The blue-throated macaw, scientifically known as Ara glaucogularis, but also called the Caninde macaw or Wagler’s macaw, is a unique macaw species found only in a small region of north-central Bolivia called Los Llanos de Moxos. This beautiful bird holds significant importance to Bolivia as it was legally recognized as a natural treasure in 2014.
Sadly, prior to 2010, the blue-throated macaw faced a threat from native communities who hunted them for their feathers. These feathers were used to create traditional “Moxeño” headdresses for the sacred “machetero” dances.
Diet:
Blue-throated macaws have a unique feeding habit compared to other macaw species. They rely less on seeds and nuts and instead prefer to feast on fruit from large palm trees. While their main choice is the Attalea phalerata palm, they also enjoy fruits from Acrocomia aculeata and Mauritia flexuosa. The macaws prefer to consume the mesocarp of ripe or almost ripe fruits and have even been seen sipping on the liquid of unripe fruits.
Breeding:
The blue-throated macaws typically mate once per year, but in the event of losing their eggs or nestlings, they may attempt a second breeding cycle within the same season. Each clutch usually contains one to three eggs, which are incubated for a period of 26 days. Hatchlings weigh around 18 g when they emerge from their shells and take flight at approximately 13 to 14 weeks old. Even after fledging, these young macaws remain reliant on their parents for nourishment until they are capable of finding food on their own. Interestingly, it has been observed that young blue-throated macaws may choose to stay with their parents for up to a year. During this time, the parents will abstain from breeding for the entire season. It typically takes about 5 years for blue-throated macaws to reach sexual maturity.
Nesting:
The preferred nesting spots for blue-throated macaws are typically hollowed-out cavities in palm trees, particularly Attalea phalerata. However, they are also known to choose other palm species. Dead palm trees are especially favored by these macaws, as the hollowed-out spaces make perfect nests after the trees have died. Interestingly, blue-throated macaw nesting pairs do not typically stick to one nest for multiple breeding seasons – they tend to seek out different nesting sites each year. When it comes to finding these nesting-holes, blue-throated macaws often find themselves competing with other birds like the blue-and-yellow macaw, green-winged macaw, scarlet macaw, as well as woodpeckers, toco toucans, barn owls, bats, and even bees. Unfortunately, the number of suitable nest trees has been decreasing due to widespread deforestation in their natural habitat.