Scarlet Macaw

The Scarlet Macaw is a large red, yellow, and blue South American parrot, and a member of a large group of Neotropical parrots called macaws. It is native to humid evergreen forests of tropical South America.

With strong wings and hollow bones that aid flight, they can reach speeds of 35 miles per hour. The Scarlet Macaw has a strong, curved beak to crack hard nuts and seeds, and a tongue that can hold onto the kernel to pull it from the shell.

Macaws mate for life and nest in holes of dead canopy trees and males and females look the same. Mates preen themselves and their young to clean bugs from their feathers. These birds are also incredibly loud.

They can eat fruits that are toxic to other animals, this could be because of the clay in their diet that neutralizes plant poisons.

The biggest threats to this species are habitat loss and the pet trade. In some places, birds are stolen from their nests to be illegally sold. Also, the pesticides sprayed by farmers for bananas has severely harmed the Scarlet Macaw populations.

Scarlet Macaw at African Safari Wildlife Park

Our Male Scarlet Macaw, Andy is 9 years old! If you see Andy in the Walk-Thru Safari, try bobbing your head up and down – he likes to dance!

Diet: The Scarlet Macaw will eat mostly fruits, nuts and seeds, including large, hard seeds.