Macaw

Several fungi species are reported to act as opportunistic agents of infection in avian species. After the isolation of Exophiala spp., a dematiaceous fungal pathogen associated with a mucosal lesion in a military macaw ( Ara militar ), samples were collected from another 24 birds of the order Psittaciformes to study the possibility of Exophiala spp. being part of the commensal microbiota of these animals or its possible association with other clinical conditions. Swab samples were collected from the trachea and/or choanae of the birds and inoculated in Sabouraud chloramphenicol agar for fungal isolation...

Psittacidae is one of the most endangered families of birds in the world. Knowledge of their nutrition is important for understanding their survival and productivity in the wild, as well as for their adequate husbandry under human care. Hand-rearing is a common practice for psittacines, however research on their nutrition is limited. We analysed the predicted metabolisable energy, crude protein, crude fat, minerals and the essential amino acid profiles of the crop contents from free-living nestlings of scarlet macaws (Ara macao) and red-and-green macaws (Ara chloropterus) from southeastern Peru, Cuban Amazons (Amazona leucocephala bahamensis) from the Bahamas, lilac-crowned Amazons (Amazona finschi) from northwestern Mexico and thick-billed parrots (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha) from northern Mexico...

Two decades after it disappeared in nature, the stunning blue Spix's macaw will be reintroduced to its forest home.

A retrospective study was conducted on parrots submitted from necropsy to the Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Biosciences and Veterinary, University of Camerino, Italy, from 2007 to 2018. From a total of 2,153 parrots examined at post-mortem, four cases were diagnosed with atypical mycosis and were considered for determination of the fungus species by PCR. A Fischer's lovebird ( Agapornis fischeri ), Peach-faced lovebirds ( Agapornis roseicollis ), and two Blue and Gold Macaws ( Ara ararauna ) from four different aviaries died after some days of lethargy and ruffled feathers...

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of Allura Red AC for small non-food-producing mammals and ornamental birds when used as an additive that add or restore colour in feedingstuffs. The use of Allura Red AC up to the proposed conditions of use of 500 mg/kg complete feed is considered safe for guinea pig, chinchilla, degu, hamster, gerbil and chipmunk...

Avian polyomavirus (APV) is a non-enveloped virus with a circular double-stranded DNA genome approximately 5000 bp in length. APV was first reported in fledgling budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) as the causative agent of budgerigar fledgling disease, resulting in high parrot mortality rates in the 1980s. This disease has been observed worldwide, and APV has a wide host range including budgerigars, cockatoos, lorikeets, lovebirds, and macaws. Twenty APV isolates have been collected from healthy and symptomatic parrots in Taiwan from 2015 to 2019...

An adult male green-winged ( Ara chloropterus ) × military ( Ara militaris ) hybrid macaw of unknown age was presented to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for evaluation of left periocular swelling, blepharospasm, and ocular discharge. Complete ophthalmic examination and B mode ocular ultrasonography were performed to evaluate the affected eye. Ocular examination revealed a blind left globe with exophthalmos, periocular swelling, diffuse corneal edema, and severe anterior fibrinous uveitis obscuring visualization of the intraocular structures...

Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), a circovirus, is the etiologic agent of psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD), a progressive and often fatal disease in Psittaciformes. Even though neotropical psittacine species are more resistant to clinical infection than Old World species, BFDV is recognized as a threat to immunologically naïve wild psittacine flocks and its epidemiologic control is paramount for conservation efforts in Neotropical species. Samples were collected from multiple psittacine species, including Ara species, Amazona species, and the white-crowned parrot ( Pionus senilis ) from the only rescue center in Guatemala with formal psittacine rehabilitation and reintroduction programs...

Forgoing immediate satisfaction for higher pay-offs in the future (delayed gratification) could be adaptive in situations that wild animals may encounter. To explain species-differences in self-control, hypotheses based on social complexity, feeding ecology, brain size and metabolic rate have been proposed. To explore these hypotheses in a comparative setting, we tested three macaw species (neotropical parrots)-great green macaws (N = 8), blue-throated macaws (N = 6), blue-headed macaws (N = 6)-and the distantly related African grey parrots (afrotropical parrots; N = 8) in a modified rotating tray task, in which subjects are required to inhibit consuming a constantly available low-quality reward in favour of a high-quality reward that becomes available only after an increasing delay (min...

Lateral flow immunoassays (LFIs) are simple, point-of-care diagnostic devices used for detecting biological agents or other analytes of interest in a sample. LFIs are predominantly singleplex assays, interrogating one target analyte at a time. There is a need for multiplex LFI devices, e.g., a syndromic panel to differentiate pathogens causing diseases exhibiting similar symptoms. Multiplex LFI devices would be especially valuable in instances where sample quantity is limiting and reducing assay time and costs is critical...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Atherosclerosis is frequently diagnosed in captive parrots. Recent studies have highlighted the potential role of high fructose intake in the development of human cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary fructose on the lipid profile in psittacine birds. Six macaws, composed of 3 green-winged macaws ( Ara chloropterus , 2 females, 1 male), and 3 blue-and-gold macaws ( Ara ararauna , 1 female, 2 males), ranging from 15 to 26 years of age, were used as subject animals for this dietary investigation...

This study compared the use of radioimmunoassay (RIA) and chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) to measure serum thyroid hormone levels in green-winged macaws ( Ara chloropterus ). The sample group comprised 20 male and 13 female (n = 33) healthy, captive green-winged macaws of reproductive age but outside of breeding season. Mean free triiodothyronine (T3), total T3, and free thyroxine (T4) measured by CLIA and RIA corresponded to 5.11 and 5.08 pmol/L (3.33 and 3.31 pg/mL), 1.59 and 1.56 nmol/L (103.5 and 101...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

The reintroduction of a species that is extinct in the wild demands caution because reintroduction locations may be associated with threats, such as hunting, poor-quality habitat, and climate change. This is the case for Cyanopsitta spixii (Spix's Macaw), which has been extinct in the wild since 2000. The few living individuals were created in captivity and will be used in a reintroduction project within the species' original distribution area, the Caatinga domain (Brazil). Because the occurrence records for this bird are old and inaccurate, we investigated the current and future environmental suitability of the 14 plant species used by C...

There are numerous reports on envenomation, even fatal, secondary to bee attacks in humans and other mammals. In birds, reports on those incidents are scarce and there are none regarding honeybee ( Apis mellifera ) stings in toucans. In the first case presented, an adult female red-breasted toucan ( Ramphastos dicolorus ) received at least five bee stings in the periophthalmic area. Within 5 h the bird was lethargic and dehydrated. The urates were yellowish. Three days later the bird showed a moderate anemia, but no changes in the leukocyte count, beyond an elevated heterophil: lymphocyte ratio...

Hematologic reference values can be used to help monitor the health of birds kept in captivity for conservation and management purposes. The reference intervals for hematologic analysis in clinically healthy, captive red-and-green macaws ( n = 42) were determined and evaluated as to whether they varied with sex. Males showed higher hemoglobin values than females. This report defines hematologic reference intervals of captive, healthy red-and-green macaws kept under similar conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To identify potential risk factors for death following IV or intraosseous (IO) administration of contrast medium in birds undergoing CT scans. ANIMALS: 120 birds that underwent 134 contrast-enhanced CT scans. PROCEDURES: Medical records of birds of any species that underwent a CT scan which included administration of nonionic iodinated contrast medium from June 2013 to February 2020 were included. Information on birds and use of contrast medium was extracted from the medical records as well as information on deaths following IV or IO administration of contrast medium...

Cardiovascular disease in avian species, other than poultry, is being increasingly reported. In psittacine birds, atherosclerosis and congestive heart failure are the leading cardiovascular diseases, often resulting in multiorgan dysfunction and demise. The Spix's macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is arguably the most endangered psittacine species worldwide. We aimed to describe the gross and microscopic findings in two adult Spix's macaws wherein severe cardiovascular pathology resulted in sudden death. Bird 1 had pathologic findings consistent with fibrinoheterophilic vegetative pulmonic valvular endocarditis with luminal obliterative thrombosis, myocarditis and epicarditis, myocardial fibrofatty infiltration and cardiomyocyte loss, as well as generalized septicaemia...

The reproduction of monogamous wild birds in captivity it`s difficult and the apparent low fertility in males requires more investigations. The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that wild bird species in captivity would present low reproductive potential, through the analysis of the morphological characteristics of Ara ararauna testicles, maintained in captivity, correlating them with the climate variations in the Cerrado Biome. For that, testicles were captured in April (dry) and October (rainy)...