Scarlet Macaw

The Scarlet Macaw is one of the largest and most colorful parrots in the Americas, instantly recognizable for its saturated red plumage. It ranges from southern Mexico through Central America and into the Amazon Basin of South America.

The body, head, and long tail are brilliant scarlet red. The upper wing shows a bold band of yellow followed by blue, and the flight feathers and tail tip are blue. The bare facial skin is whitish and largely unfeathered, and the upper mandible is pale horn-colored while the lower mandible is dark.

Key field marks

• Overall scarlet-red body and head
• Yellow-and-blue band across the upper wing
• Blue flight feathers and long red tail with a blue tip
• Bare whitish face with almost no feather lines

Similar species

The Green-winged (Red-and-green) Macaw is similarly red but shows a green band on the upper wing instead of yellow, and has thin red feather lines across its bare face rather than plain white skin. The smaller Scarlet Macaw also lacks the heavier build of the Green-winged Macaw.

Range

Scarlet Macaws occur from southeastern Mexico through Central America and into South America east of the Andes, reaching the Amazon Basin and parts of Peru and Bolivia; populations are fragmented in much of Central America due to habitat loss.

Habitat

They inhabit humid lowland evergreen forest, gallery forest along rivers, and forest edges, generally below 500 meters elevation, though they range higher in parts of Central America.

Movements

Mostly sedentary, with pairs and flocks making regular commuting flights between roost sites, feeding trees, and clay licks.

Social behavior

Scarlet Macaws are typically seen in pairs or small flocks, often flying high overhead with strong, direct wingbeats and long trailing tails.

Voice

Their calls are loud, raucous squawks and croaks, carrying long distances through the forest canopy.

Feeding

They forage in the canopy for fruits, nuts, and seeds, cracking tough seed coats and unripe fruits with their powerful bill, and regularly visit clay licks in parts of their range.

Nesting and breeding

Pairs nest in large natural tree cavities, often in emergent canopy trees, laying 2-4 eggs. They form long-term pair bonds, with mates frequently seen perched together and flying in close formation.