Scarlet macaw

The rainbow-coloured talking parrot

The macaw is one of the most colourful birds in the world: red, yellow, blue! Macaws pair for life and 'shout' to each other from far away. Their beak is strong enough to crack a Brazil nut. Macaws eat clay from riverbanks — it is 'medicine' after poisonous fruit. They live 60 years and learn to copy human words.

The scarlet macaw (Ara macao) lives in rainforests from Mexico to Bolivia, 85 cm long with a 1 m wingspan. Pairs bond for life, and big flocks gather at riverside 'clay licks': minerals in the clay bind plant toxins and supply sodium. The powerful beak (150 kg/cm²) opens hard seeds; it holds food in a foot (usually the left). Its brain rivals primates' — it mimics sounds, solves puzzles and recognises itself in a mirror. Trapping for the pet trade and deforestation made it rare in many areas; reintroduction programmes run in Costa Rica and Mexico. The Maya and Aztecs made crowns from its feathers.

Fun facts

• Macaws eat clay as 'medicine' after poisonous fruit.
• Macaws hold food in the left foot — they are 'left-handed'.
• Macaws live over 60 years and recognise themselves in a mirror.