HARLEQUIN MACAWS
A Harlequin Macaw is produced by crossing a Blue and Gold Macaw with a Green-Winged Macaw. The scientific name of the Harlequin Macaw is: Hybrid, (cross between Ara Ararauna and Ara chloroptera). Harlequin Macaws are not found in the wild.
Green-Winged Macaws originate in northern South America, ranging from Panama to Paraguay to Argentina. The Blue and Gold Macaw also originates from northern South America, covering almost the entire region.
It is reported that the coloring of the male parent will dominate the coloring of the offspring. Other reports state that the Harlequin will inherit the body type of the Green-Winged Macaw and the coloring of the female parent. A Harlequin is often colored identically to the Catalina Macaw, another hybrid macaw. The chest feathers of a Harlequin are often reddish-orange, edged with a brighter yellow-orange.
Harlqeuin Macaws are very colorful full-sized macaw. An adult will measure up to 34 inches in length and they can weight over two pounds. They can talk and can have a vocabulary of 15 or more words or phrases. Because of their large size it is mandatory to purchase a large bird cage for your pet. Birds with very little room tend to develop sickness and other health issues.
While the color of the Harlequin will be determined by the male parent, the temperament is generally a combination of the green-winged parent, which is docile, much like the hahns macaw, and the blue and gold parent, which a natural clown. The Harlequin will have the high level of intelligence inherent in all macaws.
Harlequin Macaws can be very noisy and very loud.
There is some opposition in the macaw breeding world to hybrids such as the Harlequin Macaw. Because of the increasing endangerment of wild macaws there are some breeds that are becoming extinct. Some breeders feel that hybrids like the Harlequin may contaminate the bloodlines of pureblood Green-Winged and Blue and Gold Macaws because it is often difficult to distinguish between the hybrid and the pure blood birds.
African Greys | Nanday Conures | Blue Fronted Parrots | Cockatiels | Caiques
English Budgies | Military Macaws | Harlequin Macaws | Cockatoos
