Pantanal macaws

[Bush dog]

When speaking of the Pantanal, jaguars are still in the spotlight and to a lesser extent giant anteaters, giant otters and tapirs while macaws are barely mentioned. The jabiru is even more popular than them. I think this is totally unfair and that perhaps it’s them who are the real stars, especially the three major species.

 

Indeed, these magnificent creatures are a feast for the eyes and they are always moving. You can spend hours watching them and never get bored. To do them justice, here is a selection of photographs, all taken at Barranco Alto.

 

Honour where honour is due, let’s start with the biggest one and also the most spectacular, the HYACINTH MACAW.

 

Here is to begin a series of some of their stunts and antics, seen in July 2010.

 

 

To be continued

[kittykat23uk]

Lovely series!

[Treepol]

Mike, a beautiful sequence, I am looking forward to more when you have time.

 

Just missed you at BA in July 2010, I think you arrived the week after we left.

[TonyQ]

@@Bush dog

A beautiful sequence of stunning birds!

I look forward to more of your postings in this thread.

[offshorebirder]

Wonderful action shots @@Bush dog!

[Bush dog]

@kittykat23uk@Treepol@TonyQ@offshorebirder

 

Thanks a lot for your kind comments!

[Peter Connan]

@@Bush dog, beautiful photos of very beautiful birds!

[Bush dog]

Hyacinth macaws, as the other major species, generally pair for life. They usually nest in the hollow of big trees (mandovi, taruma,…) they dig deeper, if necessary, with their strong beak. Photos taken in September 2014.

 

 

A couple nests in a big taruma close to the ranch premises. As they are habituated to human activities, they allow you to approach them closely. On the third picture, it is busy sharpening its beak, note the many notches. Photos taken in July 2006 and in September 2014.

 

 

Though they can feed on other nuts or fruits, I could see that, at Barranco Alto, they did it mainly on the bacuri palm’s nuts that they crack with their beak. Photos taken in October 2013.

 

 

To be continued.

[Bush dog]

@@Peter Connan

 

Thanks Peter for your comments!

[Bush dog]

October 2012, another series of a show offered by a couple of hyacinth macaws.

[Peter Connan]

The photos just keep getting better!

 

Thank you Mike.

[Bush dog]

Thank you Peter.

 

We came back one hour later. The couple was still on the same tree, on the same branch. As soon as we stopped, it was again show time. I came to wonder if they needed a public to start their stunts and to really ham it up.

[Peter Connan]

Just how much better can this get Mike?

 

Wow!

[michael-ibk]

Really wonderful thread, Mike. They are such delightful birds, and you captured them perfectly.

[Bush dog]

@@Peter Connan@@michael-ibk

 

Thanks a lot for your eulogistic comments.

[Bush dog]

This is the last post concerning the hyacinth macaws.

 

A few pictures taken in September 2014.

 

 

And in October 2013, a couple chasing another from a branch. Was it again for the show ? More seriously, perhaps just for territorial reasons ?

 

[wilddog]

Absolutely stunning pictures. Interesting to see the courtship display.

[Bush dog]

@@wilddog

 

Thank you so much for your kind words.

[Bush dog]

The second species in size is the RED-AND-GREEN or GREEN-WINGED MACAW.

 

To start, a series similar to those of the hyacinth macaws but here the riot of color is more obvious. Photos taken in October 2013.

[Peter Connan]

Great photos again Mike!

 

I don't think I've ever seen one of these...

[inyathi]

Wonderful, very nice set of photos of these fantastic birds. If my aged PC and currently rather temperamental router will cooperate, I hope to get cracking on my next report and post some less spectacular shots from a different area. No trip to Brazil is complete without a look at some hyacinth macaws somewhere.

Those red and greens are also very special, I don’t think I’ve ever seen them as well as that in the Pantanal.

Edited October 4, 2016 by inyathi

[Bush dog]

@@Peter Connan

 

Once more, thank you!

 

@@inyathi

 

Thanks a lot for your comments.

 

Indeed, priority number one, when going to Brazil, is at least a look at hyacinth macaws.

 

Concerning the red-and-green macaws and also the two other major species, I've never seen them a lot in the north. From my experience, and especially at Barranco Alto, they can be seen several times a day and more in recent years than ten years ago.

[Bush dog]

Red-and-green macaws usually nest in the hole of big trees. From what I observed at Barranco Alto, they mostly feed on the bocaiuva palm’s nuts.

[Bush dog]

The photos of the previous post were taken in October 2012 & 2013 and in September 2014.

 

Some last pictures taken in September 2014.

[Bush dog]

The third species in size is the BLUE-AND-YELLOW (or GOLD) MACAW.

 

They almost exclusively nest in dead mauritia palms that grows in or near wet areas.