Scarlet Macaw

Looks how to spot one

Feathered; very large, long-tailed macaw

A striking, slender macaw with a very long pointed tail. Most of the body is bright scarlet, with a yellow band across the wings, deep blue flight feathers and a pale blue rump and tail coverts. The face is bare white skin with only a few tiny feathers. The upper beak is pale horn and the lower beak black. Adults have pale yellow eyes; young birds have dark eyes. The northern subspecies shows blue instead of green tips on the yellow wing feathers.123

Personality what they are like

A bold, energetic and very bright macaw with plenty of attitude. Scarlet macaws are curious and active and need an owner who can match their energy with training and play. They tend to learn a handful of words rather than a large vocabulary and are naturally very loud. Many bond most closely with one person unless they are handled by the whole family.32

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Very high. Needs several hours out of the cage daily, large swings and climbing frames, and a constant supply of things to chew.31

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Provide large, sturdy toys and fresh chewables regularly. Secure latches are worth having, as they are skilled at working out how cages open.3

Home where they are happiest

A very large, strong cage plus play stand; World Parrot Trust advises that aviary birds have around 15 m of flight space.31

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A balanced diet of pellets with fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy table foods, plus nuts as treats. Wild birds eat seeds, fruits, flowers, nectar, leaves and bark.312

Company who they like around

Very social; wild birds live in pairs and small groups. It needs owners who are at home a lot and can give daily attention.32

The story where it all began

Linnaeus described the scarlet macaw in 1758, but people valued it long before that: around the 11th century birds were bred in captivity at Paquimé in northern Mexico, and its feathers were traded over long distances. Today it is the national bird of Honduras and one of the best-known parrots in the world.2

Recognised by the official bits

Taxonomy

Described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 as Psittacus macao; now in the genus Ara. Two subspecies: A. m. macao and A. m. cyanopterus.2

IUCN Red List

Least Concern.1

CITES

Appendix I.1

National symbol

National bird of Honduras.2

Aviculture

Described as the third most common macaw in captivity after the blue-and-yellow and red-and-green macaws.2