Scarlet’s make great pets as they are intelligent, confident, friendly and magnificently beautiful. They can easily be trained to learn simple tricks and mimic sounds and develop vocabulary of around 10 words.
Widely regarded by bird lovers as the most beautiful parrot, scarlet macaws are among the most colorful. They have large solid swatches of red, blue, and yellow feathers. This flashy, gutsy bird is full of energy and has a big personality.
Care & Feeding
Like all birds, the scarlet macaw will thrive in a large environment, and will suffer in a cage that’s inadequate for its size. This bird is known for self-mutilation when confined, and will not do well with an owner who doesn’t plan on allowing it sufficient out-of-cage time. Large swings and toys are a must, too, because the scarlet is an active bird that likes to play and chew. If not given the opportunity to chew, it will become quite unhappy and may turn the chewing onto its feathers.
Scarlet macaw live in small groups in the wild, and a lone scarlet macaw in a household can become lonely if not interacted with regularly. This is not a bird for someone who isn’t home a lot, or someone who doesn’t understand the intricacies and responsibilities of bird keeping. This is a sensitive, clever bird that can easily become bored and miserable, leading to excessive noise, plucking and biting.
Scarlet Macaw Colors and Markings
Scarlets are mostly vivid red with bright yellow and blue edging on their wings. Some birds may have a band of green where the yellow meets the blue. The large eye patch is white, and the bill has a horn-colored upper mandible and a black lower mandible. There is no obvious way to tell apart the males from females; to figure this out, the bird needs genetic or surgical sexing.
How Long Do Macaws Live?
Macaws live a long time, and it’s something one needs to think about when deciding to own a macaw. A scarlet macaw can live to be 70+ years old and some are recorded as being over 100 years old. Now, you have to ask yourself, are you ready for that length of commitment? If this is a family bird, it will usually be left to someone in a will. With the potential for such a long lifespan, you can see why this is a decision that needs careful consideration.