Latin Name: Anodorhynchus leari

Status: Endangered

Food: Its staple food item is Syagrus palm nuts, but fruits, agave flowers and maize are also taken.

Population: Population at over 1600 individuals in the wild.

Distribution: Confined to the Raso da Catarina plateau, NE Bahia, Brazil.

Interesting Fact: They roost communally in weathered crevices near the tops of sandstone ravines.

Lear’s Macaw

The Lear’s Macaw is a beautiful member of the parrot family, named after painter and poet Edward Lear.

The species is sadly endangered mainly due to habitat loss and the illegal pet trade in its native Brazil.

Indeed, the origin of the birds here is that they were smuggled in to the UK in the 1980s. In February 2023 they urgently needed a new home. Paradise Park, in collaboration with the World Parrot Trust (WPT), worked quickly to create new aviaries suitable for the birds. The WPT, a charity founded at Paradise Park in 1989, is already actively involved in conservation work for Lear’s in Brazil. The future plans for these  magnificent birds may include reintroduction into their native habitat as part of a larger conservation project aimed at preserving the species.

Read more about the conservation of this species on the World Parrot Trust website.

Endangered Lear’s Macaws find refuge – May 2023