the chicks fledgeFledge
Fledge is the stage in a young bird's life when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. It also describes the act of a chick's parents raising it to a fully grown state...
from the nest about 77 days after hatching.
Range
In the Amazon Basin, the North Region, BrazilNorth Region, Brazil
The North Region of Brazil is the largest Region of Brazil, corresponding to 45.27% of the national territory. It is the least inhabited of the country, and contributes with a minor percentage in the national GDP and population...
, the Red-bellied Macaw is throughout, except in the northwest quadrant centered on a large region of the Rio Negro flowing from Colombia-Venezuela; it ranges through the Guianas including the Guiana Highlands into eastern Venezuela, the lower Orinoco River Basin and across to the island of Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
.
Its southern limit in Brazil is the south-central and northwestern cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
bordering the Amazon Basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
.
External links
- Captive Reproduction of the Peculiar Red-bellied Macaw
- Illustration of a Red-bellied Macaw
- Red-bellied Macaw videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Red-bellied Macaw photo gallery VIREO-(includes picture of "Lick") Photo-High Res
- Photos and Article www1.nhl.nl—"Suriname Birds"--(with 1-Close-up of Breast; 2-"RangeMap" of S. America)
