LEAR’S MACAW

Lear’s Macaw – Appearance:

The Indigo macaw’s are covered in luscious deep blue/grey plumage whereas the base of the beak and eye rings are bare and bright yellow. Nevertheless, the Lear’s Macaw looks strikingly similar to the Hyacinth Macaw or Glaucous Macaw. Nevertheless don’t be mistaken, some distinguishing features include the Lear’s smaller size, limited geographical distribution within Brazil and plumage color ranging for blue to greenish tones. For example, Lear Macaw chicks will have a turquoise green head which slowly fades throughout maturity.

Essentials section is not included for the Lears Macaw however you can still:

Click here to download our 100% FREE domesticated bird care checklist here.

Lear’s Macaw – Behavior:

• Socialization: Lear’s Macaws are social parrots meaning they enjoy foraging in flocks of up to 30 birds. However little is known about their interaction with humans as not many are known to be in captivity.

• Vocalization: These parrots have loud calls that resemble a “kraaa” screech. Their talking or mimicking ability is unknown.

Lear’s Macaw – Breeding:

On average the Lear’s Macaw reaches sexual maturity at 2 – 4 years of age. They are considered monomorphic breeds meaning female and males look alike. Therefore if you plan to breed a pair, make sure you get a DNA test beforehand.

Other facts for breeding are mentioned below:

Lear’s Macaw – Health:

Common Issue	Symptoms	Causes
Psittacosis	Appetite loss, fluffed feathers, vomiting, nasal/ocular discharge, diarrhea or pale green feces, breathing difficulties, conjunctivitis, minimal physical movement, tremors	Bacteria: Chlamydia psittaci contracted via infected dried saliva, feathers, mucous and feces
Proventricular Dilatation Syndrome “Macaw Wasting Syndrome“	Loss of appetite, vomiting, passing of undigested food in feces, weight loss, overall body weakness, head tremors seizures	Avian Bornavirus (ABV) contracted through feces, saliva and other bodily secretions from birds – causes nerve inflammation
Feather Plucking	Form of self mutilation by plucking their own feathers, leaving bald patches of skin	Boredom, lack of mental stimulation, poor diet, illness, stress
Psittacine Beak & Feather Disease	Sharp, clubbed or abnormally short feathers, pigment loss in colored feathers, bloody feather shafts	Beak & Feather Disease Virus (BFDV) contracted from other infected birds e.g. oral – parent feeding young or ingestion of virus particles in dust feces
Aspergillosis	Weight loss, lethargy, constantly fluffed feathers, difficulty breathing, cloudy eyes, droopy wings	Aspergillus fungus: exposure to spores found in dust, mold, soil – mainly affects malnourished or immunocompromised birds
Malnutrition	Nasal discharge, sneezing, wheezing conjunctivitis, poor feather quality, weakness, egg binding, embryonic death	Vitamin A or Calcium deficiency
Worms	Diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, malnutrition or blood in feces	Ascaris roundworm or flatworms – eggs passed in droppings

Listen to the Lear’s Macaw Success Story by the American Bird Conservancy below:

Did You Know?

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