Yellow-Collared Macaw

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Ara auricollis

Yellow-collared Macaw

Description: generally green; forehead, crown and cheeks brownish-black; slight bluish tinge to nape; yellow band to nape; primaries and primary-coverts blue; outer webs of secondaries and greater wing-coverts tinged with blue; under wing-coverts olive-yellow; tail upperside reddish-brown with blue tips, underside olive-yellow; bill black with horn-coloured tip; naked skin area to cheeks whitish; iris orange; feet grey.

Female as male, but on average smaller.

Immatures with narrower band to nape; tip of bill more extensively horn-coloured.

Length: 38 cm (15 ins)

Distribution: central Brazil in northern Goi s and northeast Mato Grosso as well as northern and eastern Bolivia, southwest Mato Grosso across northern Paraguay to Jujuy and Salta Provinces in northwest Argentina.

Habits: virtually all types of terrain with trees; humid forest, gallery forest along water courses, dry grassland with isolated trees and cultivated land to 600 m (2,000ft).

Status: common because adaptable; accepts great changes to habitat.

Habits: in pairs or small groups outside breeding season; occasionally greater numbers along water courses and in roosting trees; often squabbles for best perch; conspicuous; flight swift and direct or spiralling when flying up before settling into canopy; alarm call high-pitched or rolling; evocative of sounds made by Aratinga species.

Natural diet: fruits (palm fruits, figs), seeds and buds; occasionally forages in maize and grain fields.

Aviculture: medium-noisy to noisy macaw; mostly not shy; quickly becomes confiding; captive-bred birds quiet and pleasant from beginning; hardy and enduring after acclimatisation; little bathing requirement; enjoys chewing fresh branches; colony system with other parrots possible; even during breeding season in large aviary.

Accommodation: outside flight 3 x 1.5 x 2 m (9 x 4.5 x 6 ft) with adjoining inside area; minimum temperature for newly imported birds 15°C (59°F), when acclimatised 5°C (40°F).

Diet: seed mix of sunflower, safflower, various millets, oats, hemp, dried rowan berries; some pine-nuts; plenty of fruit, vegetables (half-ripe maize, cucumber, carrot), greenfood and sprouted food; regular mineral supplements; dried shrimp; eggfood and half-ripe maize for rearing.