Scarlet Macaw
Ara macao · Animal
The scarlet macaw is a large, brilliantly colored parrot of the American tropics. Its red, yellow and blue plumage makes it one of the most recognizable birds of the rainforest canopy.
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Ara macao
- Kind
- Animal
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN LC)
- Habitat
- Tropical rainforest canopy
- Range
- Southern Mexico to the Amazon basin
- Size
- 81–96 cm long (with tail)
- Weight
- About 1 kg
- Lifespan
- 40–50 years
- Diet
- Herbivore (seeds & fruit)
- Activity
- Diurnal · social
- Population
- Not quantified; decreasing
Diet
Eats seeds, nuts, fruit and flowers, cracking hard shells with its powerful beak. Flocks gather at riverbank clay licks, where the clay may help neutralize plant toxins.
Behavior
Scarlet macaws form long-lasting pairs and travel in noisy flocks. They nest in cavities high in old trees and are highly intelligent, communicating with a wide range of calls.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittacidae
- Genus
- Ara
- Species
- A. macao
Conservation
Still widespread in the Amazon, but it has disappeared from much of Central America. It is listed on CITES Appendix I, which bans international commercial trade.
Main threats
- Capture for the pet trade
- Deforestation
- Loss of nesting trees