Psittacidae-Orris

﻿Scarlet Macaw



**Description: ** This colorful bird is said to be one of the most intelligent of all birds. The //Ara Macao// has excellent communication and sense of predators. This winged creature has a strong beak, pointed tail, and a loud voice. Several colors are a deep red body, shoulders and wings are yellow, tail is blue, its backside is light blue, its legs are charcoal, and its eyes are yellow. A feature on the Scarlet Macaw is that it has a patch of bare skin on its face called the cheek patch, which is white. Their size varies, but they approximately grow 89 cm. or about 35.04 in. Their tail is about one-third or one-h alf their final height. Usually, the Scarlet Macaw's lifespan in the wild is at a high of 33 years, buy they can live up to 75 years in captivity. They live between 40 to 50 years average in captivity. **__Classification: __** // Ara Macao //   Kingdom- //Animalia//   Phylum- //Chordata// Sub//. Vertebrata//  Class- //Avas//   Order- //Psittaciformes//   Family- //Psittacidae// Sub. //Psittacinae//  Genus- //Ara//   Species- //Macao// **__Communication: __** Scarlet Macaws usually communicate with vocalizations and postures. Mating pairs are engaging in tactile communication when preening. They also have great vision and hearing. Preening : to make oneself appear striking or smart in dress or appearance. **__﻿ ﻿ __** **__Behavior/Movement: __** Scarlet Macaws travel and sleep in flocks. They are found in pairs in nests. One action from partners is that mates show their affection and love by licking one anothers faces and mutual preening. Scarlet Macaws are affectionate towards their keeper in captivity, as well. These birds can be noisy when bored or frustrated. They can also be scared and frightened when a predator attacks or anything bad happens or shocks them. They are very cautious by checking out the scene until the danger is gone. This bird species loves to bathe, and they do this by splashing the water with their wings. Their wings are also used for transportation. __**Predators: **__ Predators of Scarlet Macaws are monkeys, toucans, snakes, and other large animals. They turn camouflaged, so these animals are less likely to see them. When a predator attacks their habitat, they often check the area until the predator leaves. **__<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%; overflow: hidden;">Habitat/Location: __** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%; overflow: hidden;">Scarlet Macaws are found in Southern Mexico, Central America, Northern South America, but most commonly throughout the Amazon Basin. These birds are more widely spread than any other bird species. Scarlet Macaws are found in high canopies of the rainforest below 1,000 m. They can be found in swamps, virgin forests, and savannahs. A true forest bird feeds in tree tops. Also, these animals are endangered in their natural habitat. **__ Metabolism:﻿ __** ﻿Scarlet Macaws contain a beak to tear through and consume the food. There are structures inside their bea ks that allows the Scarlet Macaw to press the hard seeds or food between their tongue and palate and grind the food, so that it can be digested. They occasionally supplement their diet with nectar and flowers. They also consume fruits before they are ripe. Premature fruits have tougher skin, which is difficult to consume. Scarlet Macaws eat a variety of nuts, oranges, bananas, sunflower seeds, berries, carrots, bread tomatoes, fresh corn, fresh twigs, and maybe clay from the rivers edge. __** Environment Adaptations: **__ One example of an environment adaptation is that they can camouflage themselves to protect themselves. There is protection and think foliage in the upper canopy of the rainforest, so they can camouflage themselves to protect them from danger or predators. The second example is that Scarlet Macaws have a special need, in which they need fresh twigs for occupation to make themselves at home. The third example is that they are important seed predators of large tree fruits in the ecosystem, in which they live. They can influence the generation of forest tree species. **__ Reproduction: __** ﻿ Scarlet Macaws form monogamous bonds that last for life. Breeding seasons occur year round and breeding occurs 1 to 2 years. The female has 2 to 4 white eggs with an average of 3 eggs per season. The incubation period occurs 24 to 25 days. After hatching, the young stays with the parents for 1 to 2 years. The parents can't a nother offspring until the other becomes independent. For the offspring to become independent, it takes 1 to 2 years from birth, but it takes 3 to 4 years for sexual maturity. Both parents have roles in reproduction of their offspring. The female incubates the egg and the male feeds it by liquefying or regurgitating food. __** Male Vs. Female: **__ Males tail feathers may be longer than the females. Their bills may be slightly larger, also. Females are smaller and have a shorter, broader beak. They both care for their young and are identical otherwise. **__ Family: __** //Psittacidae//  Other animals in the family //Psittacidae// include ravens, crows, jays, and parrots. Several characteristics of this family are that they are commonly found in South America, they usually eat seeds, nuts, and fruits, and they are a type of bird with wings for transportation. Other characteristics are that they are several of the most intelligent birds, there are 372 species in this family/order, they are green and/or brightly colored, and the females lay white eggs. The parrot family is so ancient that there is not a lot of information in the fossil record as to their closest relative, which is the pigeon.

__** Sources: **__ __**http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ara_macao.html**__ __**http://www.bird-breeds.com/Scarlet_Macaw.htm**__ __**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_Macaw**__ __**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrot**__ __**http://www.cougarmountainzoo.org/The%20Animals/scarletmacawfact.aspx**__