Exotic parrots

Would you like to know which are the exotic parrots? Would you like to know how they look like? Are you interested in knowing a bit more about their feeding, location and raising? Find here a list of exotic parrots and learn about what makes these beautiful birds unique.

It may interest you how do birds pee?

1. Macaw Parrot – Exotic parrtos

Scientific name: Ara macao

This exotic bird shows an intense and varied color, although the feathers of the face are less showy; they have white patches around the eyes. The bright color of their feathers is characteristic of these exotic parrots and they are usually red, yellow, green and blue. Both the females and the males have very similar plumage and it cannot be guaranteed that one sex is larger than the other. You only find slight variations when they are young.

The natural habitat of macaws is in America, especially in South America, while a few species are found in Central America, although they can extend to Mexico. Most of the macaws are concentrated in the Amazon basin: the border between Colombia and Panama. They also appear in Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and even Ecuador. However, the best known species, the scarlet macaw, is found in Central America. The green macaw has a very irregular distribution as it is found in Mexico, parts of Venezuela and Argentina. Unfortunately today human activities have fragmented and isolated its population.

2. Military macaw – Exotic Parrots

Scientific name: Ara militaris

This macaw is also known as the green macaw, it belongs to the parrot family and its population extends from Mexico to the north of Argentina. Unfortunately, the populations of this bird are quite divided, which is why the species is considered to be in danger of extinction, despite the fact that there is a wide variety of individuals among the different populations of the military macaw.

The predominant color in their feathers is green, but the back of the neck, the back and the feathers are blue, while the outer parts of the primary feathers are metallic blue. Its tail is long and pointed reddish brown with blue ends at the bottom. The wing feathers are olive yellow. It has a front patch of red color with a white tone in the area of ​​the face, which is furrowed with fine black lines below the area of ​​the eyes and brown feathers in the area of ​​the throat.

3. Blue and yellow macaw

Scientific name: Ara ararauna

The blue and yellow macaw (also known as the blue and gold macaw) is a species that belongs to the parrot family and resides in Central America and South America, from Panama to the north of Paraguay and throughout the Amazon basin. They live in different types of habitats, from tropical humid forests to the dry sheet, so they are birds that can adapt very well to changes in temperature. Flocks especially live close to river beds.

This is a large macaw. It is between 76 and 86 centimeters long and can weigh up to 1.5 kg. It does not present sexual dimorphism, reason why it is quite difficult to be able to differentiate between females and males. However, according to some experts, females tend to weigh less and are smaller than males. But, over time it has been proven that this depends on the specimen, so it is not a reliable system to use.

4. Golden collared macaw

Scientific name: Primolius auricollis

It is a very common bird in Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is one of the three species of the genus primolius. For a long time it was considered to be a member of the ara genus, due to the face that is free of feathers, but its size was much smaller than the aras and it does not have the characteristic rows of philopluma typical of this species.

It is a medium-sized bird that reaches 38 centimeters and can weigh up to 400 grams. It is not sexually dimorphic, and although females are generally somewhat smaller than males, it is not a good way to determine sex. The feathers of its body are green, with a yellow collar on the neck (at the back) which develops as it ages, of a quite vivid color.

5. Red-shouldered macaw

Scientific name: Diopsittaca nobilis

It is also known by the name of Hahn’s Macaw and it is a species that lives in the plains, savannas and swamps of Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia and Brazil. Although it is a macaw, it is true that its size is not very large, since it measures a maximum of 35 centimeters and can weigh up to one kilo. This bird does not present sexual dimorphism, so to know if it is female or male, a DNA test is needed.

This exotic bird has a long, narrow tail with a large beak. Its body is covered by bright green feathers, with some darker and bluish feathers in the head area, as well as near the beak area. The green feathers on its tail and wings are duller in the interior area. When it reaches adulthood the feathers on its shoulders are red. Their eyes are orange, and the area near their beak is devoid of feathers.