Scarlet Macaw

Ara macao

Scarlet Macaw

Distribution:

Central and South America.

Habitat:

Tropical rain forest canopy.

Diet:

Omnivorous. Mainly fruits, nuts and seeds; insects and larvae in the breeding season.

Gestation:

They breed every 1-2 years, usually in spring and early summer, but may occur year-round. Macaws nest in holes located high in deciduous trees. They lay two to four eggs which are incubated, mostly by the female, for 24-25 days. Both male and female care for the young, who stay with their parents for 1-2 years.

Predators:

Young may be taken in the nest by arboreal predators such as snakes or monkeys

Conservation Status:

Least concern

General:

Macaws are the largest parrots in the world. Average weight is about 1kg. Scarlet macaws pair for life. Both sexes are reproductively mature at 3-4 years. Typical lifespan in the wild and in captivity is 40 to 50 years.

The powerful beaks of scarlet macaws, and parrots in general, enable them to break open the toughest nuts and tear into the skin and pulp of unripe fruits. This ability increases the variety of food sources available to them. They can eat fruits toxic enough to kill other animals. This could be because they also eat large amounts of clay, which is thought to neutralize plant poisons.

In central America, the scarlet macaw appears to be widely distributed, but habitats are fragmented and only small scattered populations occur. The scarlet macaw is the national bird of Honduras.