Lear's macaw, also known as the indigo macaw, is a large all-blue Brazilian parrot, a member of a large group of neotropical parrots known as macaws. These birds are inquisitive, playful, and friendly birds and are great at mimicking human vocalizations. They can live up to 60 years and live in the tropical savannas, dry forests, deserts, and xeric shrublands of Brazil. The Lear's macaw takes its name from Edward Lear, a famous artist-poet of the mid-1800s who painted macaws and created nonsense rhymes.
Lear's macaws are social, diurnal, territorial, and noisy birds. Lear’s macaws usually form groups of around 8 to 30 birds, and, to a lesser extent, there are pairs or smaller groups of families. They have conspicuous loud calls and are usually observed flying or perched on the outermost limbs of trees or palms. In the daytime, these birds rest up in shady trees or Licuri palms, where they can also feed on the fruits of the palm. They can be observed preening each other, croaking now and again.
Their conservation status is endangered with only about 1120 individuals left in the wild. This is because of two major reasons; illegal wildlife trade and vulnerability to their food source, the Licuri palm due to livestock grazing. Lear’s macaws have an important role to play in their ecosystem through the dispersal of seeds and nuts within their territory.
In 2007, the Canudos Biological Station managed by Biodiversitas was expanded to 3,649 acres; two field stations and a lodge have helped to keep poachers out. By 2009, the Lear's Macaw was downgraded on the IUCN Red List from Critically Endangered to Endangered, a sure sign that these parrots are beginning to bounce back. To protect them, we must protect their habitat and food source, the Licuri palm, and make sure we don't buy animal products to stand against the illegal wildlife trade.
Write-up by Nandini Saluja and Art by Annika Singhal
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