Abstract
Second only to the Hyacinth macaw and the occasional Buffon's macaw in size and weight, the Greenwinged macaw (Ara chloroptera) is a large parrot, often exceeding two pounds. The name "Greenwinged macaw" is somewhat of a misnomer as there are several species of macaws that have green plum-
age on the wings. Even though there is a broad patch of green on the secondary wing coverts, the same can be said of many of the variations of the scarlet macaws. In Green-wings the overall plumage color
is dark red (darker than Scarlet macaws) with a band of green on the back of the wings overlapping a band oflight blue. The flight feathers are dark, cobalt blue. The feet are dark grey and nails are black. This species is not dimorphic, therefore the males and females are identical in appearance.
The facial patch of skin is white with five or more lines of red feathers surrounding the eyes, and the beak is predominantly horn colored on the upper mandible and black on the lower. This is one area where differentiation between Scarlet macaws and Green-wings is easier to identify. Scarlet macaws do not have visible feather lines on the facial skin, Green-winged macaws do. All hybrids between either of these species to other macaws will have some semblance of feather lines on the face, making differentiation between "pure" Scarlets and macaw hybrids easier.
Green-winged macaws have a huge natural range in the wild.
They can be found from southern Panama, southward into central South America. There does not appear to be any differences in size or plumage between birds throughout the range and no subspecies are recognized. In the wild, Green-winged macaw population numbers are holding their own. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red Data List of Threatened Species lists this species as "least concern"; all parrot species seem to be trending downward, probably due to habitat destruction and loss of natural food supplies. In the past, trapping for the international live-bird trade was a factor contributing to these downward trends as well. For the time being the status of the Green-winged macaw appears to be stable and thankfully it is well represented in captivity around the world.
The Green-winged macaw became very popular in U. S. aviculture during the import years of the 1980s. Thousands of specimens of this species were imported from Guyana and Surinam during this decade mainly because many of the other range countries did not allow export of their native birds. But not all of the birds being exported from Guyana and Surinam were actually captured there. At this time in history a large illicit bird trade existed in South America and birds that were otherwise prohibited from being exported to the United States (then the largest importer of birds in the world) were often transported into countries where paperwork for export could be obtained. So it is very possible that Green-winged macaws from Brazil were exported through another country to the United States. Keep in mind this is not a reflection on the breeders or pet stores in the United States that purchased birds from import stations, as, for the most part, these consumers were not aware of the suspect activities that were rife in the live bird trade at the time. It was virtually impossible to track the original capture of wild birds back to the exact location where they were collected. This is one of the factors that led the United States to pass the Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992.
During the years of mass wild-bird importation, breeders took an interest in this species due to its bright colors, large size, and apparent ability to mimic human voice. But Green-winged macaws did not prove to be the easiest of birds to breed in captivity and early attempts to breed them often ended in failure. It seems that many pairs, although seemingly very compatible, did not breed. Of the reported pairs not breeding, many claimed their birds never even approached the nestbox. Since wildcaught birds were available as replacements, it was common to find "bonded" pairs of this species for sale when breeders became frustrated and sold them before they settled in to breed.
With so many pairs being moved or sold before they bred, the rumors of their difficulty of breeding became commonplace. Thus the search for the "secret" to breeding Green-winged macaws began. Those who were successful claimed the secret was to supply more nuts or higher fat foods in the diet while others swore their pairs savored more fruits and vegetables. Some breeders were convinced their successes were due to a strategic placement of the nestbox on the cage. But the truth was that some were successful using vertical nestboxes and others were successful with horizontal nests. In other words, there didn't seem to be a secret at all; each pair had its very own set of necessities and preferences, and often it was just a matter of patience, after all, most of the early pairs were wild-caught parrots and certainly needed some time to adjust to a captive life.
One useful "trick", if you will, evolved during this time period and to date has helped breeders of many other species as well. This practice, still used today, is useful with pairs that do not pay attention to the nest box. The trick is to place thin wooden covers or doors over the entrance holes of the nests (they can be glued or nailed into place). These covers serve to block the pair out of the nest. Covers should have a very small hole drilled in the middle to entice the birds to begin enlarging the entrance. This apparently intrigues some pairs to investigate and often they end up chewing or working the box together. For whatever reason, maybe the bonding that takes place between the pair during the enlargement of the nest entrance, or some needed extra time for maturity, this little trick seems to get many difficult pairs into breeding condition. The good news is that, at least with Green-winged macaws, it is common that once you get them to breed, they become fairly consistent breeders and will often nest regularly.