Today, a friend of Irfan from out of town came to visit the aviary.
He is a breeder and lover of Macaws.
His name is Mustari.
He came to the aviary, carrying more than ten Macaws.
And, for some reason, maybe because he was in a good mood,
he suddenly presented a Green-winged Macaw to Irfan.
How lucky you are, Irfan.
Thank you for the gift, Mustari.
Because the Aviary has a new family, a Green-winged Macaw, let's talk about these birds.
It's the Aviary.
Green-winged Macaw.
The Green-winged Macaw or Ara Chloropterus is the second-largest Macaw species after the Hyacinth Macaw.
The size of an adult Green-winged Macaw can reach between 90 to 99 centimeters,
with a wing length of about 104 to 125 centimeters.
Their weight ranges from 900 to 1,700 grams.
These birds are also known by the name Red-and-Green Macaw.
The name is reflected in their feathers which are predominantly red,
and around their eyes, there are also red stripes formed by small feathers.
However,
the center of their wings is green and turns blue towards the tips.
Their long tail consists of red and blue feathers.
Their beaks are very strong.
With their beaks, they can destroy cheap, poor-quality cages.
Never mind a bad cage.
They can crush even the toughest nuts and seeds.
Their distribution area in the wild is very wide.
They can be found in Panama, Central America, and northern parts of South America, from Colombia,
Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana,
Argentina, to Suriname, at an altitude of between 190 to 500 meters above sea level.
Only in Panama they are sometimes found at an altitude of 1,500 meters.
Their habitat in these countries includes; mangrove swamps, savannas,
and tropical forests along the lowlands and foothills.
However, most of these birds avoid coastal areas.
They spend most of their active time looking for food.
Their diet consists of fruits, nuts, and seeds.
But in addition to these normal foods,
Green-winged Macaws also often eat clay on a cliff.
There are two possibilities why they eat clay:
to increase the intake of nutrients and minerals and neutralize toxins.
Yes, it's because they like to eat poisonous plants.
Because of their fondness for eating clay,
they often choose a place to live close to water and clay sources.
Green-winged Macaws are known as social birds.
They usually live in pairs or in small groups, which may consist of other Macaw species.
The group usually numbered between six up to thirty individuals.
In the wild, they tend to be shy and never imitate the calls of other birds.
Often people find it difficult to see them in the forest and can only hear their voices.
And when they feel threatened, they will let out a loud shriek.
However, they are also known to be docile and friendly.
Among the large types of macaws, they can even be said to be the most gentle.
They also very rarely bite unless they aren't taken care of properly.
Hence, some people call them gentle giants.
If in the wild, they don't imitate the sounds of other birds,
it is different from the Green-winged Macaw that lives in captivity.
They can even mimic human speech, although they aren't very good mimics and rarely speak.
They squeal and scream more often, especially when excited or agitated or want attention.
Yes, they need enough attention.
Otherwise, they will develop behaviour problems.
The Green-winged Macaw is a monogamous bird.
It means that a Green-winged Macaw has only one partner in its lifetime.
But, if they lose a partner, they will look for a new partner.
In the wild, their nests are in hollows of trees, high above the ground.
It is in these nests that the female lays one to three white eggs,
which she incubates for about 28 days.
The first feathers will grow on the chicks about eight days after hatch.
Then when they are 15 days old, they will open their eyes for the first time.
Green-winged Macaws only leave their nests when they are about three months old.
They will reach sexual maturity when they are about 3 or 4 years old.
Their lifespan is quite long, more than 60 years.
Since the 17th century, humans have caught and kept Green-winged Macaws.
These birds are still popular as pets, although fortunately, they have been widely bred.
Currently, their conservation status is on the IUCN list as Least Concern. But it is
also worth noting that in CITES or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora, they are in appendix II.
That means they aren't in danger of extinction.
But if their trade continues without regulation, their population could be threatened.
That's all about the Green-winged Macaw, at least for now.
Thanks for watching.
See you in the next episode.