The red-shouldered macaw (''Diopsittaca nobilis'') is a small green South American
parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoide ...
, a member of a large group of
Neotropical parrot
The neotropical parrots or New World parrots comprise about 150 species in 32 genera found throughout South and Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean islands and (formerly) the southern United States. Among them are some of the most familiar an ...
s called
macaws
Macaws are a group of New World parrots that are long-tailed and often colorful. They are popular in aviculture or as companion parrots, although there are conservation concerns about several species in the wild.
Biology
Of the many differe ...
. The species is named for the red coverts on its wings. It is the smallest macaw, being in length - similar in size to the ''
Aratinga
''Aratinga'' is a genus of South American conures. Most are predominantly green, although a few are predominantly yellow or orange. They are social and commonly seen in groups in the wild. In Brazil, the popular name of several species usually is ...
'' parakeets. It is native to the tropical lowlands, savannah, and swamplands of
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, the
Guianas,
Bolivia,
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, and far south-eastern
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
. It has two distinct subspecies, the noble macaw and the Hahn's macaw, and a possible poorly distinct third subspecies that has longer wings, but is otherwise similar to the noble macaw. The Hahn's subspecies is named for German zoologist Carl-Wilhelm Hahn, who in 1834 began compiling ''Ornithologischer Atlas oder naturgetreue Abbildung und Beschreibung der aussereuropäischen Vögel'' (Engl: Ornithological Atlas or natural depiction and description of birds from outside Europe).
Red-shouldered macaws are frequently bred in captivity for the
pet
A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intelligence ...
trade, where they are sometimes described as
mini-macaw
Mini-macaws are a loosely defined group of small-to-medium-sized macaw species within the Tribe (biology), tribe Arini (tribe), Arini. The term has no fixed taxonomic meaning and is principally used in aviculture to describe a small macaw belonging ...
s.
Though wild populations of red-shouldered macaws have declined locally due to habitat loss, they are listed as Least Concern by IUCN. They are listed on Appendix II of
CITES
CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...
, trade restricted.
Taxonomy
The red-shouldered macaw was
formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist
Carl Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his Nobility#Ennoblement, ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalise ...
in the
tenth edition of his ''
Systema Naturae''. He placed it with all the other parrots in the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''
Psittacus
''Psittacus'' is a genus of African grey parrots in the subfamily Psittacinae. It contains the two species: the grey parrot (''Psittacus erithacus'') and the Timneh parrot (''Psittacus timneh'').
For many years, the grey parrot and Timneh p ...
'' and coined the
binomial name ''Psittacus nobilis''. The red-shouldered macaw is now the only species placed in the genus ''Diopsittaca'' that was introduced in 1912 by the American ornithologist
Robert Ridgway
Robert Ridgway (July 2, 1850 – March 25, 1929) was an American ornithologist specializing in systematics. He was appointed in 1880 by Spencer Fullerton Baird, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, to be the first full-time curator of bi ...
.
The genus name combines the
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
''dios'' meaning "noble" with ''psittakē'' meaning "parrot". The specific epithet ''noblilis'' is
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
meaning "noble". There are two distinct subspecies, ''D. n. nobilis'' (Hahn's macaw) and ''D. n. cumanensis'' (noble macaw), and some with longer wings might represent a poorly differentiated subspecies, ''D. n. longipennis'', which intergrades with ''D. n. cumanensis'' in central
Goiás
Goiás () is a Brazilian state located in the Center-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso. The state capital is Goi ...
, Brazil.
[Forshaw (2006). plate 73.] The species is sometimes
subsumed into the genus ''
Ara
ARA may refer to:
Media and the arts
* American-Romanian Academy of Arts and Sciences
* '' Artistička Radna Akcija'', compilation album released in former Yugoslavia
* Associate of the Royal Academy, denoting membership in the British Royal Aca ...
''.
Taxonomy proposed by
BirdLife International splits the red-shouldered macaw into two species.
* Northern red-shouldered macaw (''Diopsittaca nobilis'')
* Southern red-shouldered macaw (''Diopsittaca cumanensis'')
Description
The red-shouldered macaw, at long and weight, is the smallest of all the macaws. Like all macaws, it has a long narrow tail and a large head. It has bright green feathers on the body, with dark or slate blue feathers on the head just above the beak. The wings and tail have feathers that are bright green above and olive-green below. The leading edges of the wings, especially on the underside, are red. (These red feathers appear at puberty.) Their eyes are orange, and the skin around the eyes is white without feathers, just as in the larger macaws. This bare patch of facial skin is smaller in proportion to the head than the one seen in most larger macaws. The Hahn's macaw and noble macaw can be distinguished by the Hahn's having a black upper mandible and the Noble's having a lighter, horn-colored upper mandible.
Their natural vocalizations are more akin to screeches than they are to whistles.
Behavior
Red-shouldered macaws are very kind natured. Their personality is similar to the large macaws.
Breeding
![Diopsittaca nobilis MHNT](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Diopsittaca_nobilis_MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.148.25.jpg)
The red-shouldered macaw nests in a hole in a tree. There are usually three or four white eggs in a clutch. The female incubates the eggs for about 24 to 26 days, and the chicks
fledge from the nest about 54 days after hatching.
Aviculture
Although a noisy bird that is not suitable for apartment living, the red-shouldered macaw can be an excellent pet. If properly socialized, it is typically a gentle, intelligent bird that bonds well with humans and gets on well with well-behaved children. In addition, it is an excellent
talker
A talker is a chat system that people use to talk to each other over the Internet. Dating back to the 1980s, they were a predecessor of instant messaging.
A talker is a communication system precursor to MMORPGs and other virtual worlds such as ''S ...
that can be taught many tricks. It may be a more suitable pet parrot for those who lack the space in their homes for a larger macaw, although it requires daily exercise outside of its cage.
It is also recommended by the
World Parrot Trust
The World Parrot Trust is an international charity dedicated to saving parrots.
History
When the Trust was founded in 1989 at Paradise Park in Cornwall, UK, it was decided that the main objective was to promote the survival of all parrot specie ...
that this parrot should have access to an outside enclosure for at least part of the year. The red-shouldered macaw can live for 25-40 years in captivity.
Gallery
Diopsittaca nobilis -Mato Grosso -Brazil -8.jpg, Noble macaws in Mato Grosso, Brazil
Diopsittaca nobilis -two captive-8a.jpg, A pair of noble macaws in captivity
Diopsittaca nobilis -Parque das Aves, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil-8a.jpg, Noble macaw at Parque das Aves
The Parque das Aves (English: Bird Park) is a sanctuary and shelter for birds situated in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná State, Brazil, and it is near to Iguaçu Falls. Its exhibits comprise mainly birds as well as other animals and butterflies.
The par ...
, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
References
Cited texts
*
External links
*
AvianWeb - Macaw conservation status
{{Taxonbar, from=Q905913
Arini (tribe)
Macaws
Birds of South America
Birds of Brazil
Birds of Bolivia
Birds of Peru
Birds of Venezuela
Birds of the Guianas
Birds of the Cerrado
Birds of the Pantanal
Talking birds
Birds described in 1758
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus