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The Red-fronted Macaw (Ara rubrogenys), also known as Red-cheeked Macaw and Lafresnaye's Macaw , is a parrot endemic to a small semi-desert mountainous area of Bolivia, Brazil. It is highly endangered, and the numbers continue to decline; however, it has been successfully bred in captivity, and is available, as a pet.

The Red-fronted Macaw was first described in 1847 by French ornithologist Frédéric de Lafresnaye, but aviculturists did not capture a specimen until 1973 and were not bred by humans until 1978 (1981 in the United States).

Description

The Red-fronted Macaw is 55–60 cm (21.5–23.5 in.) long. They are considered the smallest of the large macaws weighing between 15 - 19.4 oz (425 - 550 g). Life expectancy can range from 25 - 50 years and adults can reach a maximum flying speed of 40 miles per hour (64 km / hour). The adult is mostly green with a red forehead, a red patch over the ears, and bright red to orange edged under-wing coverts. It has an area of pinkish skin around the eyes extending to the beak. It has red feathers at the bend of the wings and blue primary wing feathers. The beak is black and the legs are dark gray. Juveniles do not have the orange-red patches on the forehead or crown and their wings are only green lacking the multi-colored pattern. While the adult parrots have orangish colored eyes, the young's eyes are brown. Juveniles also have shorter tails.

Each clutch produced by a female contains two to four eggs with an 26 day incubation period. Once born, the offspring are cared for by their mother for three months until they leave the nest.

Taxonomy

Hybrids

A. rubrogenys can be crossed with the Blue and Gold Macaw. This first generation hybrid is called the Maui Sunset Macaw.

Anatomy and Morphology

Sexing

It is difficult to sex A. rubrogenys because there are no visible differences. It is speculated that males will be larger, but this does not always apply. The only way to distinguish between the two sexes is to use DNA or surgical methods.

Diet and Feeding

Their diet consists of a variety of fruits, seeds, and insects along with some vegetables and protein matter such as maize obtained from local crops and farms. Sometimes they also chew on sticks and tree bark. Water is obtained from cactus plants because the parrot lives in wild mountainous environments at high elevations where water is scarce and where the dry desert scrub lands blend into sparse woodlands.

Behavior and Life Histories

Distribution and Habitat

A. rubrogenys is endemic to an area in south-central Bolivia between the cities of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. It is native to a small mountainous area at elevations from 3,600- 8,860 feet (1,100-2,700 meters) on the east Andean slope of south-central Bolivia. More specifically, this area situated about 200 km west of Santa Cruz and south of Cochabamba where the climate is semi-desert. The natural vegetation consists mostly of cactus (large and small) and thorny trees and scrub. The climate is semi arid with cold nights and hot days. Rain comes in infrequent heavy storms. It is unusual in that it is the only macaw to inhabit such a climatic zone. Most macaws nest in holes in large trees, however here there are no very large trees in its range so it nests in vertical fissures in steep-sided river cliff faces.

Social Organization

These macaws are very social animals that are usually found in groups. Even after they leave the nest these birds tend to remain together as a family. The only time they are seen away from another group is during the breeding season when pairs seperate. A group of macaws can range anywhere between 3-30 birds. Red- fronted Macaws also often show displays of interaction with one another.

Conservation

Status and Threats

In 1994, A. rubrogenys was placed on the IUCN Red List for Endangered Species as Endangered. Its numbers have drastically declined from habitat loss and degradation, persecution for crop feeding, and from being trapped for the pet industry.

Most of the habitat loss is a result areas getting turned into agricultural land or logging and gathering of firewood. By 1991, over 40% of its habitat was used for agricultural purposes. Other areas of land have become damaged by overgrazing. Loss of its habitat and food sources in or made by the trees has made this macaw a pest to the crops planted in the area.

Because of the transformation of their land, Red-fronted Macaws have been forced to find other sources of food including eating local crops. For this, farmers began to persecute the birds or the birds would die from pesticides in the crops.

A large decline in the number of these parrots in the wild has resulted from being illegally trapped and sold to the pet industry. From August 2004 to July 2005, twenty six macaws were counted going through a pet market found in Santa Cruz. Los Pozos is only one of five pet markets in the city and one of numerous others in the area. The 26 birds counted there may only symbolize a percentage of all trafficking taking place in Bolivia (Herrera and Hennessey 2007). In 2011, the number of Red-fronted Macaws were counted in homes. Forty five birds were counted that were either to be kept as pets or that were to be sold to another party. These had either been taken from a nest or were captured around crops (A. Rojas, F. Hiraldo and J. L. Tella in litt. 2012).

Actions

Several different conservation efforts are currently taking place to help protect this species. It is considered to be critically endangered in Bolivia and is listed under Appendix I and II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This allows trade to be closely monitored when it takes place internationally. Bolivian law makes it illegal to capture or export the birds, but this law is not strictly enforced. Conservation groups dedicated to protecting this species are educating locals on this species importance to the environment and the world which is helping lower the number of macaws getting removed from their habitat in this manner.

Birdlife Bolivia began a program in 2002 to help save the species. Their goals are to identify improtant areas of habitat like Pilcomayo, Mizque, Caine and the valleys of Rio Grande where the largest populations have been discovered. Areas like these would be found through surveying and observing the species, educating the community, get rid of all bird trade, and restrict areas to grazers so that natural vegetation could regrow.

Individuals such as Thomas Henry Wilson Sr. and Jr along with organizations like the American Bird Conservancy and World Land Trust have provided funds to the Bolivian organization Armonia to create private reserves for more research and conservation efforts can be put into effect. Armonia has also opened a Red-fronted Macaw Ecolodge in 2009 where bird watchers can observe them on their chief breeding cliff. Money made from this reserve all goes to local communities and protecting the reserve.

The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) plays a major role in A. rubrogenys conservation. ABC along with the Center for Biodiversity and Genetics set up two natural areas in Cochabamba creating protected land for the birds. Largapampa and Pasaropa span over 500,000 acres. In 2012, ABC helped develop a plan to reforest the macaw's native habitat where over 10,000 trees were planted and they also celebrated the first annual Red-fronted Macaw Day with Bolivians on June 15, 2012.

Note!!

I will use the pictures that already exist on my page stub. I am also waiting on my landscape architecture student to post his grpahic on my page.