Scarlet Macaw
Species Overview
The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is a large macaw of lowland forests from southern Mexico through Central America to the Amazon basin. It is mainly red with yellow and blue wings and bare white facial skin, measures about 80-90 cm (31-35 in) including its long tail and weighs roughly 0.9-1.2 kg (2-2.6 lb). With good care it commonly lives 40-60 years. Living with one means extreme noise, a beak that destroys furniture and can cause serious injuries, a need for aviary-scale space and several hours of daily attention, and a temperament often described as less forgiving than the Blue-and-gold Macaw's. It is listed on CITES Appendix I and EU Annex A, so sale requires an Article 10 certificate.
From Mexican Rainforest to Amazonian Clay Licks
Scarlet Macaws range from southern Mexico and Central America through Colombia, Venezuela and the Guianas to the Amazon basin of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. They live mainly in humid lowland forest below about 1,000 m, often along rivers and forest edges. Pairs stay together for long periods and travel with their young or in small groups, feeding on seeds, nuts, fruit and flowers, often before the fruit is ripe. In south-eastern Peru they gather in large numbers at riverbank clay licks. Two subspecies are commonly recognised. Populations in Central America have declined sharply through habitat loss and nest poaching, while the species remains widespread in Amazonia.
Size, Weight and the Bare White Face
An adult measures about 80-90 cm (31-35 in), more than half of it tail, with a wingspan of roughly 1 m (39 in). Weight usually falls around 0.9-1.2 kg (2-2.6 lb); track your own bird's baseline. The plumage is scarlet with yellow wing coverts tipped green or blue and blue flight feathers, and the face is bare white skin that flushes pink when the bird is excited. The upper beak is pale horn with a dark base and the lower beak is black. Males and females look alike, so sexing needs a DNA test or endoscopy. With a sound diet and veterinary care, 40-60 years is realistic, and a few live longer.
Bold, Loud and Only for Experienced Keepers
Scarlet Macaws are bold, energetic and highly curious, and many form a strong bond with one person. They are among the loudest parrots kept in homes: contact screams at dawn and dusk and alarm calls carry a long way, so they are unsuitable for flats, terraced housing or anyone with sensitive neighbours. Talking ability is modest; most learn a limited set of words and rely more on body language and calls. Their beak can cause serious injury, and they are often more reactive than Blue-and-gold Macaws. They are not suitable for beginners, families with small children, people who travel often, or anyone who cannot commit for 40 years or more.
Aviary-Scale Housing With Heavy Wire
A standard parrot cage is too small for a bird with a wingspan of about a metre. The minimum indoor cage is roughly 120 x 90 x 160 cm (47 x 35 x 63 in, W x D x H), ideally 150 x 100 x 180 cm or larger, and a bird room or aviary is better still. Bar spacing should be 2.5-3.8 cm with wire of at least 4-5 mm, in stainless steel or quality powder coating; galvanised mesh risks zinc poisoning, and macaws can break weak welds. Fit secure locks, as macaws quickly learn to undo simple latches. Keep the cage away from the kitchen because of toxic non-stick fumes, and consider the neighbours.
More Fat Than an Amazon, but Not a Nut Diet
Large macaws tolerate and need somewhat more dietary fat than Amazons, but that does not mean a diet built on nuts. Use a quality pellet as the base, roughly half to two-thirds of the ration, with plenty of vegetables such as carrot, peppers, squash, broccoli and leafy greens, plus a moderate portion of fruit. A few whole nuts in the shell each day, such as walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts, provide healthy fats and hard work for the beak; limit Brazil nuts because of their very high selenium content. Macaws can become obese too, so weigh weekly. Never feed avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol or salty food, and discuss any supplements with an avian vet.
Four Hours a Day and Endless Wood
Plan on three to four hours of supervised out-of-cage time daily, ideally with flight in a large bird room or aviary, plus climbing on a heavy play stand. A Scarlet Macaw's chewing drive is enormous: supply a steady stream of untreated softwood, hardwood blocks, cardboard and palm leaf, and expect to replace toys every few days. Nuts in the shell and foraging boxes turn feeding into work. Showers or misting several times a week support feather condition. Bird-proof the room, because a bored macaw will strip door frames, skirting boards and cables. A macaw kept mostly in its cage without this input is at high risk of chronic screaming and feather plucking.
CITES Appendix I: Article 10 Certificate Required
The Scarlet Macaw is listed on CITES Appendix I and in Annex A of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulation (EC) 338/97. Commercial use in the EU, including selling, offering for sale and buying, requires an Article 10 certificate for the individual bird, which must be marked with a closed ring or microchip whose number is recorded on the certificate. The certificate must accompany the bird whenever it changes hands and should be kept for life. Buyers should check that the ring or chip number matches the document before any money changes hands. In Germany, keeping Annex A species has to be reported to the local nature conservation authority, and proof of legal origin must be retained.
Training & Enrichment
Scarlet Macaws are intelligent and highly trainable but are often described as less forgiving of handler error than a Blue-and-gold Macaw - they escalate faster and remember longer. Build target, station and recall behaviours from the start using positive reinforcement, and invest early in cooperative-care behaviours such as voluntary scale-stepping, towel acceptance and nail presentation, because decades of veterinary visits with an unhandleable macaw are miserable for everyone. Never use force or flooding; a frightened macaw can inflict serious bite injuries. Teach a reliable step-up onto a hand-held perch as a backup for hormonal periods.
Health Considerations
Feather-destructive behaviour is a common presenting complaint and is usually driven by husbandry or social problems, though medical causes must be ruled out by an avian vet. Proventricular dilatation disease, caused by avian bornavirus, is a significant concern in large macaws and a strong reason for a 30-45 day quarantine and veterinary screening of any new bird. Aspergillosis follows damp bedding and poor ventilation. Papillomatosis and vitamin A deficiency both occur, the latter on seed-based diets. Zinc toxicosis is a real risk in birds housed in galvanised wire. Weigh weekly on a gram scale and book an annual avian examination with periodic bloodwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
With a sound pellet-based diet, daily exercise and regular avian vet care, 40-60 years is a realistic expectation, and a few individuals live longer. Many birds die younger because of poor diet, infection or chronic stress. Either way, a Scarlet Macaw is a commitment that can span most of an adult's life, so plan its long-term care in writing.
Their talking ability is modest. Most learn a limited number of words and phrases, and speech tends to be less clear than in Amazons or African Greys. What they do reliably is call loudly, especially at dawn and dusk, and use body language such as facial blushing, raised feathers and pupil pinning. Choose one for its character, not its vocabulary.
No. A Scarlet Macaw is loud, destructive, strong enough to cause serious bite injuries and often less forgiving than other large macaws. For decades it needs aviary-scale space, several hours of daily attention, specialist veterinary care and Annex A paperwork. It should be kept only by someone with solid experience of large parrots.
The minimum indoor cage is about 120 x 90 x 160 cm (47 x 35 x 63 in, W x D x H), ideally larger, with 2.5-3.8 cm bar spacing and 4-5 mm stainless or powder-coated wire. Even this is only adequate if the bird gets three to four hours out daily; a bird room or large aviary suits the species far better.
Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao) are on CITES Appendix I and EU Annex A. Any commercial use, including sale, requires an Article 10 certificate for that bird, and the bird must carry a closed ring or microchip whose number matches the certificate. Keep the certificate for life and hand it on with the bird. In Germany the keeping must also be reported to the authority.
