Scarlet Macaw

NAME:

Scarlet Macaw

ZOO NAME:

Watermelon & Simon

CLASS:

Aves

ORDER:

Psittaciformes

GENUS:

Ara

SPECIES:

Macao

LENGTH:

35″ Tall, 44-47″ Wingspan`

WEIGHT:

2-3 lbs

LIFESPAN:

Up to 75 years in captivity ( 30-50 in the wild)

DIET:

Herbivores. Eat berries, nuts, seeds, fruit, vegetables, unripe fruit & clay

RANGE

Southern Mexico through Central America, Northeastern South America to Eastern Peru and Bolivia.

HABITAT

The scarlet macaw lives in the tropical rainforests. They can usually be found in the canopy or emergent layer of the rainforests trees. The scarlet macaws prefer to live in deciduous trees and can also be found in the riparian parts of the forest.

CHARACTERISTICS

General plumage bright scarlet, lower back, rump, upper and lower under tail-coverts pale blue, greater and median wing-coverts scarlet, tail scarlet above narrowly tipped pale blue, red below, bare facial area creamy-white traversed by inconspicuous lines of small red feathers, upper mandible horn-colored with black on lower sides of base, lower mandible grey-black, iris yellow, legs dark gray, 34 – 38 inches in length. An interesting fact about the macaw is that they are zygodactylous. This means they have two hind toes and two front toes on the same foot.

BEHAVIOR

Strong pair bond. Generally seen in pairs, family parties or small flocks. They undertake daily flights from roosting sites to feeding grounds. Their screech is very loud. They are not talented mimickers.

REPRODUCTION

Scarlet Macaws nest in tree hollows. The scarlet macaw generally lays two eggs. The nesting time takes ninety-six days. Twenty-two days are spent incubating the eggs. The males and females both take on this job. This usually starts in December. The next seventy-two days are spent rearing the young. This happens from March-May. The young stay with their parents for the first two years of their lives.

THREATS

Loss of habitat & illegal pet trade