Blue-and-yellow Macaw, also known as the Blue-and-gold Macaw

This feather belongs to one of the most iconic neotropical parrots. The Blue-and-yellow Macaw is a large bird (up to 3 feet long) with a massive black bill, white skin on the face with black feather stripes, and stunning contrasting plumage. They are highly social and known for their loud, raucous calls that carry for miles over the canopy.

Dichromatic: the dorsal (upper) surface is a deep cerulean blue with structural iridescence, while the ventral (under) surface is a vibrant golden-yellow to deep orange-yellow. The rachis appears dark on the upper side and lighter on the underside.

Densely interlocked pennaceous barbs throughout most of the vane for structural integrity during flight and steering; plumulaceous (downy) barbs present only at the very base (calamus area).

The dorsal surface is smooth and glossy with a slight waxy bloom, while the ventral side is more matte. The vane is stiff but flexible enough to withstand wind resistance.

Extreme length, bicolored surfaces (blue top, yellow/orange bottom), and the thick, sturdy rachis characteristic of large Psittaciformes.

Tropical rainforests, woodlands, and tall palm swamps; specifically likes terra firme forests and gallery forests near rivers.

South America, ranging from Panama south through the Amazon Basin to Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and formerly Argentina.

Key seed predators and occasional dispersers; they play a role in forest regeneration and their nesting cavities are often used by other species in subsequent years.

Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) feathers are very similar but have more greenish-blue tones; Lear's Macaw and Hyacinth Macaw feathers are entirely blue without the yellow underside.

Macaws can live for over 50 years. They use their powerful beaks as a 'third foot' to climb trees and can crack nuts that are even too hard for a hammer. They often visit 'clay licks' to neutralize toxins in the seeds they consume.

The feather appears to be a natural molt. There is some mechanical wear and 'zipper' separation of the barbs (split vanes) near the tip and mid-section, likely from preening or contact with vegetation before it was dropped. Overall condition is Good.