BLUE AND YELLOW MACAW

Did you know? At our Tambopata Research Center lodge, four in five guests spots this brilliant macaw!

One of the most spectacular of the palm swamp residents is the Blue and Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna). Blue-and-golds only nest in old palm swamps, such as the one at the Tambopata Research Center. When you arrive at the swamp boardwalk you will hear their screams right away.

The Blue and Yellow Macaw is one of the most photogenic birds that live in the Peruvian rainforest. Their bright blue upper parts combine perfectly with rich yellow underparts. Happily, guests at the Rainforest Expedition lodges in Tambopata always (and we mean always) see this bird.

Blue and Yellow Macaw Fun Facts

• A macaw with a large range: Blue and Yellow Macaws occur from eastern Panama to northern Paraguay. They require both humid forest and palm swamps. They are fairly common where pristine tracts of these two types of habitat occur. Like other large macaws, they tend to quickly disappear from areas impacted by deforestation and hunting.


• They only nest in Palm swamps: Blue and Yellow Macaws use cavities for nesting but will only nest in dead palm trunks. The smaller Red-bellied Macaw also nests in dead palms.


• Intelligent and long-lived: Many Blue and Yellows are as smart as a 3-4-year-old person. They can live to the age of 70 in captivity.