Care and Breeding of the Scarlet Macaw

If you are looking for information on the care and breeding of the scarlet macaw look no further.

Well actually, the more you know about the care and breeding of the scarlet macaw the better off you’ll be, because macaws aren’t the easiest of birds to deal with.

The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) belongs to the psittaformes, psittacidae. Basically what that means is that the Macaw is from the parrot family.

The origin of these incredibly beautiful birds is from the tropical climates of Southern Mexico through Central America to South America, and some come from as far south as Brazil, Bolivia, and even Argentina.

Their location and altitude have changed in recent years with the destruction of their habitat and the capture of these birds for the pet trade

The knowledge in the care and breeding of the scarlet macaw is essential for this large thirty two to thirty six inch bird. The weight isn’t too shabby either weighing in at approximately two and a half pounds.

Two and a half pounds may not sound like much, but for someone used having a cockatiel on his or her shoulder, which weighs about one hundred grams, 2.5 lbs is about 1,132 grams or a little over a kilogram which is something you would definitely feel after a while.

In addition to the knowledge in the care and breeding of the scarlet macaw it is essential to train this large bird. If bred in captivity and brought home as a chick, training will much easier, but it’s important to remember that this bird was not originally intended to be taken out of its large green home in the tropics. If you are to bring the Rambo of parrots home, then you must be prepared to train it and understand its very special needs.

Some information on the care and breeding of the scarlet macaw :

These birds are very expensive and can run up to the two to three thousand dollar range.
They require a very big cage and play areas
They are very loud and have a low pitched throaty squawk and scream
Wild Scarlet Macaws eat mostly fruits and seeds, including large, hard seeds.
It is a common sighting in the wild to see a single bird or a pair of birds flying over forest canopy.
Macaws will gather clay licks along the riverbeds. Clay licks are clay deposits that the macaw will eat to detoxify the body of poisons from the seeds, vines and trees in the forests.

Although the Scarlet Macaw is originally from the wild, it makes for a wonderfully affectionate family pet. This bird has brilliant colors of mostly scarlet, some light blue, yellow, dark blue, white, dark red, and gold. A painters palette in one lovely bird.

More specific information about the care and breeding of the scarlet macaw

Sexes are alike
Young birds have dark eyes, and as the macaw gets older the eyes will turn a light yellow.
Some can talk well
Social, but prefer immediate family over large crowds
The scarlet macaws are larger in Bolivia, than in Honduras, but they are much more commonly seen in Honduras then in Bolivia.

More details on the care and breeding of the scarlet macaw :

Scarlet Macaws lay 2 to 4 white eggs in a tree cavity. The eggs will hatch after approximately 25 days and can stay with their parents for as long as a year.
Many times confused with the green wing macaw, also from the Ara genera.
The approximate breeding age can be as young as three years of age. At sexual maturity your macaw may become aggressive during the mating season around early spring, which usually lasts some 6 weeks.

At the beginning we mentioned how important the care and breeding of the scarlet macaw really is. Hopefully some of the information provided will encourage those who are not will to make the necessary adjustments to find an easier bird to care for. If however you are willing to do all that is required, you should have an extraordinarily loving bird that will have everyone who meets him ooh and ah about his incredible beauty and loving disposition.