Bird
Bird
Red-bellied Macaw
Orthopsittaca manilata
The Red-bellied Macaw is a slender, palm-dependent macaw of Trinidad's swamp forests, closely tied to Moriche Palm groves whose fruit forms the overwhelming majority of its diet, and one of the smaller and less brightly coloured macaws found in the region.
The Red-bellied Macaw is a slender, palm-dependent macaw of Trinidad's swamp forests, closely tied to Moriche Palm groves whose fruit forms the overwhelming majority of its diet, and one of the smaller and less brightly coloured macaws found in the region.
Identification
A medium-sized macaw around 46 to 51 cm long, mostly olive-green with a bare, pale yellowish facial patch, dark bluish flight feathers, and a subtle maroon-red patch on the belly, visible mainly at close range, from which the common name derives. Compared to the larger, brightly coloured macaws, its overall colouring is subdued, and it is more slender in build with a long, graduated tail.
Ecology
The Red-bellied Macaw feeds almost exclusively on the fruit of the Moriche Palm, extracting the oily seed with its strong bill, and closely tracks the fruiting cycles of palm groves, gathering in large, noisy flocks at productive stands. It roosts communally in Moriche Palm groves, often in large numbers, and nests in natural cavities in dead palm trunks, making it heavily dependent on the health and extent of palm swamp habitat.
Status in T&T
Found in swamp forest and Moriche Palm groves on Trinidad, notably in Nariva Swamp, where extensive palm stands support significant flocks. It is not threatened, but its dependence on a single food source and habitat type makes it vulnerable to palm swamp clearance or degradation. It is protected under the Conservation of Wildlife Act, and, like other macaws, listed under CITES Appendix II.
Threats
- Clearance or degradation of Moriche Palm swamp habitat
- Loss of dead palm trunks suitable for nest cavities
