Blue-headed Macaw

1 Blue-headed Macaw Breed Overview

The Blue-headed Macaw is the most expensive of the small parrots, mainly because of its scarcity, low popularity, and obscurity—truly a case of rarity commanding a premium. In captivity it is easily tamed and quite robust, adapts well, and like other macaws loves to chew and is destructive, so regular bathing keeps its plumage healthy. It suits a fairly roomy, flight-capable aviary.

Chinese Name: Blue-headed Macaw

English Name: Blue-headed Macaw

Binomial Name: Propyrrhura couloni (P. L. Sclater, 1876)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Psittacidae

Genus: Propyrrhura

Species: Blue-headed Macaw (P. couloni)

Distribution: Eastern Peru, eastern Brazil, and northwestern Bolivia

2 Blue-headed Macaw Physical Characteristics

Unlike ordinary parrots, the Blue-headed Macaw has gray-black bare skin on the cheeks; in juveniles this bare skin is white, a feature that changes with age. It is a small macaw.

The Blue-headed Macaw is 41 cm long, weighs 205–295 g, and lives an average of about 25 years. It is one of the more common varieties of the Blue-headed parrot group, with a short, stocky body and a short, square tail, and a bright blue head. The adult’s head through the chest is bright blue plumage, with a ring of black feathers by the ears and a black-based bill with a touch of red on each side. The body and wings are yellow-green in varying shades, and the tail feathers have a bluish sheen. The feet are gray. Juveniles retain more green feathers on the head and neck, gradually changing to blue with age. Males and females show no obvious external difference; the male’s shape is rounder, while the female’s is more oval.

3 Blue-headed Macaw Living Environment

Because the Blue-headed Macaw’s habitat has been severely damaged, its numbers have sharply declined, which has driven up the market price of this parrot. It is easily tamed and quite robust, with good adaptability. The Blue-headed Macaw is not a very noisy bird; its chewing damage is also smaller, its nature is steadier and quieter, and it is shy, easily nervous, docile, and noble without aggression. It dislikes hugging but loves its owner’s petting.

4 Blue-headed Macaw Care & Keeping

If you want a quiet, space-saving, and easy-to-keep pet, the Blue-headed Macaw is definitely the one. Its lifespan is longer than that of dogs and cats, averaging around 25 years. Lifespan is closely related to the keeping environment and diet.

The Blue-headed parrot group is not a very noisy bird; its chewing damage is also smaller, its nature is steadier and quieter, and it is shy, easily nervous, docile, and noble without aggression. It dislikes hugging but loves its owner’s petting. The Blue-headed Macaw is a very beautiful, charming, and ideal pet parrot that has long been loved by people; the female is especially sweet and affectionate.

Except during the breeding season it is usually gregarious, often gathering in large flocks in roosting trees or where food is abundant; at night it rests in small groups at the tree tops, usually foraging among the treetops and occasionally raiding corn fields and causing agricultural losses. Except in some areas, it is fairly common locally.

Like other macaws, the Blue-headed Macaw needs higher calories and a variety of foods to stay healthy; nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruit are all essential daily foods, and a moderate amount of high-quality bird biscuits and vitamins as nutritional supplements will keep them healthier. Like other macaws it loves to chew and is destructive, so keepers provide branches and wood for it to gnaw. Regular bathing keeps its plumage healthy, and the Blue-headed Macaw suits a fairly roomy, flight-capable aviary.