Abstract:
This paper explores the behavior of Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao) in their natural habitat. Scarlet macaws are a highly social and intelligent species that are native to Central and South America. This study examines various aspects of their behavior including, their physical characteristics, their habitat, and their diet. It also includes aspects of their interaction with humans, mating, and evolutionary patterns. The research is based on many extensive studies and sources Including online literature. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the behavior of this species, which can aid in their conservation and management in the wild, and help more people understand this curious species of bird.
Introduction:
Scarlet macaws are one of the most strikingly beautiful and captivating birds in the world. These magnificent creatures have captured the imaginations of people across cultures and continents for centuries. In this essay, we will explore the fascinating world of Scarlet Macaws, examining their physical characteristics, habitat, behavior, endangered status, mating rituals, and evolutionary history. We will dive into the many facets of these beloved birds and gain a deeper appreciation for their unique place in the natural world.
Colors:
The Scarlet Macaw is extremely gorgeous and colorful. These next few paragraphs will go over their anatomy including color and physical attributes. Their colors are well suited for their tropical environment. Most of their feathers are bright red as the name suggests. Their tail feathers tend to be light blue, the upper wings are yellow, the upper sides of the flight feathers are dark blue as are the ends of the tail feathers, and the underside of the wings are dark red with a metallic gold iridescence. They can live up to an astonishing 75 years, that's older than many countries' life expectancies. However, they more commonly live between 40 and 50 years with no external interference like a predator (Lamar University, 2023).
Tongue:
The anatomy of a macaw is slightly different than most other birds. They evolved to have a bone in their tongue to make it easier to penetrate fruit that has not yet completely ripened, giving them an advantage when finding food because they can eat the fruit, well before the other birds (Hall, 2023).
Length and Weight:
They can grow to be 29.9 to 100.3 centimeters long and can weigh up to 2.26kg. The Scarlet Macaw is an extremely large bird. Compared to many other parrot species this is quite large. Obviously, other macaws will be around this but in terms of other species, one of the other largest parrots will be the African Gray(Hall, 2023). Scarlet Macaw eggs are about 3.8 cm tall and have a circumference of 4.8 cm. This is relatively normal compared to most large parrot species (Qamar, 2022).
Talons:
Their claws are extremely grippy and strong, able to hang upside down from ridged branches and climb steep surfaces (Hall, 2023). One of the things that makes them strong is the fact that the talons are made out of a protein called keratin. This is an extremely strong and useful material for all mammals. For example, fur, fingernails, hair, horns, claws, and talons are all made out of this material. Furthermore, the muscles in the bird's feet are very strong. This is shown by their ability to hang off of rough surfaces. They also tend to use their talons to grab and hold onto things. One of the main things they use them for is to examine surfaces and objects that they are curious about or to know if they can safely inspect or walk on the surface (Hall, 2023).
Tails:
Their tails are normally very long, they are normally ½ of their total length. This would make their tails approximately 14.45 to 50.15 cm long. This helps them fly and land without possibly hurting themselves. Comparing this to an African Gray parrot whose tails grow up to 17 cm long the Scarlet Macaw is a very large bird (Hall, 2023).

Comparing Females and Males:
The bills of males and females differ in the sense that the bill of the male may be slightly larger than the female because in the wild the males are the ones who go out and gather food. (Lamar University, 2023). This is most likely an evolutionary trait that males developed in order to survive better and provide better for their families. This is also the same for the tail feathers, the male's tail feathers tend to be longer than the females. This, as well as, the beak can be attributed to the fact that males need to be able to fly better than females and faster than females so that they can more efficiently gather food and provide food. (Lamar University, 2023). This could also be attributed to the female being more attracted to bigger beaks and longer tails. This is probably more attractive to females because of many factors including a protection factor. For example, a bigger and more powerful beak would be better at protecting the babies or the mate than a smaller less powerful beak.
Wings:
The Scarlet Macaw has extremely large and strong wings with a wingspan of 111.7 to 119.3 centimeters which in the majority of cases is almost double their height. With these wings, they can fly up to 56.3 kilometers per hour. (Lamar University, 2023). To put that in perspective of how fast that is, a horse can run at about 80.4 kilometers per hour. These birds have extremely strong and powerful bodies and wings. If you think about how strong a horse is compared to the Scarlet Macaw it is a very impressive featCommunication with other Birds:
Scarlet Macaws are known communicators with the ability to mimic sounds they hear including words, Scarlet Macaws can communicate with several different vocalizations and body postures. These communication skills are not just with macaws they are with almost every bird you can find. Chirps, squawks, head tilts, head bobs, wing flaps, etc. are all different ways that birds will communicate with each other. The things they can communicate are mating calls, and sounds of happiness or anger. (Lamar University, 2023). You can normally tell when a bird is angry by their posture. They are more angled and prepared to attack.
The head tilt is especially interesting because you can see a head tilt in almost every animal kingdom. It almost always means they are curious or confused, even humans participate in this interesting act.
Vision and hearing:
The Scarlet Macaws' vision and hearing are extraordinary compared to other birds. This goes with a lot of birds but the Macaws especially. Humans only have three cones which are on red, blue, and green wavelengths, which makes our eyesight pretty average in comparison to the Scarlet Macaw, Scarlet Macaws have five different types of cones. This is comparable to almost every bird species there is. One of those cones is a double cone which is believed to help detect motion better than the average eye. This is definitely helpful to the bird because it will help them detect predators much more efficiently than if they did not have this. The other cones are similar to humans with the red, blue, and green wavelengths, but they also have a cone for the violet wavelength. This is believed to help them in the sense that they can see more colors so they have a better chance to see a predator that is slightly camouflaged (Lamar University, 2023).

Their hearing is very excellent. I can infer that this is an adaptation that they developed in the wild to be able to hear the predators. Their hearing far exceeds humans. For example, Macaw's hearing is limited to the 200 Hz-8.5 kHz range while humans can hear in the range of 31 Hz-19 kHz. That is a big difference (Lamar University, 2023).
Habitat:
Scarlet Macaws live in mostly tropical regions, this is because they eat the things that grow in these regions. Scarlet macaws are found in humid lowland subtropical rainforests, open woodlands, river edges, and savannas of Central and south America. Living there allows them to find food very easily. They can be found all over Central and south America. Their range is between southern Mexico and northeastern Argentina. This is a large range for tropical bird species, most tropical birds tend to live in one place. However, the Scarlet Macaw is mostly found in the Amazon Basin (Lamar University, 2023).

Diet:
Scarlet Macaws have a very wide variety of foods for their diets. Scarlet Macaws primarily eat fruits and nuts, but they can also eat a wide variety of seeds. They are known to eat fruits before they are ripe. Premature fruits have tougher skin so other birds can't access them as easily. The macaws use this to their advantage because they have strong beaks and tongues. They occasionally consume clay or rich soil to help aid in digestion by protecting the bird from harmful toxins that can be found in their natural diet. That particular fact is extremely interesting because they need to eat this clay to get rid of toxins. (Lamar University, 2023). These toxins can be many different things. Unfortunately for most bird species, many things are toxic to them. One of these things includes almost every type of wood. And also many different plants. One of the main things that is toxic is fat. Birds can only have so much fat in their diet or else they could develop what is called fatty liver disease. This is extremely deadly to all bird species (Moran, 2021). This is why when you have a bird as a pet you have to be extremely careful with what you allow them to be around. Luckily for the bird, clay is completely harmless to them in small amounts. This is similar to what the dodo bird would do to help aid in digestion. What the dodo bird would do is they would actually swallow small rocks to help its stomach crush up its food. This is an extremely interesting and common tactic for birds to do in the wild (Lamar University, 2023).
Human interaction:
The Scarlet Macaw rarely interacts with humans. This is the case with most wild birds. They are extremely afraid of humans for the main reason that they are getting trapped and sold illegally (Hall, 2023). The birds in the wild probably understand that they are getting captured. This however does not mean they know that they are getting sold for a pet trade. They understand that they are being captured by humans because they probably often see their family members or even babies getting captured. This makes the macaws very afraid of humans and makes it hard to study properly. The Scarlet Macaw population is decreasing rapidly because of this. There have been many preservation attempts but most of them have failed. There are approximately 20 to 50 thousand Scarlet Macaws left in the world (Hall, 2023). In the grand scheme of things, this is a very little amount. The scarlet Macaw is very endangered.
Mating tendencies:
The mating habits and rituals of the Scarlet Macaw are very interesting. Like most birds in the wild, they mate for life (Hall, 2023). They share food with each other and mutually groom each other. This is common within the bird kingdom. During the mating season, the mothers tend to stay by the nest while the fathers go out and hunt for food. This is comparable to almost every animal species in the world. While this is extremely common it is also a very effective way of doing things. Since male Scarlet Macaws have evolved for faster flight and have strong wings and beaks they are extremely efficient at gathering food for their young (Hall, 2023).
Social:
The Scarlet Macaw is a very social bird that can travel in groups from ten to thirty individual birds. They are normally seen in pairs with their mate. During the night time, they all sleep relatively close together, however, the Scarlet Macaw maintains a monogamous relationship for life. Mates are almost never found alone outside of the breeding season (Scarlet Macaw, 2023). The breeding season for Scarlet Macaws typically lasts from January to April, during which they form monogamous pairs and engage in courtship displays.
Mating rituals:
During courtship displays, meaning the attempt at attracting a mate, the male Scarlet Macaw will perch on a branch or tree trunk and display his brightly colored plumage while vocalizing to attract a female. (Scarlet macaws (Ara Macao) calling) The female may then join the male, and they will engage in mutual preening and beak tapping as a sign of affection (Ara Macao, 2023).
Nesting and incubation:
Once a pair has formed, they will begin to look for a suitable nesting site. Scarlet Macaws typically nest in tree cavities, and both the male and female will work together to excavate a nest hole. The female will then lay 2-4 eggs, which the mother will incubate the eggs for around 25-28 days.
Child care:
After the eggs hatch, both parents will care for the chicks. Scarlet Macaw chicks are born naked and helpless and will remain in the nest for around 3 months before fledging. During this time, the parents will feed the chicks regurgitated food, which consists of many different types of seeds and fruits or vegetables. This provides a very nutritious diet for baby birds (National Geographic: Scarlet Macaw, 2023).
Habitat loss:
The breeding success of Scarlet Macaws in the wild is threatened by habitat loss and poaching for the pet trade. This happens because trees getting cut down for industrialization Like factories. Conservation efforts have been put in place to protect these birds and their habitat.
Population decline:
Scarlet Macaws are listed as a species of Least Concern By the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which means they are still abundant in the wild, but their population has been declining due to habitat loss and poaching for the pet trade. As a result, several conservation efforts have been put in place to protect these birds and their habitat.
Conservation:
Scarlet Macaws inhabit several protected areas throughout their range, such as national parks and reserves. These areas help to safeguard their habitat from deforestation and other forms of human disturbance (The Red List, 2021).
Conservation Action, Habitat restoration projects have been initiated in areas where the Scarlet Macaw population has declined due to habitat loss. These projects involve planting native trees and restoring degraded areas to provide suitable habitat for the birds.
Poaching for the pet trade is a major threat to Scarlet Macaws, and anti-poaching efforts have been implemented to combat this. These efforts include increased law enforcement and education programs aimed at reducing demand for pet Scarlet Macaws (Parrot Specialist Group, 2016).
Captive breeding programs have been established to increase the captive population of Scarlet Macaws and reduce the demand for wild-caught birds in the pet trade. These programs have been successful in producing offspring that can be released into the wild.
Community-based conservation programs involve working with local communities to promote sustainable land use practices and reduce human-wildlife conflict. These programs can help to protect the Scarlet Macaw's habitat and increase awareness about the importance of conservation (Kooistra, 2016).
Evolutionary history:
The exact evolutionary history of the Scarlet Macaw is currently unknown. Not to say that we don't know anything, but the complete history is unknown. They are believed to share a common ancestor with other Macaws; it is believed that the Macaw lineage split off around 30 million years ago. However, the Scarlet Macaw is believed to have emerged around 12000 years ago. There are several theories about the Scarlet Macaw and its evolutionary history. One theory suggests that the Scarlet Macaw came from a species of Macaw from the Andes mountain region. Another theory that is the most popular theory based on where the majority of Scarlet Macaws live is that they came from a species of Macaw from the Amazon Basin (Wright et al, 2008).
Ancient Common Ancestors:
Something we do know about the Macaw species is that they evolved from a group of dinosaurs called theropods. Theropods meaning beast-footed. They include the largest terrestrial carnivores ever to have made the earth tremble. What most people think of as theropods are extinct today, but recent studies have conclusively shown that birds are actually the descendants of small non-flying theropods. Thus, when people say that dinosaurs are extinct, they are technically not correct. Still, it's not as exciting seeing a sparrow at your birdfeeder as it would be to see a Tyrannosaurus rex there. Most paleontologists consider modern birds, including parrots, to be “living dinosaurs” because the first birds appeared on Earth around 100 million years ago. Over time, they grew smaller, lost their teeth, and their arms turned into wings (Stevens, 2022).
Family:
The Scarlet Macaw belongs to the family Psittacidae, which includes more than 350 species of parrots. Within the Psittacidae family, the Scarlet Macaw belongs to the subfamily Arinae, which includes other large neotropical parrots such as macaws, conures, and amazons (Juniper, 1998).
Recent common ancestors:
The Scarlet Macaw is classified in the genus Ara, which includes several other macaw species such as the blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara Ararauna) and the green-winged macaw (Ara Chloropterus). The exact evolutionary relationships among the different species of macaws are still being studied, but genetic and morphological data suggest that they form a monophyletic group, meaning that they share a common ancestor (Wright et al, 1996).
Parrot diversity:
The Arinae subfamily is part of the larger clade Psittaciformes, which includes all species of parrots. The Psittaciformes are believed to have originated in Gondwana, the ancient supercontinent that existed before the current continents separated, around eighty million years ago. Parrots are known for their high levels of diversity and are found in many parts of the world, with the greatest species richness occurring in South America and Australasia (Kloet, 2005).
Conclusion:
Overall, the mating habits, evolutionary history, conservation habits, physical attributes, habitat, diet, and interaction with humans all show that the Scarlet Macaw is an extremely complex bird species.

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