The Red-bellied Macaw is a medium-sized macaw species native to South America.
Appearance[]
The red-bellied Macaw is mainly green. The forehead is bluish-green, while the undersides of the wings and tail are yellow. The primaries are streaked with blue; as the name implies, a large, dark red patch covers the belly. Facial skin is bright mustard-yellow, and the beak is dark gray to black.
Juveniles have duller colors, and the beak is paler with a prominent white stripe.
This macaw weighs about ten ounces, and is approximately 18 inches from head to tail.
Behavior[]
Like other parrot species, Red-bellied Macaws can be seen at roosting spots during dawn and dusk. They feed almost exclusively on the Moriche Palm tree.
It is extremely difficult to keep this parrot in captivity, due partly to their low-fat, high-carb diet and excitability. Red-bellied Macaws sold into the pet trade often have a 100% mortality rate, especially because of the low commercial availability of Moriche palm nuts. Thus, though they are an attractive macaw species, they are extremely rare in captivity, much less as normal pets.