Macaw Facts

Macaws, because of their sheer size, strong voice and vivid coloration, are one of the few groups of tropical birds firmly etched into the modern consciousness.

Their charisma combined with human population growth has resulted in essentially every member of this group being endangered, in serious decline, or even extinct in the wild. The two overwhelming culprits in this case are the pet trade and habitat destruction.

SEE Macaws on these Adventure Tours:

• Amazon Riverboat Conservation: Help conserve Peru's pink dolphins, giant river otters, monkeys, macaws and more           (Jan-May & Aug-Dec / $2,695)
• Costa Rica Ultimate Wildlife Adventure: Observe whales and macaws and learn about jaguar research on the Osa Peninsula (Jan-April & July-Nov / $1,995)
• Cloud Forests, Reefs, & Sea Turtles: Visit a sea turtle arribada beach, look for quetzals and green macaws, and view the volcanoes of Lake Nicaragua (Sep-Dec / $2,395)
• Trinidad & Tobago Ultimate Wildlife Adventure: Visit some of Trinidad and Tobago's best wildlife hotspots on this one-of-a-kind adventure (Year round / $3,050)

Macaw Facts & Tidbits

• Macaws belong to the Parrot Family. 
• The Hyacinth Macaw is the largest of all the parrots and has a wingspan of approximately 4 feet.
• There are roughly 20 species of Macaws, many of which are endangered and critically endangered.
• Macaws are long-lived, living for as long as 60 years in the wild.
• Like other parrots, they are very social birds, often living in flocks of up to 30 birds.
• There are 5 species listed on the IUCN Red List as extinct.

Distribution

While parrots inhabit all of the world’s tropical and subtropical belts, the macaws have a more restricted range within the American tropics from Southern Mexico to Northern Argentina.

Status

Of the 22 species of Macaws listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 5 are extinct, 3 are listed as critically endangered, 4 as endangered, and the others as near threatened or vulnerable. 

Learn more about threats to birds here.

What Is SEEtheWILD?

We're a non-profit wildlife conservation travel organization that supports local efforts to protect endangered animals. We work with quality tour operators who have passed our criteria to ensure low environmental impact. We're part of The Ocean Foundation.

To learn more about macaw facts, contact us.