The Macaw
by Douglas
Hey Girl, Like My Colors?
Did you know macaws are a type of parrot and can be 40 inches from the tail to the beak? Macaws have zygodactyl (zy-go-dact-el) feet (two toes in the front and two toes in the back). They can be green, blue, yellow, and red, and they also have skin on their eyes and tongue (gross).
Macaws are literally meant to be in the rainforest. How they flap their wings (not too wide) allows them to fly through the trees and their strong feet and beak allow them to grasp anything, including other birds! This is very helpful in the food chain (the cycle of predators/prey). They are also very scaly (has scales). That is what a macaw looks like and how its body parts are useful.
Predator vs. Prey
Did you know macaws are the second place in the food chain? For example, the harpy eagle eats the macaw and the macaw eats insects. Macaws are omnivores (om-ni-vors), animals that eat plants and meat. Their only predators, which are animals that eat another animal/plant for nutrients (food made by plants), are harpy eagles, hawks, and anacondas. These animals eat macaws for protein. But, their chicks have all of those predators plus monkeys and toucans (like Toucan Sam from Frootloops).
The Macaws eat: nuts, seeds, leaves, ripe/unripe fruit, and flowers. Those are all the plant things that they eat and for protein they eat: snails, insects, and now… the weirdest of all: clay (kind of soil). The reason scientists think they eat clay is so they can prevent stomachaches (gross, but healthy like vegetables for the macaw.)
The Marvelous Macaw Life
Did you macaws in one year only lay 2-4 eggs? The first stage of a macaw’s life is the egg. That is where babies are formed like a baby in a mother’s belly. When the babies are born they do not have any feathers and their skin looks peach at that age. Babies can cost 4,000 dollars and their scientific name is fledglings (baby chicks). The fathers get the food while the mothers protect eggs from the toucans and the monkeys.
After three months of competing for food and hitting the nest walls (because they’re so clumsy) they have feathers and are learning to fly! When they have made some friends in their flock they find the “fairest” of the macaws and start dating. This is called a bond (another word for couple for macaws).
Finally, after going through all that mushy stuff they make babies. I don’t want to explain that part of the reproduction process (the process for parents to make babies). They start that long (gross) cycle again.
The Habits of the Macaws
Did you know how smart macaws are? They can make and use tools, they can mimic people, and can prevent stomachaches (as you probably know if you were paying attention).
When they see toucans or monkeys (their baby’s predators) come near their nests, they usually startle (surprise) them by pecking and screaming from behind. It is very unlikely for them to not see the predators.
They also live in packs of 10-30 and they like to take baths and forage (search far and wide for food and animals) together.
Macaws' Amazing Homes
When it rains (like every day in the Amazon rainforest) they need a house. Their houses are usually in dead tree holes, (usually created by woodpeckers), cliff sides (the macaws make that), and earthen banks (the humid sweet spot)! The population of macaws in the wild biodiversity (the measurement of different living things in one area) is decreasing rapidly. This is happening in Southern Mexico, Central America, and South America because of people smuggling (importing secretly and unlawfully) them and putting them on the black market (an illegal trading system) for at least $200-$4,000. Hopefully people will raise awareness to save these colorful, smart birds.
by Douglas
Hey Girl, Like My Colors?
Did you know macaws are a type of parrot and can be 40 inches from the tail to the beak? Macaws have zygodactyl (zy-go-dact-el) feet (two toes in the front and two toes in the back). They can be green, blue, yellow, and red, and they also have skin on their eyes and tongue (gross).
Macaws are literally meant to be in the rainforest. How they flap their wings (not too wide) allows them to fly through the trees and their strong feet and beak allow them to grasp anything, including other birds! This is very helpful in the food chain (the cycle of predators/prey). They are also very scaly (has scales). That is what a macaw looks like and how its body parts are useful.
Predator vs. Prey
Did you know macaws are the second place in the food chain? For example, the harpy eagle eats the macaw and the macaw eats insects. Macaws are omnivores (om-ni-vors), animals that eat plants and meat. Their only predators, which are animals that eat another animal/plant for nutrients (food made by plants), are harpy eagles, hawks, and anacondas. These animals eat macaws for protein. But, their chicks have all of those predators plus monkeys and toucans (like Toucan Sam from Frootloops).
The Macaws eat: nuts, seeds, leaves, ripe/unripe fruit, and flowers. Those are all the plant things that they eat and for protein they eat: snails, insects, and now… the weirdest of all: clay (kind of soil). The reason scientists think they eat clay is so they can prevent stomachaches (gross, but healthy like vegetables for the macaw.)
The Marvelous Macaw Life
Did you macaws in one year only lay 2-4 eggs? The first stage of a macaw’s life is the egg. That is where babies are formed like a baby in a mother’s belly. When the babies are born they do not have any feathers and their skin looks peach at that age. Babies can cost 4,000 dollars and their scientific name is fledglings (baby chicks). The fathers get the food while the mothers protect eggs from the toucans and the monkeys.
After three months of competing for food and hitting the nest walls (because they’re so clumsy) they have feathers and are learning to fly! When they have made some friends in their flock they find the “fairest” of the macaws and start dating. This is called a bond (another word for couple for macaws).
Finally, after going through all that mushy stuff they make babies. I don’t want to explain that part of the reproduction process (the process for parents to make babies). They start that long (gross) cycle again.
The Habits of the Macaws
Did you know how smart macaws are? They can make and use tools, they can mimic people, and can prevent stomachaches (as you probably know if you were paying attention).
When they see toucans or monkeys (their baby’s predators) come near their nests, they usually startle (surprise) them by pecking and screaming from behind. It is very unlikely for them to not see the predators.
They also live in packs of 10-30 and they like to take baths and forage (search far and wide for food and animals) together.
Macaws' Amazing Homes
When it rains (like every day in the Amazon rainforest) they need a house. Their houses are usually in dead tree holes, (usually created by woodpeckers), cliff sides (the macaws make that), and earthen banks (the humid sweet spot)! The population of macaws in the wild biodiversity (the measurement of different living things in one area) is decreasing rapidly. This is happening in Southern Mexico, Central America, and South America because of people smuggling (importing secretly and unlawfully) them and putting them on the black market (an illegal trading system) for at least $200-$4,000. Hopefully people will raise awareness to save these colorful, smart birds.