Description
Life span: 30+ years
The pale blue rump and tail-covert feathers of the Scarlet Macaw contrast with its predominantly scarlet plumage. The undersides of the wing and tail flight feathers are dark red with metallic gold iridescence, the upper sides of the wing flight feathers and tail feathers are dark blue, and the greater upper wing coverts are yellow. The wings of some of them are green. The lower jaw is predominantly white, whereas the upper mandible is mostly light horn in color.
Habitat/Native Region
The scarlet macaw is a huge Neotropical parrot from Central and South America that is red, yellow, and blue in color. It is indigenous to the humid evergreen woods of the Neotropics. Its range includes lowlands between 500 and 1,000 meters above sea level in south-eastern Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Brazil, as well as Trinidad in the Caribbean and Coiba in the Pacific.
As Pet
Behavior
The scarlet tanager is a “sassy,” vivacious bird. This is a master escape artist and very intelligent. It can become a “one-person bird” if proper training is not given because it has distinct likes and dislikes. It is not a bird that young children should handle because of the scary beak and the potential for a strong bite. Even the friendliest of these birds can be “nippy” when it wants what it wants, thus they are not a pet for timid or meek people. If done softly and gradually, this bird is amenable to training and can be taught sophisticated “tricks.”
Care
Like all birds, the scarlet macaw does best in a big setting and suffers in a cage that is too small for its size. This bird is known to self-mutilate when caged, thus an owner who does not intend to give it adequate time outside the cage will have trouble keeping it happy. The scarlet is an energetic bird that likes to chew and play, thus big swings and toys are also necessary. It will grow quite upset and may start chewing on its feathers if it is not allowed to chew.
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