Meet the South American and African parrots mimicking human speech
The scarlet macaw (Ara macao), the Brazilian calls it Arara Vermelha. The português name describes the amazing colorful physical appearance of large red, yellow, and blue Central and South American parrot, a member of a large group of Neotropical parrots called macaws. Scarlet macaw habitat extends from south-eastern Mexico to the Peruvian Amazon, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela and Brazil in lowlands of 500 m (1,640 ft) up to 1,000 m (3,281 ft).
Don’t be quick to think of a total grey appearance of the African grey parrot, though the name depicts as such. The truth is the African grey parrot is not entirely grey. The parrot inhabits a strip of equatorial forest that runs from Ivory Coast through Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon and into the Democratic Republic of Congo. The medium-sized bird, which lives in forests in west and central Africa, has electric-red tail feathers that make it a target for poachers, using the plumage for ceremonial headdresses. Its body parts are used in traditional medicine.
Extinctions
In an era when the international pet trade has reached industrial proportions, the demand — from the Middle East and Asia as well as Europe and North America — threatens the South American Arara Vermelha and the African grey long-term existence in the wild.
In some areas in South America, the Scarlet macaw has suffered local extinction because of habitat destruction mostly caused by human activities or capture for the parrot trade but in other areas it remains fairly common. Scarlet macaw or Arara Vermelha subspecies are listed byThe United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS as endangered .
Comparatively the African grey parrot has suffered a drastic decrease in numbers. In Ghana, where poaching has been intense, the population has fallen more than 90 per cent since the early 1990s, according to estimates. Numbers of birds in other countries are difficult to gauge, but experts at the Zoological Society of London, the FT’s Seasonal Appeal partner for 2019, say they are falling sharply.
Today, trading of such species is banned on both continents.
Behavior
raucous honks characterizes Scarlet macaws primary communication; however, vocal communication is highly variable, and captive and domesticated macaws are known to be adept mimics of human speech.
The highly intelligent African grey parrot on the other hand is capable of mimicking human speech and which can live in captivity up to the age of 60, it has been a sought-after pet since biblical times.
The battle to beat the parrot smugglers is still on course. Let save the amazing human mimicking parrots.
By Stephen Amanor
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