Voice
Loud raucous calls when alarmed, but higher-pitched, softer and more nasal than Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna). Typical loud call follows an alternating distinctive pattern. Also a distinctive rolling introduction to its flight call.
Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) [XC3063]
by Bradley Davis from , Bolivia (call)
Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) [XC74859]
by Dan Lane from , Bolivia (call)
Subspecies
Taxonomic status long disputed, largely because species was unknown in wild to ornithologists until very recently. Was considered probably an aberrant form of Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna), but the two are now known to occur sympatrically without interbreeding. In past, present species has erroneously been named Ara caninde, but this name is probably a synonym of Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna).
No subspecies.
Similar Species
Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) which is larger, has a thicker tail, green fore-crown, no pink facial skin, and larger area of facial skin with black throat patch. Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) has dark blue primaries and secondaries contrasting with pale blue coverts, whereas Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) has all-dark blue wings.
References
See References.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet