军舰金刚鹦鹉种

军舰金刚鹦鹉是一种大型鹦鹉，其栖息的生境散落于墨西哥、哥伦比亚、委内瑞拉、秘鲁、厄瓜多尔、玻利维亚及阿根廷。

不同地区的军舰金刚鹦鹉，其生境亦有所不同，有的居住于潮湿的低地森林、长满树的山丘及峡谷；而在墨西哥，军舰金刚鹦鹉栖息于干燥或半干燥的树林、河岸的潮湿低地，或季节性地移居至茂密的棘林。

军舰金刚鹦鹉身体大部分为青绿色，上鸟喙处有一小片红色的羽毛，脸部的裸皮为浅红色，当兴奋或是激动的时候裸皮会变成深粉红色。脸颊边缘和下巴为橄榄棕色以及黑棕色，尾巴内侧和飞行羽为橄榄黄，鸟喙为黑色，虹膜为浅黄色。

生存危机

生境被破坏及宠物市场买卖是军舰金刚鹦鹉主要的生存危机。但现时军舰金刚鹦鹉，即使于保护区内，仍未受到有效的保护。

军舰金刚鹦鹉现时被列入IUCN红色名录的易危级别，及列于华盛顿公约附录一及二，禁止进行交易，并于委内瑞拉受法例保护。

The military macaw (Ara militaris) is a medium to large-sized macaw, named after its green and red plumage vaguely resembling a military uniform. It is native from west-central Mexico south through northern Argentina and Bolivia. While most wild populations are currently listed by the IUCN as vulnerable—and listed as endangered by Mexico—the species is still seen commonly in zoos and parks worldwide. The military macaw may be bred in captivity with relative ease, and is usually available through the pet trade. It is among the longest-lived one can own, requiring advanced knowledge, experience and confidence to keep them healthy, stimulated and thriving.

Taxonomy

The military macaw was formally described in 1766 by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the 12 edition of his Systema Naturae, where he placed it within the genus Psittacus, coining the binomial name Psittacus militaris. Linnaeus did not specify a type locality, but it was designated as 'Colombia' in 1912. The military macaw is, now, one of ten species in the genus Ara, designated in 1799 by French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède. The name Ara comes directly from the Tupi word ará ("macaw"), of the native Brazilian Tupi people. The word is also an onomatopoeia of the typically raucous vocalizations made by macaws. The specific epithet militaris is Latin meaning "military".

Three subspecies are recognised:

Description

Military macaws measure from 70 to 85 centimeters (28 to 33 inches) long on-average, with a 99–110 cm (39–43 in) wingspan. The birds are mostly green-plumed, with light-blue and yellow flight and tail feathers, and a bright-red patch on the forehead. Their face is bare, as with most macaws, being whitish in colour with black striations. The large, strong bill is a slate-grey, blackish tone, and the iris is yellow.

They are very visually-similar to great green macaws, but can be distinguished by their smaller size, completely black bill, and overall darker, deeper plumage. The two can also be separated by differences in calls and communication, while great green macaws prefer humid forest habitats; military macaws are usually a deciduous forest species.

Behavior

Military macaws live in large flocks and can live about 50–60 years in the wild. They can often be heard long before they are seen. They are very noisy birds making a variety of loud cracking and shrieking sounds, including a loud kraa-aak. Military macaw activity has been observed most frequently in the morning and the evening meaning they are most likely a crepuscular species.

Food and feeding

Military macaws leave their roosts in flocks around dawn to forage. Their diet consists of mostly seeds but also includes fruits and leaves. They have been observed using Pseudalcantarea grandis for water and consuming latex from Plumeria rubra. They have a somewhat narrow diet, meaning that they only eat a small percentage of species of plants that are available to them.

Distribution and habitat

Military macaws typically inhabit tropical deciduous and semi-deciduous forests. They are a canopy species because they require large canopy trees of deciduous and subdeciduous forests for feeding, breeding, and nesting behavior. They also use canopy trees for protection from predators and heat. They typically live at elevations of 600 to 1,500 m (2,000 to 4,900 ft), higher in the mountains than most macaws ever range. However, these macaws may seasonally fly down to lowlands, where they are likely in humid forests and thorny woodlands. They will nest in the tops of trees 8–28 m off the ground, and more often in cliff faces over 600 ft (180 m) above the ground.

Conservation

Military macaws are estimated to only have a breeding population of 2000–7000 individuals and is continuing to decrease. According to the ICUN red list, military macaws are listed as vulnerable as they face threats from habitat loss due to crops, deforestation, mining, and roads, with already extremely fragmented populations. A 2013 paper found that the habitat for populations in tropical dry forests has been reduced by almost 32%. Military macaws are listed as CITES Appendix I which means commercial international trade in wild specimens is prohibited. Despite this, research shows that the trafficking of parrots from South America to North America is still common.