- Latin name: Ara macao
- Unique colorful feature: Scarlet red head and body with multi-colored wings
- Where they are found: Central and South America
- Size: Length: 33 inches (84 cm); Weight: 2.2 pounds (1 kg)
- Diet: berries, nuts, seeds, and insects
While they love to squawk and screech loudly, scarlet macaws are some of the most intelligent birds in the world.
They can learn to talk (mimic a wide range of human words) and mimic other animal sounds as well as distinguish shapes and colors.
Among the largest and most colorful birds in the world, the scarlet macaw is predominantly a stunning red color with a white face and blue, yellow, and green wings.
While these parrots mostly eat nuts, seeds, berries, and insects, they can often be seen in a flock eating clay from riverbanks, which is believed to neutralize toxins found in some plant species eaten by these parrots.
Scarlet macaws can also fly up to 35 mph and live for about 50 years in the wild.
Monogamous birds and devoted parents, scarlet macaws raise 2 to 3 chicks at a time, but they will not breed again for about a year or more later until the juveniles are totally ready for independence.
