Cuban Red Macaw
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| Cuban Red Macaw | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Ara tricolor Bechstein, 1811 |
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The Cuban Red Macaw, Ara tricolor, is an extinct parrot that formerly occurred on Cuba and the Isla de la Juventud. It was a rather small species of Ara macaw, measuring 45 - 50 cm. It was the last species of macaw native to the Caribbean islands to go extinct.
A pair was kept in the royal menagerie of Schönbrunn Castle, Vienna, from 1760.
[edit] Extinction
The Cuban Red Macaw was reasonably common around 1800. During the early 19th century, the human population in its home range increased dramatically, leading to widespread deforestation. The bird was also hunted for food despite the fact that its meat tasted bad,[1] and nests were plundered or disturbed to acquire young birds to keep as pets. Until 1849, the species seems to have been able to hold its own at least in remote areas, but subsequently, the population crashed, never to recover. At least 19 specimens are known to exist, the last one being shot in 1864 at La Vega in the vicinity of the Ciénaga de Zapata swamp, which seems to have been the last stronghold of the species. Unconfirmed records suggest that birds persisted there until 1885.
[edit] References
- ^ Ellis, Richard (2004). No Turning Back: The Life and Death of Animal Species. New York: Harper Perrenial, 166. ISBN 0-06-055804-0.
- Bechstein, Johann Matthäus (1811): [Description of Ara tricolor]. Johann Lathams Allgemeine Übersicht der Vögel 4(1): 64, plate 1
- BirdLife International (2006). Ara tricolor. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 22 Jun 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is extinct.
[edit] External links
- Ara tricolor skin.
- 3D view of specimen RMNH 110.095 at Naturalis, Leiden (requires QuickTime browser plugin).
