About Primolius auricollis (Cassin, 1853)
This bird, with the scientific name Primolius auricollis (Cassin, 1853), measures approximately 38 cm (15 in) in total length, and nearly half of this length is made up of tail feathers. Its overall body plumage is green, marked by a clear yellow collar that is widest at the back of the neck. This yellow collar develops as the bird matures, and mature individuals have more vividly colored collars. The area at the front of the head and the crown is brownish black. Its remiges and primary coverts are blue, and its long, pointed tail has a red base, a narrow green midsection, and a blue tip. The underside of the tail and the flight feathers are greenish-yellow, a coloration matching that of several other small macaws, including the blue-winged macaw and the red-bellied macaw. The legs are a dull pink shade, and the iris ranges in color from reddish to dull yellow. The bird has a large patch of bare white skin on its face, and its thick bill is black, often with a pale grey tip. The main, continuous population of this species is found in the Pantanal region of Brazil, specifically in southwestern Mato Grosso, western Mato Grosso do Sul, and southern Rondônia; it also occurs in northern Argentina (eastern Jujuy and northern Salta), far northern Paraguay (Alto Paraguay and Concepción), and most of northern and eastern Bolivia (Beni, Santa Cruz, Chuquisaca, and Tarija). A second, separate disjunct population lives in far northeastern Mato Grosso, southeastern Pará, and western Tocantins in Brazil. It inhabits forest (though it does not enter the Amazon rainforest), woodland, savanna, and grassland with scattered trees. It is found mostly in lowland areas, but can locally be found at altitudes up to 1,700 m (5,600 ft).
