Great Green Macaw

Description:

I think this is a Great green Macaw. Several of these birds were feeding on some trees a long way away (see Photo 3) and unfortunately I didn't get the exposure right. The Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus), also known as Buffon's Macaw or the Great Military Macaw, is a Central and South American parrot. It is an endangered species due to loss of habitat and the pet trade. I heard that in some places, farmers are being paid the commercial rate of the tree so they don't cut down the old trees on which these birds like to feed.

Notes:

It is endangered, and has been one of the key elements in the proposal for the formation of a new National Park in Costa Rica, Maquenque National Park. Already significant parts of the bird's existing habitat is covered by Nature reserves and other conservation projects. In Costa Rica it is estimated that it's range was reduced by ~90 % over the past 100 years, due to land conversion to banana plantation, cattle-ranching, and logging.