Blue and Gold Macaws are a large South American parrot, commonly found in rainforests. They have brightly coloured feathers, blue on their backs and a yellow underbelly. They have long blue and gold tail feathers and a wingspan of about 3-4ft. Each macaw has their own individual black feather pattern on their face. They are zygodactyl, just like all parrots, meaning they have two forward facing toes and two backward facing toes on each foot, suited for clinging to tree branches.
These birds are social and often live in large flocks of up to 30 individuals in the wild. They are also monogamous, meaning they mate for life and mated macaws usually fly side by side with wings almost touching. Their diet consists mostly of leaves, flowers, fruits, nuts and seeds. They have a bone in their tongue making them dextrous and helps bite into foods. Their large, curved beaks are well adapted to cracking large nuts, with a bite force comparable to that of a lion!
Their average lifespan in the wild is around 30-50 years but can live up to 80 years old in captivity. The wild population is slowly decreasing due to deforestation destroying their habitats and wild birds being caught for the illegal pet trade.
