The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is found in Southern Mexico, Central and South America, in the canopy of rainforest habitats below 1,000m. It is distinguished from other Macaws by its white face and yellow feathers on its wings. The plumage is mostly scarlet, but the rump and tail-covert feathers are light blue, the greater upperwing coverts are yellow, the upper sides of the flight feathers of the wings are dark blue as are the ends of the tail feathers, and the undersides of the wing and tail flight feathers are dark red with metallic gold iridescence. Scarlet Macaws are one of the most intelligent bird species. When in captivity, they are able to mimic words and sounds and learn tricks. The Scarlet Macaw have longevity – in captivity they are known to live up to 80 years while in the wild they can live approximately 40-50 years. With an extremely powerful beak, the Scarlet Macaw can easily crush nuts and seeds to eat. It also uses its beak as a climbing aid and to crunch on branches to keep busy. They have strong, flexible toes – two that point forward and two that point backwards that are used like hands to grab and move things.
