Scarlet Macaws

These are Scarlet Macaws, painted by Ken Gibson of New York. Lots of these in fact in that city,
but they are native to Central and South America, especially Bolivia. In some parts of Mexico and Central America they have been driven to the point of extinction.
There are two subspecies, Ara macao macao, pictured here, and A. m. caynoptera.
The latter is believed to have more blue on the tips of the yellow wing feathers, but that may not
be as definitive as some are inclined to believe.
At one point buyers prefered 'Bolivians' - so much so that Bolivian dealers bought from Colombia
and relabeled as 'Bolivian'.
There are also orangey individuals, once sold as a subspecies, but now known to be late in the season
birds whose plumage has been affected by the sun. Very spectacular effect - known as 'Tangerine'
macaws.
Best to see these in the wild! Flocks of over 100 can be seen in the Bolivian jungles, feeding on the fruits and nuts high up in the canopy.
Bolivia is home to more species of macaw than any other country.

British bred Blue-throated Macaws to be released in Bolivia

Rare macaws bred in Cornwall to be flown to Bolivia

The trust said about 130 blue-throated macaws survived in the wild

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Six rare parrots which have been bred in Cornwall are being flown to a new life in the wild in Bolivia.

The Blue Throated Macaws are heading to South America, 6,000 miles away (9,660 km) from their home at Paradise Park in Hayle.

It is part of a project to re-populate parrots in the wild organised by the World Parrot Trust based in Cornwall.

The trust said current figures show up to 120 Blue Throated Macaws live in the wild in Bolivia.

The numbers have reduced by more than 50% compared to 2007, when there were 250 in Bolivia.

Earlier figures show there were 1,000 of the birds living in the wild in 1980.
'Quite a boost'
They are now only found in Llanos de Mojos in northern Bolivia.

David Woolcock, the curator of Paradise Park, where the trust is based, said: "I can't emphasise enough how rare these birds are.

"To send six birds out from here, joined by seven from America and seven from Canada. That's quite a boost to the wild population."

It is not the first time the trust has sent bred-birds back into the wild from Cornwall.

Alison Hales, from the park, said: "The very first species the trust helped was the echo parakeet in Mauritius.

"The parakeet was down to just seven individuals. It's taken a very long time, but the numbers have crept up, and now it has reached 500 individuals."

Bennett Hennessy speaking on Bolivian macaws

On 7th and 8th October this year, Dr. Bennett Hennessey spoke on the Bolivian macaws. He is a conservationist in Santa Cruz, which is the largest departamento in Bolivia. His work takes him all over the country, including Pando, where rare macaws have become an icon.

A write up of his appearance Fauna, New York's largest exotic pet shop was made by Diana Hubert of the Epoch Times, and is available at http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/44461/