Buffon's Macaw   Buffon's macaws are mostly green with a bright red frontal patch. Buffon's macaws are often overlooked as plain colored compared to the more brilliantly colored macaws. Buffon's macaws are among the largest of the macaws with massive heads and beaks. Macaws are lively boisterous birds and require generous living space. Their beaks are large and strong for opening large nuts.      Buffon's macaws are distinguished from the similar smaller military macaw by size of the head and by a lighter more yellowish or olive green color. The naked facial skin is white with black feather lines. The face blushes with excitement. The tail is long and tapered. The undersides of the wings are gold and the upper sides of the flights feathers are blue.      Buffon's are found in lowland humid forests, deciduous forests and lower mountain forests where it eats primarily fruits, palm nuts and flowers foraging primarily in the forest canopy. In Ecuador the population is endangered by habitat destruction and reduced to approximately 100 individuals. They nest in cavities, especially in large soft wood trees in which they can modify the nest cavity. Usually fly in pairs or small family groups.      Length 30-35 inches. Weight 1100-1500 gm Life Span - Up to 50 years. Age at maturity - 5-7 years. Immature birds have dark eyes which change over time from black to gray but often don't progress to the deep yellow of other large macaws (Ara sp.)      Macaws are not as long lived as cockatoos. Breeding age is up to approximately 30-35 years. A 40 year old macaw shows definite signs of aging. A 50 year old macaw is very old.        Personality - Young hand-raised macaws are very adaptable and typically easily handled by many people. They must be socialized and exposed to a variety of experiences (veterinary visits, other pets, visitors, wing and nail trims, car rides, etc.) at a young age to avoid fearful behavior. Macaws can make excellent pets, especially hyacinths and Buffon's, although some have a tendency to become nippy. Macaws can be very loud as well as destructive. While some speak, most macaws have limited ability to mimic. Macaws are very intelligent and relatively easy to train. They are a favorite for shows and trick training. Buffon's are especially mischievous.      Activities - Macaws are playful and love to chew. They should always be provided with toys, especially wooden blocks that can be chewed, and branches from non-toxic trees. In order to ensure safety companion macaws should not be allowed unsupervised freedom in the home as they often encounter toxins or dangerous items. Young macaws should be socialized to many people and exposed to a variety of situations such as new cages, toys, visits to the veterinarian, handling by friends, wing and nail clips, etc. to avoid fear of novel situations.      Buffon's are difficult to hand feed from a very early age. They require a high fat diet and do well with additional protein as well especially at a very young age. Pretty Bird 19/15 or 19/12 are good choices. A small amount of peanut butter or ground sunflower seeds may be added to increase protein and fat levels.        Grooming - Routine bathing or showering is vital to maintaining good plumage and skin condition. Birds can be misted and allowed to dry in a warm room or in the sun, or dried with a blow drier. An ideal way to bathe macaws is to put them in a cage outside, sprinkle them with the hose, and allow them to dry in the sun. Macaws are strong fliers. Most of the primary flight feathers (10 feathers closest to the tip of the wing) should be clipped to prevent flight. Clip only enough so the bird will glide to the floor.        Sexing - Macaw species show no obvious sexual dimorphism (visual difference between the species) therefore endoscopic examination (Surgical sexing) or laboratory sexing techniques are needed for accurate sex determination. Males are usually larger and have larger heads. Buffon’s Macaw-      Description- The Buffon’s Macaw strongly resembles the Military Macaw, but is much lighter and more yellow-green than the Military Macaw. The Buffon’s Macaw is also much stockier and heavier than the Military Macaw and often reaches one and a half the times the average weight of the Military Macaw. Average Length- 81-89 cm Average Weight- 1000-1450 grams      Approx Breeding Age- No younger than four years of age. At this point your Buffon's Macaw may show signs of aggression during the mating season sometime in early spring.(usually last for 6 weks)      Origin- The Buffon's macaw can be found from eastern Honduras southward into northernmost Columbis and western Ecuador. Buffon's Macaw is found mainly on the Caribbean slope of these contries.