"Scarlet Macaw"

Ara Macao Scarlet Macaw, Red and Yellow Macaw 35-36 inches.  A vivid scarlet, with yellow on upper wings, blending into blue. The rump of the bird is a bright light blue. The tail is a deep shade of blue mixed in with red. Horn upper and black lower bill, greyish feet. The bare facial patch lacks feather stripes, and is a pinkish white.

The Scarlet seems to be a particularly sensitive macaw, and if mistreated while young can grow up to be aggressive and prone to biting. They tend to be more aggressive than the other macaws, and do not tolerate other birds, pets or children well. But if raised in a caring, disciplined manner, it can absolutely be the most adoring pet ever. A scarlet macaw has unusual feet 2 toes point forward and the other 2 point backward. This helps the bird keep a strong grip on tree branches. It lives high in the trees, at the very upper layer of leaves and vines of the forests. But did you know that they also eat clay from river banks? There seems to be some nutrient in the clay that is important to the survival of the scarlet macaw. Scarlet macaws can fly as fast as 35 miles an hour, especially if they are startled by an enemy. The scarlet macaw sometime lives in small groups but will mate with only one other bird for life. This is why they are most often seen flying or in a nest in pairs. During mating season, the female will lay 2 or 3 round white eggs. Both parents guard the eggs until they hatch. Young macaws stay in the parents' nest for up to 2 years. The female will not lay another group of eggs until the first group is independent. This means that the population does not grow quickly, a big problem because scarlet macaws are often killed or captured by humans as pets.

Reproduction-Macaws are monogamous. Breeding takes place during the first half of the year. The nest is usually in a hole at the top of a tall dead tree. The hole may previously have been made and used by a woodpecker. The female lays one or two eggs and incubates them for 24-26 days, while the male feeds her. On hatching, the young are blind and almost naked. The eyes open after 7-14 days. At first only the female feeds the young, but after about a week the male joins in. The young are fed by the parents' regurgitation (transitive verb to bring undigested or partially digested food up from the stomach to the mouth, as some birds and animals do to feed their young) of partially digested vegetable crop contents. The young are born featherless. At ten weeks they are covered with feathers and the wings and tail have attained their full length. At six months it is hard to distinguish the young from the parents. After the breeding season is over they molt. The old worn and faded feathers fall out and are replaced by new ones. The molt is gradual and takes place over several months.

Behavior- There are regular roosting sites and in the early morning the flocks fly some distance in search of food. They return to spend the night in the roosting trees just before sunset, flying above the forest canopy.
Macaws use their beaks as an aid in both eating and as a "third foot" when climbing. Food is obtained using the beak. The beak is strong and is used to crush the seeds and nuts, while the thick fleshy tongue is used to move the food around. Very hard nuts are cracked open after the macaw files down the thickness of the shell in one place. This is done with the lower part of the beak.