What Do Blue & Gold Macaws Eat in the Wild?

The blue and gold, or blue and yellow, macaw is native to the rain forest and Neotropical areas and is primarily a herbivore. Seen less and less in the wild, the species is falling prey to trade. Those still existing in the wild feed off vegetation in their surroundings.

  1. Fruits and Seeds

    • Wild blue and gold macaws live off fruits of nearby plants and trees. These birds tend to eat palm fruit or the fruit from other trees in their surroundings. According to Animal Corner, macaws like to eat the seeds from the hura crepitans tree.

    Nuts, Leaves and Clay Licks

    • Nuts and leaves from surrounding rain forest trees are also a staple of the macaw diet. Macaws often eat things that are harsh on the digestive system; for this reason, they can often be found at clay licks to detoxify poisonous seeds they eat and also to gain minerals.

    Considerations

    • In the wild, the blue and gold macaw sustains itself with fruit, seeds and nuts, but it also may eat insects and leafy vegetables. When these wild birds are bought and trained as domestic pets they begin to live on a diet of seeds or pellet food only.