Blue-throated Macaw

People usually search for the Blue-throated Macaw because they’ve seen a photo and want to know what it is, where it lives, and why it’s so rare. Sometimes the question is more practical: whether it’s legal or ethical to keep one, and what “critically endangered” really means in the real world.

The short story is that the Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) survives in a small pocket of Bolivia’s Beni lowlands, in a landscape of flooded savannas and palm forest “islands”. Its wild population is tiny, its breeding options are constrained by the shortage of large tree hollows, and the species sits under strict international trade controls.^{1, 2, 3}

Quick facts (at a glance)

• Common name: Blue-throated Macaw
• Scientific name: Ara glaucogularis
• Adult size: about 70–85 cm long (head to tail)⁴
• Adult weight: roughly 0.9–1.2 kg⁴
• Lifespan (captivity): up to around 50 years (often reported for large macaws)⁴
• Where it lives: Llanos de Mojos (Beni Department), northern Bolivia^{2, 3}
• Conservation status: Critically Endangered (IUCN)¹
• International trade status: CITES Appendix I⁵

Habitat and range

The Blue-throated Macaw is endemic to a small part of Bolivia, centred on the Llanos de Mojos in the Beni Department. It lives in a seasonally flooded mosaic: open savanna, wetlands, and scattered palm forest “islands” that rise slightly above the surrounding plains.^{2, 3}

These birds are not widespread across “Bolivian tropical forests” in general. Their distribution is patchy, and the places that matter most are the ones with the right palms for food and the right trees (or suitable substitutes) for nesting cavities.^{2, 6}

Where you’re most likely to hear about them

Much of the fieldwork and recovery effort is concentrated in protected areas and private reserves in Beni, including Barba Azul Nature Reserve and the Laney Rickman Blue-throated Macaw Reserve, where habitat protection and nest-site support have been central tools.^{7, 8}

Identification and physical features

At a glance, the Blue-throated Macaw looks like a close cousin of the Blue-and-yellow Macaw, but the throat is the giveaway: a vivid turquoise-blue “beard” extending down the throat and upper chest, paired with yellow underparts and blue upperparts.⁴

Other common field marks include a large black bill and bare facial skin with fine dark feather lines around the eye, typical of many macaws.⁴

Diet and feeding

In the wild, Blue-throated Macaws feed heavily on palm fruits, especially from Attalea and Acrocomia palms. Their movements across the landscape tend to follow food availability, shifting as palms fruit at different times and in different places.^{2, 6}

Captive diets can be varied, but it’s worth keeping the emphasis clear: “what they will eat” is not the same as “what best supports long-term health”. Anyone seeking husbandry advice should rely on avian veterinarians and specialist parrot-care references rather than general pet guidance.

Behaviour and social structure

Most observations describe Blue-throated Macaws as appearing in pairs or small groups, with larger gatherings occurring at shared roosts or feeding areas. Like other macaws, they are strongly vocal, using loud calls that carry well across open savanna and palm forest edges.^{2, 6}

They are often described as socially bonded birds, and long-term pair association is commonly reported for macaws. It is still best to treat “mates for life” as a tendency rather than an iron rule; wild pair bonds can be durable, but nature is rarely absolute.

Breeding and reproduction

Blue-throated Macaws nest in tree cavities. This is the pinch point: suitable hollows are scarce in landscapes shaped by long-term ranching, burning, and the removal of large trees.⁹

Typical clutches are usually reported as 2–3 eggs, with breeding linked to the seasonal cycle in the Beni lowlands. Where natural cavities are limited, well-designed nest boxes can improve nesting opportunities, but they don’t replace the need for mature trees and functioning habitat over the long term.^{2, 9}

Threats

The Blue-throated Macaw’s decline has been driven by a familiar combination: a very small natural range, pressure from trapping (historically a major problem), and habitat change that reduces both food resources and nest sites. Low breeding success—often linked to nest failure, predation, and competition for cavities—adds another hard constraint to recovery.³

Because the population is so small, even modest losses matter. A few failed breeding seasons, a localised habitat shift, or sustained illegal take can echo for decades in a long-lived bird with slow reproduction.

Conservation status: how many are left?

The IUCN lists the Blue-throated Macaw as Critically Endangered. Recent summaries commonly express the population in terms of mature individuals, with figures in the low hundreds, and the overall trend often described as stable under active management.^{1, 2}

You’ll also see broader “total individuals” estimates used in conservation communication. Different methods count different things (mature birds vs all birds; minimum confirmed counts vs modelled estimates), so the cleanest approach is to treat any single number as a snapshot, not a certainty.^{2, 3}

Trade, legality, and keeping one as a pet

The Blue-throated Macaw is listed on CITES Appendix I, which places the strictest controls on international trade and generally rules out commercial trade across borders, except under limited circumstances (for example, certain non-commercial movements with the right permits).⁵

Separate from legality, there’s the practical reality: large macaws are powerful, long-lived, and demanding. Even when captive-bred birds exist, the species’ conservation status makes any purchase decision ethically weighty. If your interest is conservation-focused, supporting reputable, on-ground habitat and nest-site work tends to do more good than private ownership.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Blue-throated Macaw Australian?

No. It is native to Bolivia, in South America.^{2, 3}

Does it live in rainforest?

Not primarily. It’s strongly associated with the flooded savannas and palm forest islands of the Beni lowlands, rather than broad tropical rainforest.²

Why are nest boxes such a big deal?

Because nesting cavities are limited. Nest boxes can compensate for the shortage of suitable hollows and can lift breeding success at key sites, buying time while longer-term habitat recovery catches up.^{7, 9}

References

1. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (search: Ara glaucogularis)
2. World Parrot Trust – Blue-throated Macaw (species overview)
3. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Final rule listing the Blue-throated Macaw (Oct 3, 2013)
4. National Geographic – Blue-throated macaw facts
5. CITES – Ara glaucogularis listing (Appendix I)
6. World Parrot Trust – Blue-throated Macaws: surveys and fieldwork
7. BirdLife International – Success in the savannah: saving the Blue-throated Macaw
8. Asociación Armonía – Barba Azul Nature Reserve nestbox updates (July 2019)
9. American Bird Conservancy – Blue-throated Macaw (threats and nest box needs)