Fun Scarlet Macaw Facts For Kids

Do you like birds or parrots? Have you ever imagined what a scarlet macaw looks like? If you like watching birds, then you must surely have a look at scarlet macaws. The scarlet macaw is a large breed of parrots who is native to the rainforests in South America and Central America. It is generally red, yellow, and blue in color. Their scientific name is Ara macao and they are predominantly found in various regions of central and south America. Scarlet Macaw is one of the most popular types of macaws and is also known as red macaw. How long do macaws live? Well, it depends on where their habitat is. In the wild, the scarlet macaw lifespan can extend up to 50 years while the macaw's can live up to 75 years in captivity.  

Scarlet macaw parrots (Ara macao) are known to be good pets as they are friendly, confident, and magnificently beautiful as well. Scarlet macaws love family and if one of them stays close to another macaw parrot, then they start considering them as their soulmate and love to spend time with them. Macaws love and also trust people and are affectionate. You can befriend a macaw bird by giving them treats inside their cage. Scarlet macaws are neither aggressive nor friendly. They keep to themselves. Scarlet macaws have a powerful bill that helps them to break the hard shell of nuts. They are active during the day.

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What type of animal is a scarlet macaw?

The scarlet macaw is a member of a large group of neotropical parrots called macaws. They are known to be friendly and good pets. The scarlet macaw is one of the most beautiful members of the parrot family. They are the largest parrots in the world. The scarlet macaw is a sassy bird that is filled with energy and personality. He is intelligent and also a capable escape artist.

What class of animal does a scarlet macaw belong to?

The scarlet macaw belongs to the bird's family. They are a large group of birds in Psittacidae, which is the parrot family. The scarlet macaw came into existence in the year 1758. There are few scarlet macaws that are left as their population is decreasing day-by-day. It is illegal to bring them into the United States from the wild for pet trade but their existence is presently facing threats due to deforestation and smuggling for feathers.

How many scarlet macaws are there in the world?

There are fewer than 1,500 scarlet macaws that are left throughout Central America, and 500 are estimated to live in the remote region. Their population is decreasing due to environmental factors as well as smuggling for their feathers.

Where does a scarlet macaw live?

Scarlet macaws are said to be iconic South American birds, and people love to watch the sight of the birds when they fly as they are very colorful. The macaw scarlet birds live in the tropical forests of Mexico, Central America, and South America.

What is a scarlet macaw's habitat?

Scarlet macaws habitat is the environment and are to be found in Peru, Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil (East) and Trinidad. Their preferred habitat is the deciduous trees that are present near a river in the forests of central and south America. They also prefer to live in large groups and seek regions where seeds and nuts are available in adequate quantities for their diet.

Who do scarlet macaws live with?

Scarlet macaws love to stay together with their mate only during the breeding season. The scarlet macaw pair stay together year-round. They take care of each other and also care for their chicks. They love to enjoy free space and enjoy flying in a rainforest and do not like to stay indoors. They nest in the natural and excavated cavities in the trees, and the female will incubate a clutch of eggs.

How long does a scarlet macaw live?

Macaw’s lifespan extends to 50 years in the wild and 75 years in captivity. The time span for which they live varies accordingly depending on different factors such as surroundings and the environment as well. They can live for long years as well if they are provided proper care.

How do they reproduce?

Scarlet macaws form monogamous pair bonds that last for life. The breeding of scarlet macaws occurs about every one to two years. The pair rest in a nest in natural or previously excavated cavities in the trees, where the female will incubate a clutch of one to two eggs for an average of 28 days.

What is their conservation status?

The conversation status of the scarlet macaw is said to be concerning. The scarlet macaws are endangered species in the wild and are threatened to extinction and some of the species are already extinct. They also have face threats of loss of habitat due to unabated destruction of the rainforests and pet trading through illegal trapping.

What do scarlet macaws look like?

The macaws are absolutely majestic and have plumage which is bright red in color covering a large part of the body including the tail and the wings. The face is entirely devoid of feathers and is cream white in color.  When it comes to the beauty of their lower wings, it is significantly enhanced by the yellow and blue colored feathers that are present in the lower wings. They have a strong and long beak to help them break the hard nuts in the rainforest. Scarlet macaws are quite affectionate, and if you feed them then they get affectionate towards you.

They are brilliant blue and have yellow feathers that beautifully adorn their lower wings and have a strong beak. Both the female and male scarlet macaws look alike, and the only difference between ages is that the young scarlet macaws have dark eyes and the adults have light yellow eyes.

How cute are they?

Scarlet macaws are said to be cute for the way they look. People love watching the sight of the scarlet macaws as they look very colorful when you look at them. They love to interact with other birds by making piercing shrieks. Scarlet macaws are one of the most colorful birds in the bird species. Scarlet macaws are full of energy and have a big personality and there are different features like colorful features and a prominent beak that makes them look cute.

How do they communicate?

Scarlet macaws communicate by using different types of harsh, loud, screeching calls, guttural squawks and growls for establishing communication with people and other birds. They try to vocalize and communicate within the flock, mark territory, and also identify one another by use of different sounds. They are loud and raucous birds.

How big is a scarlet macaw?

The length of scarlet macaw ranges between 35-38 in, which is large in size as compared to the other small birds. It is one of the largest macaw species but is said to be endangered and has a threat of extinction. The male and females have plumage that is similar and are covered in feathers.

How high can a scarlet macaw fly?

As they belong to the bird family, a scarlet macaw can fly as far as 15 miles (24 kilometers) each day, to feed food. They can fly very high in the sky. The sight of scarlet macaws flying looks very beautiful as they are colorful.

How much does a scarlet macaw weigh?

The weight of a scarlet macaw is said to be 2.2 lb. It is fairly hefty for a bird to be 2.2 lb. The weight of the bird is said to be hefty because of their height.

What are their male and female names of the species?

The males are called male scarlet macaw and the females are called female scarlet macaw.

What would you call a baby scarlet macaw?

The lovable and cute baby scarlet macaw is known as a 'chick' like the offspring of most other birds.

What do they eat?

Scarlet macaws are said to have a vegetarian diet and predominantly eat nuts, seeds, leaves and fruits as well. Though, occasionally they can include small insects as a part of their diet.

Are they predators?

No, scarlet macaws are not predators.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, scarlet macaws make a good pet, and love being around people and enjoy their company as well. If one person gets attached to the macaw, they see the particular person as their soulmate and love spending time with them. As scarlet macaws are intelligent and social, they need a lot of attention to keep themselves busy. They get easily adapted to their environment. They make good pets but are very loud. You can have them as pets as they are very sensitive to human emotions.

Did you know...

Out of the 17 species of the macaws, the scarlet macaw is one of the most beautiful members of the parrot family. Scarlet macaws are one of the popular and large birds among fanciers and novices alike. The scarlet is gorgeous and filled with personality and is very friendly in nature. The scarlet macaw is one of the most beautiful members of the parrot family and is one of the largest Neotropical parrots. Scarlet macaws usually live in small groups in the wild. They have strong wings and also hollow bones that help them to fight and reach speeds of 56 kilometers. Scarlet macaws have flexible feet that help them find food, branches, and also other items.

They have distinct likes and dislikes and can also become a one-person bird. Scarlet macaw is said to be an easily trainable bird and can also learn complicated tricks. The scarlet macaw is not the most competent talker in the family, but they talk to you with their looks. They learn a few words and phrases, and they do more screaming than talking. The birds need large spaces and plenty of space between the bird and those people who will be disturbed by its loud screaming.

Are scarlet macaws smart?

Yes, scarlet macaws are very smart and have the intelligence of distinguishing between colors and shapes. If they have the right trainer with them, they can also solve simple math problems. The birds are said to have the intelligence of a four to eight year old child with the emotional intelligence of a teo year-old child. They should be given proper training to perform different activities.

How many eggs does a scarlet macaw lay?

Female scarlet macaws lay eggs when they are sexually mature, around four to five years of age, with two to four eggs hatching in 25-28 days. The macaws mate for life and nest from January to April in the holes of the canopy trees that are dead.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including greater flamingo, or purple finch.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Scarlet macaw coloring pages.