Scarlet Macaw

People usually search “scarlet macaw” when they’re weighing up a serious commitment: a bird that can outlive a mortgage, outlast a career, and fill a neighbourhood with sound if the setup is wrong. The decisions are practical—space, noise, diet, vet access, legality—and the consequences are real for both bird and owner.

Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao) are built for long days in forest canopies: powerful flight muscles, a vice-like beak, and a mind that expects activity and company. In captivity, those same traits can become either steady companionship or relentless chaos, depending on routine, housing, and handling.

Quick facts

• Common name: Scarlet Macaw
• Scientific name: Ara macao
• Natural distribution: Mexico, Central America and large parts of northern South America, especially humid lowland forests near rivers and big trees¹
• Adult size: about 81–96 cm long (tail is more than half the total length)²
• Noise level: loud, carrying calls; not a “quiet house” bird (plan for daily vocal periods)
• Talking ability: can mimic human sounds and words, but varies by individual
• Life expectancy: often several decades; captive birds may reach 50–70+ years with excellent care³
• Availability in Australia: uncommon; importing pet birds into Australia is tightly restricted (generally only from New Zealand under specific conditions), so local birds are typically from existing captive lines⁴
• Best suited to: experienced, highly committed keepers with space, time, and an avian vet nearby

Natural behaviour (why they act the way they do)

In the wild, macaws move through the upper canopy in pairs and small groups, travelling to feeding areas and returning to communal roosts. They rely on contact calling to keep track of each other through dense forest—sound is part of their normal toolkit, not a “bad habit”.⁵

In a home, that same need for contact and stimulation shows up as calling, chewing, climbing, and a constant interest in what the household is doing. A scarlet macaw left without structured activity will often create its own—usually with timber, metal fittings, curtains, or anything within reach.

Appearance and identification

Scarlet Macaws are vivid red overall, with yellow across the upper wing coverts and deep blue on the flight feathers and tail. The face has a bare white patch with fine feather lines, and the beak is pale on the upper mandible and darker on the lower mandible.²

Juveniles generally resemble adults, but adults commonly develop pale yellow irises with age, while younger birds often have darker eyes.²

Temperament and companionship

Scarlet macaws can be affectionate and highly interactive, but they are not naturally “easy”. Many do best with predictable routines, clear boundaries, and daily opportunities to forage, chew, climb, and train.

Problems often described as “jealousy” are usually better understood as a change in reinforcement and routine: less attention, less training, fewer predictable interactions, and a bird that escalates calling or demanding behaviour because it has worked before. The fix is rarely punishment. It is structure, enrichment, and consistency.

Housing and space requirements

A scarlet macaw is not a cage-only animal. Even a large, sturdy cage is best treated as a safe base, not a full-time home. The priority is room to move, climb, and fully extend the wings, plus daily time out for supervised exercise.

Cage and aviary essentials

• Strength: heavy-gauge stainless steel or high-quality powder-coated construction; macaws can deform weaker bars and destroy fittings with sustained chewing⁵
• Locks and latches: simple clips are rarely enough; use secure, bird-safe latches
• Perches: mixed diameters and textures; avoid relying on abrasive “sand” covers (they can irritate feet)
• Enrichment: rotate chewable wood, cardboard, rope (bird-safe), and foraging toys; plan to replace them often

If you keep a macaw outdoors, design for weather protection (wind, rain, heat) and night security. In many parts of Australia, snakes can enter poorly protected aviaries; build with predator-proof mesh, secure joins, and attention to gaps at ground level.

Feeding: what “good nutrition” looks like for a macaw

Most pet macaws do best on a balanced base diet of quality formulated pellets, supported by a wide variety of vegetables and smaller amounts of fruit, nuts, and seeds. “All seed” diets are a common pathway to malnutrition and obesity.⁶

Practical feeding notes

• Use sturdy bowls (stainless steel is usually worth it).
• Vegetables first: dark leafy greens and orange vegetables are useful staples (think leafy greens, capsicum, pumpkin, sweet potato).
• Nuts and seeds: often best as training rewards and foraging items rather than an unlimited bowl.
• Avoid avocado: it is toxic to birds.⁶

Care and grooming

Bathing and feather care

Many macaws bathe frequently when given the choice. Offer a shallow bath dish or gentle misting, and ensure the bird can dry in a warm, draught-free space afterwards. Regular bathing also helps reduce dust and supports feather condition.

Beak, nails, and climbing wear

Healthy beaks and nails are usually maintained through daily chewing and climbing. Provide safe branches, destructible wood, and varied perches. If the beak or nails become overgrown or misshapen, that is a veterinary job, not a DIY project.

Flight and wing clipping (a careful topic)

Wing clipping can reduce lift and make escape less likely, but it can also increase the risk of crash injuries and can change how a bird copes with stress. If clipping is being considered, have it done by an avian vet (or under vet instruction) using a conservative approach that preserves controlled descent where possible, and review household safety first (doors, windows, ceiling fans).⁷

Health and early warning signs

Parrots are experts at hiding illness until they can’t. Subtle changes—quieter behaviour, fluffed feathers, reduced appetite, sitting low, altered droppings, tail-bobbing with breathing—are enough reason to call an avian vet promptly.

Hygiene matters because many pathogens spread through droppings, feather dust, and contaminated surfaces. Clean food and water bowls daily, remove spoiled fresh food quickly, and keep the cage dry and well ventilated.

Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD)

PBFD is a highly infectious viral disease that can affect parrots, with signs that may include abnormal or missing feathers, and overgrown or deformed beak and claws. It can persist in the environment and is spread via feather and faecal material, among other routes.^{8, 9}

If you keep parrots, talk to your vet about risk reduction, quarantine for new birds, and testing where appropriate—especially before introducing a new parrot to an existing household.

Breeding scarlet macaws in Australia (reality check)

Breeding is not a casual extension of keeping. Scarlet macaws are sexually monomorphic (males and females look alike), so sexing commonly requires DNA testing.¹⁰

Even with a compatible pair, breeding large macaws responsibly requires specialised housing, nest provision, diet management, careful chick-rearing decisions, and a plan for lifelong outcomes. It is best approached with professional mentoring, veterinary support, and a clear understanding of state/territory requirements.

Suitability as a pet

A scarlet macaw can be a remarkable companion in the right home: experienced hands, patient training, abundant enrichment, and enough space that the bird can be a bird. In the wrong setting—small rooms, long days alone, neighbours close by—they can become persistently noisy and destructive, and welfare can slide quickly.

If you’re deciding between “one macaw” and “no macaw”, it often pays to visit experienced keepers, speak with an avian vet about long-term costs, and be honest about time at home. These birds notice every change in the flock.

References

1. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) overview and habitat
2. Wildlife North America — Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) facts (size and identification)
3. Buffalo Zoo — Scarlet Macaw facts (longevity in captivity)
4. Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry — Importing your pet bird (psittacines; restrictions and permits)
5. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance — Macaw behaviour, grouping and daily movement
6. Merck Veterinary Manual — Nutrition of companion birds (pellets, fresh foods, toxic foods)
7. The Unusual Pet Vets (Australia) — Wing clipping overview and technique considerations
8. BirdLife Australia — What is psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD)?
9. Wildlife Victoria — PBFD fact sheet (signs and prevention)
10. Lincoln Park Zoo — Macaw facts (sexes look alike; general species notes)