EnglishWhen you think about parrots, you’re probably picturing the scarlet macaw with its brilliant red plumage, bright blue and yellow feathers, and creamy white face. Intelligent, sociable, and stunningly beautiful, it is the world’s most famous parrot species.
Aside from being frequently featured in TV shows and films, the scarlet macaw plays an important role in our ecosystem. For one, this neotropical parrot distributes seeds throughout its vast Central and South American range.
Join Paso Pacifico as we explore more fascinating facts about this extraordinary bird.
9 Quick Facts About the Scarlet Macaw
Get to know this gorgeous bird with these 9 quick facts:
1. Scarlet Macaws Are the Largest Parrots
These birds are the largest parrots in the world! Its subspecies, the cyanoptera macaw, can be as long as 36 inches from beak to tail.
2. They’re Visually Impressive
Scarlet macaws are fondly known as the rainbows of the rainforest. They have a striking plumage, which is predominantly red, with yellow and light blue feathers on the rump and tail. Around the eyes is a large patch of creamy white skin, which is mostly featherless.
Its subspecies, the cyanoptera macaw, is distinguished by its median and secondary wing coverts, which are tipped in blue. Additionally, it lacks the green band that separates the brilliant yellow from the blue hue.
3. They Have a Diverse Diet
These South American birds are omnivores that enjoy plants and meat, feasting heavily on bugs, snails, nectar, leaves, seeds, insects, nuts, and flowers.
Interestingly, they can digest toxic fruits that are lethal to other animals. This immunity is attributed to their habit of eating clay by the riverbanks, which neutralizes chemicals like tannins.
4. Ara Macaws Have a Powerful Curved Beaks
Scarlet macaws’ powerful curved beaks are used to crack open the husks of fruits and crush hard nuts and seeds for easy digestion.
But did you know that it has other uses? Their hooked and strong appendage—which packs enough force to split open coconut shells—helps them climb branches and defend themselves against predators.
5. Most Are Left-Footed
Scarlet macaws, including Ara macao cyanoptera, are left-footed. This preferential bias is because the right sides of their brains are more developed than the left. This is why they use their left feet to grasp, grab, and manipulate food while the right supports their bodies.
6. They’re Monogamous
Scarlet macaws are monogamous and remain dedicated to their mates for life. They show affection by touching their partners’ feet, licking each other’s faces, “kissing,” preening, and talking to each other.
In certain situations (like when the pair fails to reproduce or a mate gets lost in the wild), the other partner will mate with another macaw.
7. Scarlet Macaws Breed Every 1 to 2 Years
These parrots breed once every one to two years, though some pairs also mate year-round. Females typically produce 2 to 4 white and rounded eggs.
8. They Help Plant Trees
These neotropical birds are seed predators and seed dispersers. They can transport and disperse large fruits and seeds over long distances.
9. Scarlet Macaws Have Long Lifespans
Ara macaws have the longest lifespan among parrots. They can live up to 40 to 50 years in the wild. Researchers believe that their large brains may be the reason why they outlive most species in the animal kingdom.
Threats To the Scarlet Macaw
Though the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list classifies the Ara Macao’s numbers as Least Concern (LC), its numbers continue to decrease. Globally, there are only 20,000 to 50,000 left.
However . . .
When we consider its Mesoamerican subspecies, the Ara macao cyanoptera, the situation turns dire. Paso Pacifico estimates that there are fewer than 20 of them left in western Central America.
Here are the most common threats faced by the Ara macao cyanoptera:
Predation
Clay enables these parrots to enjoy immunity from the toxic fruits that are part of their diets. To ingest it, however, they have to fly to the riverside where they become easy prey for raptors like eagles, hawks, and falcons.
Quite often, these animals also take fledglings from their nests. Baby birds are generally well-camouflaged in the thick, dense foliage of the rainforests. However, they are threatened by arboreal predators like snakes, toucans, forest falcons, monkeys, and other small carnivorous animals. Sometimes, they are also hunted by large cats like jaguars.
Pet Trading
The scarlet macaw is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Hence, their trade is prohibited or tightly controlled, except in rare cases like scientific research.
Though illegal, poaching remains the largest threat to the species based on information from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The demand is driven by people who insist on keeping them as pets. They’re also hunted for food and their colorful feathers.
A single ara macao cyanoptera can fetch as much as $1,000 on the black market.
Habitat Loss
Their numbers are dwindling due to habitat loss, the result of agricultural encroachment, climate change, industrial development, the harvesting of timber, road network expansion, etc.
Poachers sometimes cut down trees to get to the eggs or hatchlings, which exacerbates the problem.
What Can We Do To Save Them?
There’s a lot we can do to help preserve the species and their vital place in our ecosystems.
Create Awareness About Scarlet Macaws
While people are often aware of the scarlet macaw’s existence, not enough know about its diminishing population. The first and crucial step to protecting them is spreading the word.
Tell people about their precarious situation, their important roles as seed dispersers, and how they help maintain forest biodiversity. This will encourage discussion and inspire action.
Don’t Keep Them as Pets
Earlier in this post, we mentioned that keeping these birds as pets fuels poaching activities. One of the easiest ways to protect them is not to buy them.
In addition, keeping birds as pets is cruel. Away from their natural environments, their wings are often clipped and they are more likely to engage in destructive behavior that can lead to poor health and death.
Save Their Natural Habitats
Scarlet macaws, like the Ara macao cyanoptera, typically live in large trees that are found in undisturbed tropical forests. It’s thus important to conserve and restore their habitats through targeted activities.
- Localized efforts are more effective than initiatives controlled by outside organizations.
- We must call on decision-makers to enact policies and other measures that safeguard the species.
- Forest restoration creates more habitats and absorbs more carbon.
- Ecotourism spreads awareness while generating funds that can be used to preserve them.
Donating to organizations that are dedicated to saving the habitats of scarlet macaws is also an immense help.
Conduct Breeding and Reintroduction Programs
Captive breeding and reintroduction programs ensure the survival of scarlet macaw species that are nearing extinction. It entails keeping the birds in captivity so they can reproduce with human assistance.
Once grown, they are released into the wild so they can thrive and continue multiplying. The overall goal is for scarlet macaws to eventually have self-sustaining populations.
Monitor Populations in Their Natural Habitats
Tracking scarlet macaw populations in their natural environments is one of Paso Pacifico’s main conservation activities. From the January to April nesting season, we monitor and protect their nests as well as conduct health checkups.
Through our efforts in the Cosigüina peninsula in Nicaragua, one of the last places where wild cyanoptera scarlet macaws can be found, we’ve been able to grow its local numbers by 20%.
Save the Ara Macao Cyanoptera With Paso Pacifico
Paso Pacifico employs a three-pronged approach to conserving cyanoptera scarlet macaws: protecting their nests, educating young children, and offering the local community economic benefits. It’s a promising framework but we need your help to continue the progress we’ve made.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation to Paso Pacifico’s Saving Cyanoptera Macaws Program. With your help, we can help these endangered birds thrive in the wild again.