Latin Name:
Ara macao
Status:
Least Concern
Food:
They forage on fruits, fruits and nuts of various palms, and seeds, flowers and nectar
Population:
Wild population: 20,000 – 50,000
Distribution:
Northern South America, Central America
Interesting Fact:
Over 50 Scarlet Macaw chicks have been reared since the Park was established in 1973
Scarlet Macaw
Wild populations of these magnificent birds, like many parrots, have declined because of capture for the pet trade and habitat loss. They are now protected by international law.
Most Scarlet Macaws are found in South America, with a small population in a region stretching from south Mexico to Panama. The World Parrot Trust is funding releases of captive-bred birds into areas where there is good habitat but the macaws have disappeared due to trapping.
The World Parrot Trust, based here at Paradise Park, has supported direct conservation from the mid-1990s until now to protect the Scarlet Macaw. While listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, it is under severe threat from the wild bird trade. Conservation efforts receiving logistical or financial support from the WPT are underway in Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Costa Rica. Focus of future work: WPT will continue to provide support for local groups fighting to save the Scarlet Macaw from the wildlife trade, and for in-country captive breeding and release programmes to restore the species to areas where it is locally extinct. You can read more about the project HERE. Scarlet Macaws are also know as: Red-blue-and-yellow Macaw, Red-and-yellow Macaw, Red-breasted Macaw.
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