Tropical rainforest macaws
are some of the most colourful rainforest birds.
A
distinguishing feature they
have is the facial patch.
It's unique like a
fingerprint, and vary
in sizes between species. In
some species it is large while in others it is reduced to a small patch
around the eye.
They
are
found
in Central and South
American rainforests and some species are quite large. Most
species are endangered
in the wild, and some are extinct.
Deforestation
is threatening them, but the worst threat they have had over the time
is trapping for bird
trade, which still continues illegally to some extent.
Being such spectacular, large and intelligent birds they are a tempting
target for bird smugglers.
Taxonomically, they are parrots,
and
there are six genera and 18
species of them. The largest species of them is
the Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus
hyacinthinus).
Macaws eat
different kind of plant food, such as flowers, leaves, seeds, nuts,
fruits, and stems. Some Amazon Basin macaws are known to eat clay minerals. It is
believed they do it for sodium (salt).
Note:
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