Small soldier’s macaw (Ara militaris)

Ara militaris mexicana is a larger subspecies, Ara militaris boliviana has a reddish-brown throat, while the flight feathers and tail tip are dark blue. Soldier macaws are a vulnerable species that is on the verge of extinction, therefore it is listed on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Also, the soldier’s macaw is listed in Appendix I of CITES.

APPEARANCE

The body length of a soldier’s macaw is 63 – 70 cm. The length of the tail is 32 – 40 cm.

From above, the color of the plumage (including the upper part of the head) is protective (dark green), the lower part of the body is olive green. The front part is painted in a reddish-meaty color. The forehead is cinnabar red. The neck is olive-brown. Tail feathers are red-brown with blue tips. Flight feathers are blue. The lower coverts and rump are blue. The beak is black-gray. The iris is yellow. Paws are dark. Females and males do not differ in color.

HABITAT AND LIFE IN NATURE

The soldier’s macaw lives in Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico and Peru. They live both in the mountains and on the plains. In the Andes, these birds were seen at an altitude of 3500 m above sea level. The parrots inhabiting the rainforests spend time in the crowns of trees, however, when the crop ripens on corn and vegetable plantations, macaws fly to feed there. Since their raids cause significant damage to the crop, the birds are not loved by the locals.

KEEPING IN HOME

Character and temperament

The soldier’s macaw does pretty well in captivity. If you take good care of him and handle him correctly, a feathered friend can live up to 100 years. However, if the bird is treated badly, it will become embittered and extremely dangerous. And it is not easy to create suitable conditions for them: you need a spacious room where the macaw can fly and walk freely. In addition, the soldier’s macaw does not tolerate loneliness. He needs communication, and if you give the bird less than 2 hours a day (or better, more), it will scream indignantly. The soldier’s macaw loves to climb a rope and play. At least 1 – 2 times a day, he must be given the opportunity to fly. Macaws are affectionate, intelligent, but very active birds. You can’t call them quiet. So if the noise annoys you, it is better to refrain from buying such a pet. Ara can be aggressive, so you should not leave it unattended in the company of a small child or pets. Be sure to offer toys for large parrots to the soldier’s macaw. You can buy them at the pet store.

Maintenance and care

Before deciding to get a pet, check if you can coexist under the same roof. Small soldier macaws can cause allergies. For a soldier macaw, it is better to allocate a separate room or build an aviary (with an adjacent shelter). The minimum size of the enclosure is 3x6x2 m. The size of the shelter: 2x3x2 m. Make sure that the room where the parrot flies is safe. If you choose a cage, make sure that it is spacious enough (minimum 120x120x150 cm). The cage is placed at a height of about 1 m from the floor. The rods should be thick, the gap between them should not exceed 25 mm. It is better if the bottom is retractable – this will facilitate care. The bottom is covered with any material that absorbs moisture well. Make sure that there are always branches of fruit trees in the cage – their bark contains the necessary macaw vitamins and minerals. Be sure to place a bathing suit. A soldier’s macaw needs to take water treatments (2 times a week or more often). The bird can be sprayed with a spray bottle. Keep the bird’s home clean. Clean the feeders and drinkers every day. If the toy is dirty, clean it. Disinfection is carried out weekly (cage) or monthly (aviary). 2 times a year, a complete disinfection of the enclosure should take place.

Feeding

Cereal seeds form the basis of the diet (from 60 to 70%). fresh cabbage, crackers, dandelion leaves, cereals or hard-boiled eggs. But do not overdo it, all this is given in a little bit. Soldier macaws eat 2 times a day. All large parrots (including macaws) are great conservatives in matters of nutrition. However, it is necessary to diversify their nutrition system as much as possible.

Breeding

If you want to breed soldier macaws, the pair must be separated from other birds and settled in an aviary. Macaws should live there all year round. The size of the enclosure should not be less than 2×1,5×3 m. The floor is wooden, covered with sand and covered with turf. A barrel (volume – 120 l) is horizontally mounted under the ceiling, at the end of which a square hole is cut out (size: 17×17 cm). You can buy a nesting house (minimum size: 50x70x50 cm), the entrance of which has a diameter of 15 cm. Nest litter: wood chips, as well as sawdust. A certain air temperature (20 degrees) and humidity (80%) are maintained in the bird room lamps so that the room is light for 15 hours a day, and 9 hours is dark.