The Macaws: An Overview of a Spectacular Group of Parrots, Part II

 

Please see Part I of this article for information concerning macaws in general and the noble or red-shouldered macaw in particular.  Last time I left off with an account of the smallest macaw…I begin here with the largest.

Hyacinth Macaw, Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus

Hyacinch Macaws at the Tennesee AquariumAt 40 inches in length and sporting a wingspan of nearly 5 feet, this giant of the group is also the world’s largest parrot.  Words cannot do justice to its plumage, which is deep cobalt blue in color, highlighted by golden yellow about the eyes and lower mandible.

Hyacinths are largely confined to southern Brazil, with sporadic records from western Bolivia.  They favor stands of buriti palms, the nuts of which form a large portion of their diet, and forage mostly in the higher branches.  Hyacinth macaws also frequent open forests along waterways near and within Brazil’s Pantanal region.

Although these spectacular birds are not for those lacking large parrot experience (or cash!), they are considered to be among the most gentle and affectionate of the macaws.  Hyacinths are, however, extremely protective of those to whom they have bonded, and wary of strangers.  They will not hesitate to use their massive beaks when a threat is perceived, and must be handled accordingly.

Blue-and-Gold Macaw, Ara ararauna

Blue and Gold MacawAlthough smaller than the hyacinth, this 3 foot-long beauty is still quite an impressive bird.  With its particularly affectionate personality, playful ways and impressive speaking ability, the blue-and-gold is perhaps the best of the large macaws with which to start.  Huge imports in the 1960’s and 70’s allowed the establishment of many breeding groups, and today it is the least expensive and most widely-kept macaw in the USA.

Colored in turquoise-blue offset by a brilliant golden-yellow chest, blue-and-gold macaws are sometimes seen in large flocks, within which the pairs stay in close contact.  Indeed, even upon my first sighting of them in the wild (when I could hardly think straight, so impressed was I by their size and brilliance!), pairs were readily discernable within each flock.

This species is declining in many areas, but still occupies a huge swath of land from eastern Panama and French Guiana in the north to Bolivia in the south.  Flocks forage widely along savannahs, forest edges and swamps, returning at dusk to favored roosting sites.  The blue-and-gold is one of the few macaws that can be counted upon to show up on a well-planned birding trip to prime habitat…I guarantee that a sighting will be remembered for a lifetime.

Green-winged Macaw, Ara chloroptera

Green Winged MacawOften mistaken for a scarlet macaw, the green-wing is a larger bird, nearly the size of a hyacinth, and is clad in a deeper burgundy red than is its more commonly-kept cousin.  It is also an easier bird to manage than the scarlet, being quite gentle and very playful.  My first long-ago experience with hand raised green-wings remains sharp today…rolling on their backs and pawing at me, they acted more like kittens than birds!  Green wings are, however, very sensitive birds, and are easily upset by strangers or sudden noises.  Their beaks are out-sized, even by macaw standards, and lend them a comical air.

The range of the green-winged macaw closely parallels that of the blue-and-gold (please see above), but it is much more of a true forest bird than its relative.  Green wings favor hilly country, and are rarely observed far from heavy tree cover.  When foraging and roosting, they stay to the treetops.  Interestingly, green wings hybridize with both military and blue-and-gold macaws in the wild.

A look at a few moderately-sized macaws next time will round out our survey. 

 

You can read about World Wildlife Fund’s work with hyacinth macaws in the Brazilian Pantanal at:

http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/news/species_successes/index.cfm?uNewsID=12641

Hyacinch Macaw images and Green-Winged Macaw Images referenced from Wikipedia Commons

Dealing with a Prolapsed Cloaca: Avian Health Concerns

 

Cloacal prolapse can occur in any bird species (as well as in reptiles and amphibians) and is evidenced by moist or dried tissue protruding from the vent.  It is frequently associated with egg-laying, and may occur before, during or after the process.  A calcium deficiency is usually at the root of the problem…the muscles, weakened by the lack of calcium, cannot contract as forcibly as is necessary, and the resultant straining pushes the cloaca outward.  Weakness in other muscles, i.e. the sphincter, adds to the problem.  Less commonly, a prolapse may be caused by an infection in the uterus or cloaca.

Emergency Care

A prolapsed cloaca is a matter for your veterinarian, but there are some steps you can take to alleviate the situation.  Most important is prevention – assure that your birds, especially breeding hens, are in good health and are receiving optimal amounts of calcium and other minerals and vitamins.  

Upon noting a prolapse, you can try lubricating the tissue with a water-soluble product, such as KY Jelly.  The bird should be kept warm, as its metabolism will be functioning poorly, and may have difficulty generating enough heat.  Liquid calcium might be an option, especially if it will take some time to get the bird to a veterinarian.  Plan ahead and ask your vet to suggest a product to keep on hand.

Veterinary Care

Your veterinarian may place a suture in the vent while the cloaca heals.  Antibiotics will usually be given, as an extruded cloaca is susceptible to infection.  If all else fails, or if too much time has elapsed and the tissue is beyond repair, surgery may be necessary.  Such is usually successful for birds of cockatiel size or beyond, less so for smaller species.

The importance of calcium and Vitamin D in parrot metabolism is discussed in an article posted at:

http://www.avianmedicine.net/articles/stanford-calcium.doc

Nests, Nest Boxes and Nesting Materials for Your Budgerigars, Finches, Canaries or Lovebirds

 

Breeding can be a quite complicated affair among birds, with nest site selection being of key importance in the process.  Sometimes, the mere presence of an appropriate nesting place helps to bring birds into breeding condition.  Conversely, a mated pair of birds may not reproduce if a favorable nest site is lacking.  While some species will modify a nest box or site, others will not – an entrance hole that is too large, for example, may doom your breeding efforts to failure.

All of the nests and nest boxes mentioned below have been carefully designed so as to meet the needs of a wide variety of birds.  Selecting the model appropriate to the types of birds that you keep is the first step in becoming a successful breeder.

Encouraging Breeding Behavior

As mentioned, the introduction of a nest box or site may bring about an immediate breeding response in some species.  This is most commonly seen among birds that, because they live in areas with harsh, unpredictable climates, must be ready to breed as soon as favorable conditions present themselves.  The cockatiel and budgerigar utilize this breeding strategy.

Humidity and Growing Plants

An increase in humidity, simulated by a room humidifier, mist bottle or hose, is a breeding key for many birds.  As the rainy season in nature usually brings with it a resurgence of plant growth, providing sprouting greens (using, for example, the VitaKraft Sprout Pot) as you increase humidity is always a good idea.

Insect Food

Increasing the number of insects offered to finches and other softbills is a time-tested technique for bringing birds into breeding readiness.  Novel insect foods, such as may appear at the beginning of the breeding season in nature, are, in my experience, particularly effective.  In zoo collections and at home I have found it useful to add wild-caught insects to my birds’ diets at nesting time.

The Zoo Med Bug Napper is a wonderfully suited to this purpose.  I also suggest that you experiment with commercial species other than crickets and mealworms, such as canned grasshoppers and silkworms and live waxworms, roaches and earthworms.

Light Quality and Cycle

It is becoming increasingly apparent that full spectrum light in general, and Ultraviolet A light in particular, is a vital stimulus to normal behavior, including reproduction, in birds (and many other creatures).  Always equip your bird’s cage or room with a full spectrum bulb designed specifically for birds, such as the Zoo Med Avian Sun UVB Bulb.

Manipulating the length of your pet’s day/night cycle, in accordance with that of its natural habitat if possible, is also desirable, or even necessary for some species.

Nests for Smaller Birds

Small, enclosed nest sites such as A&E Hanging Finch Nest with Leaves and Finch Nest in a House with Leaves are ideal for finches that naturally lay their eggs within tree cavities.  Included among these are zebra finches and the various nuns and waxbills.  Particularly choosy individuals may prefer with a piece of rolled cork bark over a traditional nesting hollow.

Canaries, cordon blues and green singing fiches will readily occupy open nests.  For these and similar birds, choose the A&E Small Natural Open Finch Nest or Pet’s International Stick Nature Nest.

Larger tree-hole nesters, such as budgerigars and lovebirds, should be provided with the Hagen Parakeet and Lovebird Breeding Nest Box.

Nesting Material

A ready supply of the proper nesting material is an important factor in any breeding program.  Some birds are particularly choosy in this regard, either on an individual or species basis.  Certain species of hummingbird, for example, are most successful in constructing their walnut-sized nests when provided with mosses and lichens…even spider webs, much favored by free-living hummers, have their place as nesting material in zoo programs.

If your birds will not nest and all else seems in order, try adding a variety of nesting material…as with the sudden appearance of novel insect food, this can be a powerful breeding stimulus.

Eight-in-One Bird Nesting Hair and String fits the needs of most commonly-kept softbills.

Experimental Nesting Materials

Don’t hesitate to experiment, and to consider products originally designed for pets other than birds.

Some lovebirds add bark to their nests in the wild…for these you might try R-Zilla Douglas Fir Bark (marketed for reptiles).  Most softbills will use at least some dry grass when constructing their nests – L&M Animal Super Alfalfa Bits (marketed for rabbits and other small animals) is popular with many birds (in zoos, birds of all types raid the alfalfa bails set out for deer and antelope).  Small wild birds of many species utilize moss as a nest-lining.  Most softbills and some lovebirds will appreciate R-Zilla Beaked Moss Bedding or Hagen Forest Plume Moss (marketed for amphibians).

I have some written related articles that may interest you.  Please check out the following:

Feeding Insects to Pet Birds: Useful Products Designed for Reptiles

Product Review: Vitakraft’s Sprout Pot:  a Convenient Method of Supplying Your  Birds with Valuable Nutrients

Providing the Proper Type and Amount of Light to Pet Birds        

Lighting for Your Pet Bird:  the Importance of the Photoperiod

Fetch It Pets Polly Wanna Piñata Product Spotlight: Behavioral Enrichment for Budgerigars, Lovebirds, Cockatiels and other Parrots

 

Behavioral enrichment came into vogue in zoos in the last 10 years or so, and is now a “buzzword” throughout the industry.  Of course, good zookeepers and pet owners have long known that captive animal health (and, as concerns bored, screaming parrots, captor sanity!) is aided by the provision of opportunities to explore, forage and otherwise behave in a somewhat normal fashion.

An Early Zoo Experiment

I recall being involved with an early attempt at spicing up the lives of galagos (small primates) at the Bronx Zoo, which resulted in the invention (not by myself, my mechanical skills are horrendous!) of an air-powered cricket dispenser.  Cricket were propelled into different parts of the exhibit at varying intervals, keeping the waiting galagos very alert and ready to leap on a meal at all times.  Zoo visitors were no longer confronted with motionless balls of fur, and the galagos became noticeably more active and vigorous.

Stimulating Interest in Foraging

Of course, parrots benefit greatly from interacting with people and other birds, but foraging behavior also rates very high as an enrichment activity.  Locating and gathering meals takes up a great deal of all birds’ lives, and is infinitely more absorbing than picking food from a dish.

Fetch It Pets Polly Wanna Piñatas are supplied either empty (to be stuffed with food at home) or filled with a variety of nutritious parrot treats.  Parrots of all types enjoy shredding them (and would even if the piñatas were empty!) and working at getting to the dried fruits secreted within.  The stimulation your bird experiences will be evident by the vigor it puts into dismantling this unique product.

The piñatas are especially useful for parrots kept in smaller cages, as hiding treats in such situations is usually more challenging for the parrot owner than is finding the treats for the parrot!

 

A New Zealand Journal of Ecology article discussing the complexities of foraging behavior in parakeets is posted at:

http://www.newzealandecology.org/nzje/free_issues/NZJEcol22_2_161.pdf

Research Update: Male and Female Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans) Parents Differ in their Responses to Hungry Chicks

 

Crimson rosellas, colorful parrots much favored as pets, follow a unique strategy when rearing their young.

The Typical Scenario

Rosella eggs, like those of all parrots, hatch in the order they were laid, so that the first chick to emerge has a few days head-start on the last.  In most bird species where this occurs, the first chick out of the egg out-competes the others, as parents tend to feed the largest, noisiest mouth that confronts them.  This assures that, in times of food scarcity, at least one chick may survive, albeit at the expense of the others.

A Twist – Choosing Which Chick Will be Fed

I recently watched some footage that indicated that adult crimson rosellas apportion food given to chicks equally, so that all survive and fledge at about the same size.  Upon considering this, I found it odd, as rosellas inhabit a harsh environment, where food shortages are likely, and so “should”, I reasoned, put the most resources into the largest chick.

Further research revealed that the complete story is even more surprising.  Male and female rosella parents specifically identify individual chicks and selectively choose which to feed, based on varying criteria.

Males respond to the chick that seems hungriest at the time, as indicated by the volume of its call.  Thus, males tend to distribute food equally among the brood…a sated chick becomes quiet, and another is fed.  Females preferentially feed the last-hatched (smallest) chick…unless all are crying out for food, in which case they feed the oldest (largest) chick first.

Outcome in Good and Bad Times

In good times, this strategy assures that the youngest chick is well fed, and that all receive enough food.  When food is scarce, however, and all chicks are hungry, the oldest will be fed more often by both the male (this chick will attract the male by its ability to beg more vigorously) and female.  The elder chick is, therefore, only granted a survival advantage during lean years…when food is plentiful, all chicks are assured a good diet and an equal chance at fledging.

Rosella chicks have also been observed sharing food among themselves… more on that in the future.  

A report concerning the Australia National University study that documented this behavior is posted at:

http://www.anu.edu.au/BoZo/magrath/pdfs/paper4.pdf

Image referenced from Wikipedia, and originally posted by Percita Dittmar

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