Harlequin Macaw Natural History

Range & habitat

The title of natural history is a little misleading as this is not a naturally occurring species.  This bird does not have a natural distribution because they are bred in captivity and are a hybrid which isn’t naturally occurring.

Habits

This macaws diet is made up of a mixture of different fruits, seeds and nuts.

People rarely breed hybrids with one another however when they do, or when these birds are produced by crossing the two original species, 2 to 3 eggs are generally produced, which hatch out after around 28 days.

Size

Length; 86cm

Weight; 1.5kg

Threats

This bird has no threats in the wild where it has no natural population.

The Harlequin Macaw at Sandwich Wildlife Park

Sandwich Wildlife Park is home to 1 female harlequin macaw named Harvey (when we first got her she was believed to be a he as it is very difficult to accurately sex these animals without a DNA test…  she knows and responds to the name so we stuck with it!) from Wingham Wildlife Park.  She lives with a blue and gold macaw and is known for some times having a bit of attitude!  However she was hand reared by the people whom we originally got her from, and as such it is not unusual.

She can be found in the trees overlooking the wallabies, llamas and coffee shop outdoor area.  If you come and enjoy a hot drink and slice of cake on a dry day you can have a nice sit down while watching this beautiful and incredibly intelligent bird.