Fun Harlequin Macaw Facts For Kids

Harlequin macaws are some of the most beautiful macaw hybrid parrots who are socialized and well-behaved in nature. This species of macaws are a cross between a blue and gold macaw and a green-winged macaw. Both parents are involved in the coloration of offspring, but the father contributes more and his gene will give the final appearance of their offspring. Hybrid macaws are full-size parrots and harlequin macaw talking habits are the same as their parents. These birds are ideal as cage birds or as a pet, as they associate well with humans and are adorable in nature.

Macaws require good socialization and need consistent training to become good pets and they are the best bird to be kept as pets by the right owners. If harlequin macaw care is taken properly by people, these birds became friendly with their owners. This bird requires a lot of handling so it is expected that an owner should spend considerable time with this bird, as the temperament of this bird is uncertain. To buy a macaw hybrid, a single harlequin macaw price is around $1,500-$3,000 based on their colors and age. To keep them as pets, their cage must be big enough for them to live comfortably.

For more relatable content, check out these great green macaw facts and glaucous macaw facts for kids.

What type of animal is a harlequin macaw?

Harlequin macaws (Ara ararauna or Ara chloroptera) are a type of bird. Macaws are very beautiful blue and gold in color and talkative like their parents. They are mostly found in wild.

What class of animal does a harlequin macaw belong to?

Harlequin macaws are birds of class Aves and phylum Chordata. It is known as the first generation hybrid as they are made of true species of macaws. This species is a mix between a blue and gold macaw and a green winged macaw.

How many harlequin macaws are there in the world?

The definite number of harlequin macaws present in the world is unknown.

Where does a harlequin macaw live?

A harlequin macaw can be found in captivity if bred in captivity. In the wild, they are mostly found in forests especially rainforests. Some macaws prefer woodlands.

What is a harlequin macaw's habitat?

The macaw harlequin is native to Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and North America but only in Mexico. If the macaw harlequin is kept as a pet in a cage, it should be provided with plenty of toys so that it does not become bored. The cage should be left open in the room for at least 15-20 minutes per day so they can fly to stretch their wings. The perfect harlequin macaw cage should be spaced with 1 -1.5 in (2.5-3.8 cm) and should be at least 36 in (91.4 cm) wide, 48 in (121.9 cm) deep, and 60 in (152.4 cm) tall.

Who do harlequin macaws live with?

These hybrid macaws usually live in pairs and groups or in flocks of 10-30 in the wild. This species lives in groups to stay safe from predators like snakes and birds of prey.

How long does a harlequin macaw live?

Humans can keep macaws as their pets because of their long lifespan. These species have an age of 50-80 years.

How do they reproduce?

Harlequin macaws form monogamous bonds that last for their whole lifespan. The breeding process takes place every one to two years. Both parents take care of the young ones. The clutch size is around two to four white eggs and the incubation period is of 24-25 days. Females incubate the eggs and lay about three to four eggs at a time. The male macaw feeds its young ones by regurgitating and liquefying food. Parent macaws do not breed and raise other eggs until the previous one becomes independent. A scarlet macaw reaches sexual maturity at the age of three to four years. Macaws breed around every two years, and the breeding season is usually in the first half of the year. Further hybridization is brought about by breeding these birds with other species of macaw hybrids.

What is their conservation status?

While the IUCN has listed the macaw bird as a Least Concern species, the conservation status of macaws is considered to be a threatened species of parrot. They face danger and the possibility of a decline in their population due to being hunted by large predators. Proper care should be taken of macaws as they are bred in captivity.

What do harlequin macaws look like?

Harlequin macaws are very beautiful in appearance and are sometimes mistaken for a Catalina macaw, which is another macaw hybrid of the same species. The color of this bird is blue and gold and the green wing depends on the male parent. There is a prevalent difference between the color of the breast and the belly. With a blue and gold father macaw parrot, the breast will be red-orange. If the father macaw parrot is a green-winged macaw parrot, the breast feathers will be a lighter orange.

Most harlequin macaw parrots are green and blue and harlequin macaws also tend to have gold feathers on the underside of their tail feathers. It is really hard to differentiate between a male harlequin parrot and a female harlequin parrot. Macaws can grow up to 34 in (86.4 cm). Harlequin macaws are muscular birds that have strong beaks that do earn them a degree of respect, and all macaw types are highly intelligent. The behavior and temperament of hybrid macaws are uncertain. This species of harlequin macaws naturally take the side of green-winged macaws as well the docile side of blue and gold macaws. These birds may become cranky with humans unless well socialized. They are not only wonderful pets but also make great show birds. For some pet macaws, they can adapt to a captive environment nicely and may become able to speak. Their price is quite high if you want to buy them.

How cute are they?

These harlequins are cute in their looks as they are very colorful and adult males have a colorful pattern of plumage. These birds have attractive personalities and an uncertain behavior. They are bred in captivity as this is the first generation hybrid and breeding takes place every half a year. Proper care should be taken of them as well as their diet which includes fruits and seeds. The macaw hybrid is a species known for having laid-back personalities.

How do they communicate?

The macaw hybrid, Catalina macaw, and scarlet macaw have a personality of learning around 15 or more words of expression. When macaw hybrid birds are kept in cages while being trained by their owners, they need to be released for few minutes in the room as they also inherit the need to stretch their wings from the green-winged macaws. The macaw hybrid has a personality of screaming very loud.

How big is a harlequin macaw?

Macaws hybrids or Catalina macaws have a body length of around 34-40 in (86.4-101.6 cm), which is 10 times bigger than a cockatoo.

How fast can a harlequin macaw fly?

Catalina macaw birds or harlequins can generally fly at a speed of 35 mph (56.3 kph).

How much does a harlequin macaw weigh?

Catalina macaw birds can weigh around 2 lb (0.9 kg). A macaw hybrid can weigh up to 2 lb (0.9 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no such names for males and females of the macaw hybrid species, but they are the first-generation hybrid of green-winged macaw and blue and gold macaw. They get their wonderful colors from their parents, mainly the male parent.

What would you call a baby harlequin macaw?

A baby macaw is simply known as a chick.

What do they eat?

The macaw hybrid diet contain fruits, small larvae eggs, and plant detritus. In captivity, owners need to recreate their diet by provideingthem with fish, frozen foods, live foods, or fish flakes.

Are they dangerous?

Macaws are not dangerous but they can feel threatened sometimes. Predators are attracted to the bright colored body or plumage of this species of birds.

Would they make a good pet?

Macaws can be a good pet because of their beautiful color. People are attracted to them because of their cool personalities, however it is really hard to keep them as they require a lot of time to develop trust. Also, they need a spacious room to live in as they need space to fly because they need to be left free for some time to stretch their wings. They are one of the most affectionate and best pets ever. These birds are not good to keep as a pet for beginners. Those kept in the cage must be given proper care and one must ensure that their cage is clean, since they can get sick easily if not.

Did you know...

These are birds who can be kept in cages but they can suffer from diseases like bacterial infection or fungal infection. In macaws, there are beak malformations in chicks and they may also suffer from diseases like proventricular dilation disease. Juveniles may sometimes chew feathers on their tails, develop allergies, start feather picking, or develop psittacosis and kidney disease. They can also suffer from heavy metal poisoning.

If macaws are provided with a proper diet, sufficient enrichment, and proper care, it can keep most of these complications at bay. The parrot should be taken to a vet as soon as these symptoms are noticed which include droopy wings, lethargy, ruffled plumage, rasping, and sometimes watery and half-closed eyes.

Spix's macaw is said to be the rarest species of macaw while hyacinth macaw is the biggest macaw in the world.

How much are harlequin macaw birds?

The macaw hybrid is somewhat costly and if you want to buy one, it will cost you between $1,500- $3,000. Some of these hybrids are sold at lower costs and are therefore much more affordable for people. Some of them are so small that they can be sold at around $700, but they can go all the way up to $1000. The budgie parrot is the cheapest talking parrot.

How far can macaws see?

Hybrids can see up to more than 1 mi (1.6 km) away. Their eyesight is amongst some of the sharpest in all animals and they can observe animals from a far distance. They are capable of seeing two to three times better than humans. This bird is better perceiving details and motion but their night vision is not so great.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our keel-billed toucan interesting facts and monk parakeet facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Harlequin macaw coloring pages.