【明報專訊】The Amazon rainforest is nature's wonderland. Suddenly a flock of macaws (金剛鸚鵡) in brilliant colours of red, blue, yellow and green bursts from the forest canopy, calling out their companions in playful tones. It is as if fireworks are being set off. This is perhaps one of the most spectacular scenes of the Amazon.

Chatty and curious

Macaws are the large-sized members of the parrot family. Their plumage (全身羽毛) is bright and colourful. Found in the rainforests of Central and South America, they can measure from 30 to 100 cm, depending on the species. The largest among them is the hyacinth macaw. When it spreads its wings, they can stretch as wide as 120 cm!

Macaws are very sociable birds. They move in large flocks of 10 to 30 individuals. This helps protect them from predators. They are quite chatty. In fact, they scream a lot. They do so to call out one another, to mark their territory, and play. Their vocal abilities are so well developed that some can even learn and imitate sounds. Macaws are also curious birds. They are known to use objects as tools, and they like to play with them too.

Seed dispersers

Let us look at the daily routine and habits of macaws. They are early risers and would start calling out each other at dawn. Then they fly in flocks to their feeding ground, sometimes covering long distances of up to 24 kilometres, which is equivalent to the distance between Yau Ma Tei and Tai Po. There they find their favourite fruits, nuts, seeds, flowers and leaves. Some may eat a few insects or snails for protein. When they eat or defecate, some seeds fall to the ground. Therefore, macaws act as seed dispersers and contribute to plant growth in the rainforests.

Save the stunning birds

The charming macaws have often been captured and turned into pets. Several macaw species are now listed as endangered or at critical risk, and some have become extinct altogether. To strictly regulate the international trade of parrots, all of the species are listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Let us avoid keeping macaws as pets, and conserve these intelligent and stunning birds by conserving rainforests.

Text and photos: Ocean Park Hong Kong

■Glossary

flock (n) 鳥群

chatty (adj) 愛閒聊的

defecate (v) 排便

disperser (n) 分散者

[Smarties' Power English 第223期]