Green Macaw officially declared in danger of extinction

The Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus), popularly known as the green macaw, was recently listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In the world, the number of these birds has fallen from a range of 1,500 to 3,000 individuals in 2005, to 500 to 1,000 in 2020. The main reason why it is on the verge of extinction is the deforestation of its habitats in America Central and South and the poaching of pigeons as pets.

Their ranking on the IUCN “Red List” indicates the real possibility that they may no longer be seen in their natural habitat.

Great green macaw (Ara ambiguus). Photo: Fernando Sequeira / The Macaulay Library – Cornell Laboratory

This species inhabits the tropical forests of Central America, from Honduras, Panama and Colombia, to South America.

Given the threats that this species of parrot, like the rest, which are also in serious danger of disappearing, is due to only producing one chick per year, and “are not consistent with their attempts to reproduce,” explained Mario Jiménez, director from the Macaw Recovery Network, a non-profit organization in Costa Rica that works to conserve this spice and its sister species, the scarlet macaw (Ara macao).