Another beautiful bird that is endangered. Drawing made with pen, fineliner and #watercolour on paper.

1. Animal: Blue-throated macaw (Ara glaucogularis):
- This brilliant gold and blue parrot is one of the rarest birds in the world, and was considered to be extinct in the wild until it’s rediscovery in 1992. Today, the blue-throated macaw is critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In 2007, the population was estimated at between 250 and 300 individuals.

- Blue-throated macaws are geographically isolated and only found in northern Bolivia. It is found in flooded areas, such as savannas, palm groves and species-poor tropical forest in wet lowlands, up to 300m.

- Their bright colouration provides them with camouflage in the wild, allowing them to blend in with bright fruits, leaves and shadows.

- The blue-throated macaw has a lifespan of up to 50 years, meaning one female could produce 100+ chicks across her lifetime.

- Their herbivorous diet consists primarily of Motacú palm fruits, seeds, grains, nuts and leaves in the wild.

2. Why they are endangered?
Humans are the biggest threat to blue-throated macaws. Though live export of the bird was banned in 1984, the wildlife trade remains the species’ biggest threat. Ranching operations also pose a threat to the blue-throated macaw’s habitat. Cattle can hinder the growth of tree seedlings by trampling and grazing, and trees are sometimes cut down for fuel and fence posts.