The Zoo in Debrecen may once again announce the arrival of a special, never-before-held species, after a young male mountain macaw was received from the Ostrava Zoo in the Czech Republic on October 14, announced dr. Gergely Sándor Nagy managing director. The latest newcomer to the institution can already be seen by visitors on the parrot line. It is expected that a hen will arrive later this year, so the institution hopes that breeding for species conservation purposes will also take place.
In the south-western part of the Amazon and at the foothills of the Andes adjacent to it, endemic mountain or blue-headed macaws (Primolius couloni) can be classified as smaller macaws; however, like his larger relatives, he also has the characteristically long, straight tail feathers and chunky beaks of the macaws. As one of his common names suggests, his head and paddle feathers are blue, while his body is mostly green. It is an active species during the day, typically occurring in smaller teams of 2-4 individuals. It mainly consumes fruits and seeds, but like many of its relatives, it also regularly consumes clay to neutralize toxins in its immature diet.
Both the loss of habitat due to mining and logging and capture for illegal trade, the species is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and is listed in Annex I of the Washington Convention (CITES) for protection against international trade. It is a rarity in the zoo worldwide, as only 100 individuals live in 27 institutions, and in Hungary the general public can meet it only in Debrecen.
zoodebrecen.hu
