parrots news from mongabay.com

Animal picture of the day: hyacinth macaw

2011-10-05T02:21:00Z

Hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) are the world's largest macaw. They are found in Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay and prefer swamps and wooded savannah over rainforest habitats.

Genetic analysis uncovers new parrot on the edge of extinction

2010-11-23T19:48:00Z

Down to just over 100 individuals, DNA analysis has revealed one of the world's most imperiled bird species: the western ground parrot Pezoporus flaviventris.. Genetic evidence collected from museums specimens, some well-over a century old, have led scientists to "cautiously suggest" that Australia's ground parrot be split into two distinct species—the eastern and the western—and not subspecies as they are currently considered. According to the study, the ground parrot species split apart some two million years ago, around the same time as the first members of the genus Homo evolved.

Blue macaw population stages remarkable recovery in Brazil

2007-07-18T14:30:39Z

One of the world's rarest parrots has made a remarkable recovery due to conservation efforts, reports the American Bird Conservancy.