# Scarlet Macaw

*Ara macao*

Scarlet Macaws use their beaks as a 'third foot' to help them climb, and they are one of the few bird species that can use their feet to hold food while eating.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Psittaciformes › Psittacidae › Ara
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** decreasing
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Humid lowland subtropical and tropical rainforests, gallery forests, and savannas.
- **Diet:** A variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, nectar, and flowers; they frequently visit clay licks to neutralize toxins in their diet.
- **Range:** Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia
- **Size:** 81 to 96 cm (32 to 38 inches) in length.
- **Lifespan:** 40 to 50 years in the wild.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat loss due to deforestation, illegal poaching for the pet trade, and competition for nesting sites.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless but defensive if cornered. Observe from a distance to enjoy their vibrant plumage and social behavior. Do not attempt to feed or handle wild macaws; their beaks are powerful enough to crush hard nuts and can cause serious injury. If bitten, wash the wound with soap and water and monitor for infection.

## About

The scarlet macaw ( Ara macao ) is a large red, yellow, and blue South American parrot, a member of a large group of Neotropical parrots called macaws. It is native to humid evergreen forests of tropical South America. Range extends from south-eastern Mexico to the Peruvian Amazon, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela and Brazil in lowlands up to 500 m (1,640 ft) (at least formerly) up to 1,000 m (3,281 ft). It has suffered from local extinction through habitat destruction and capture for...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/3afabc0e-cc10-4ff1-b0ed-730edff6c6eb
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/19022
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ara macao
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/53458435/medium.jpg (Matt Muir, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.