Scarlet Macaw

Description:
   Scarlet Macaws are a full sized macaw that are very colorful. They look like a rainbow starting with the head and shoulders a deep red changing to yellow about mid body, and finally blue and green on the lower part of the body and wings. The tail turns back to the deep red.

Care and feeding:
  A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. They eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, and commercial pellets, as well as the same nutritional foods humans eat.

Distribution:
   The Scarlets' natural habitat runs from eastern Panama in Central America south across northern South America, east of the Andes, to Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay.

Size - Weight:
   A full sized macaw, they can get over 2 lbs. Lengths up to 85 cm (33.5 inches).

Social Behaviors:
   They are a typical macaw. Can be cranky at times and may be a one person bird or somtimes develop a liking for only men or women.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   The usual clutch consists of two or three eggs which incubate for about 28 days. The babies will fledge after about 3 months in the nest. Feed the parents plenty of greenstuffs, corn-on-the-cob, carrots, and fruit laced with food supplement while they are rearing the youngsters.

Sexual differences: No visible differences.

Potential Problems: Can be noisy (as can all macaws).

Availability:
  This bird is rarer than some of the other macaws (except perhaps the hybrid macaws) and may be a bit harder to get. Apparently their natural habitat has declined to the point where they were put on the endangered species list.