The Debrecen Zoo has been enriched with the national bird of Honduras, two yellow-winged macaws, the parrots came to the Great Forest from the Ostrava Zoo in the Czech Republic.
According to Sándor Gergely Nagy, the young males can be viewed since their arrival at the parrot flight line, which is now home to 14 individuals of 4 species of macaw. According to their hopes, the park, which regularly achieves success in breeding macaws, will be able to receive eggs in the future and contribute to the conservation of this species by reproduction.
Native to the lowland rainforests and savannas of Central and South America, the yellow-winged macaw, also known as arakanga, is one of the most impressive-looking parrot species with its red-yellow-blue plumage and 120-centimeter wingspan.
The southern subspecies (Ara macao macao), which can now also be seen in Debrecen, can be distinguished from its rarer northern relative (A. m. cyanoptera) partly by its green wing coverts.
It forms monogamous pairs, which are typical of Arabs, which often gather in large groups. It searches for its food consisting of seeds, fruits, berries and nectar during the day, while at night it rests in groups.
Pairs build their nests in hollows of palm trees; hatching the eggs is mainly the responsibility of the hen, but both parents take part in caring for the chicks for 3-4 months.
Sándor Gergely Nagy added: due to the destruction of its habitat and poaching, the species is included in the Red List of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and in Annex I of the Washington Convention on International Trade (CITES).
The indigenous people living in present-day Honduras attached great value to it, and as a result, the yellow-winged macaw is the country’s national bird. It is considered relatively rare in Hungarian zoos, besides Debrecen, the general public can meet it in only two institutions – indicated Sándor Gergely Nagy.
(MTI)
