Scarlet Macaw

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Scarlet Macaw
Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)

Scarlet Macaw ( Ara macao )

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Parrots (Psittaciformes)
Family : True parrots (Psittacidae)
Tribe : New World Parrots (Arini)
Genre : Real macaws ( macaw )
Type : Scarlet Macaw
Scientific name
Ara macao
( Linnaeus , 1758)
Ara macao -Diergaarde Blijdorp -flying-8a.jpg
Ara macao -flying away-8a.jpg


Pen and ink drawing of the scarlet macaw, which is clearly visible during the flight
Distribution area of ​​the scarlet macaw

The scarlet macaw ( Ara macao ), also called arakanga , is a species of parrot belonging to the genus of real macaws . It is one of the largest parrots in the world. It can reach a length of up to 90 cm and a weight of up to 1 kg. It can be easily distinguished from the similar, mainly red, green-winged macaw by its yellow wing spot.

food

Macaws feed on seeds , nuts , fruits , berries, and buds . The specially designed beak makes it very easy for parrots to crack the shells of nuts and hard-shelled fruits. The macaw's upper beak is strongly curved with a pointed hook with which you can fish grains out of large fruits. The versatility of the beak is also aided by the rough muscular tongue . Scientists also found that parrots prefer to use a specific foot to reach their beak for food. This corresponds to right or left handedness in humans.

habitat

The scarlet macaw lives in moist lowland forests , clearings , savannahs and on river banks from southeast Mexico to central Brazil , but not in the Andes and the west coast of South America .

Social behavior

The scarlet macaw lives in groups of around 20 animals. Only during the breeding season do macaws move away from their groups in pairs. The female lays two to four eggs in a tree cavity. The female breeds and is supplied with food by the male. The young hatch after four to five weeks and then live in the nest for up to four months. During this time, both females and males go looking for food. The young are sexually mature after about two years. Scarlet macaws live monogamous and stay together for a lifetime. The foraging takes place within a radius of about ten kilometers around the macaw's sleeping tree.

Enemies

The enemies of the macaw include cats , so-called egg thieves and birds of prey . Due to wild trapping and habitat destruction, humans are also among the enemies of the scarlet macaws.

swell

Web links

Commons : Scarlet Macaw ( Ara macao )  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files