Bird
Cuban Macaw
Ara tricolorAlso known as Cuban Red Macaw, Hispaniolan Macaw
Cuban macaws were small, vibrant parrots that frequented semi-open savannahs, palm groves, and dense swamp forests across Cuba and the Isla de la Juventud. They nested primarily in hollow palm trunks and formed lifelong monogamous pairs that traveled in small family flocks to forage for seeds and palm fruits. Unrelenting deforestation, trade capture, and hunting for food and feathers drove the species to complete extinction by the late nineteenth century.
TropicalColorful
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyRoystonea palm fruit, Melicoccus bijugatus seeds, Wild fig fruits
Predators
- Cuban boa
- Birds of prey
ThreatsHistoric habitat loss, extensive hunting, and pet trade capture
HabitatsPalm savannahs, lowland subtropical forests, and swamps
Life span20–30 years (estimated in the wild)
Classification
- OrderPsittaciformes
- FamilyPsittacidae
- GenusAra
- SpeciesAra tricolor
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct species; no living individuals remain to observe.
Responsible observation
- Museum Specimens: Examine historical study skins preserved in major natural history museums.
- Historical Range: Explore preserved Zapata Swamp habitats to understand the landscapes it once inhabited.
Close Relative (c) Cricket Raspet, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Cricket Raspet · cc-by
Close Relative "Red-and-green Macaw" by ~Shanth is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. · cc-by-sa
Close Relative neiljs / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Sympatric Relative (c) Christoph Moning, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christoph Moning · cc-by
Sympatric Relative (c) Christoph Moning, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christoph Moning · cc-by
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Emerald Kingdom
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