|Species:|| Ara ararauna|
The Blue-and Yellow Macaw, Ara ararauna, also called the Blue-and-Gold Macaw, is a large, well-known member of the parrot family. They are popular in aviculture due to their sharp intelligence and striking appearence.
30 to 34 inches long, with a weight of 1.9 to 3.3 pounds, the Blue-and-Gold macaw has vivid blue wings, back and tail, with a dark blue chin and light green forehead. Their featherless face is white, with small black contours forming "stripes". The beak is very dark gray to black, and is extremely powerful - it can put on 200 punds of pressure per square inch, meaning that a Blue-and-Gold could easily break human fingerbones if it needed to.
The Blue-and-Gold macaw eats nuts, seeds, and fruits in the wild, occasionally claylicking to promote digestive balance. The adult macaws are often aggressive in the wild, but young fledgelings are rather playful. Adults lay 2 to 3 eggs after breeding. They are native to South America.
In captivity, these birds are poular due to their colors and ability to talk or learn tricks. However, while an educated person can humanely and legally keep one, their size, strengh, longetivity and emotional needs make them lifetime commitments, often more than pet owners can handle. A pelleted diet usually works best in captivity, along with supplemental seeds, nuts, and dried or fresh fruits. They're very social, and bond strongly to caretakers. Indeed, they can provide a talkative, sweet, and beautiful companion for humans for 80 years or more.