Macaw

Macaw, common name for a group of long-tailed, strong-billed birds of the parrot family, found in the American Tropics. There are 17 living species, and several West Indian species are extinct. Macaws vary greatly in size. At 100 cm (39.4 in), the hyacinth macaw of Brazil and Bolivia is the largest parrot in the world. It is more than three times the size of the smallest macaw, the red-shouldered macaw, a 30 cm (12 in) bird of northeastern South America. Macaws are in great demand for the zoo and pet trade, and thousands are exported, both legally and illegally, to other parts of the world. Both because of this drain on the natural populations and because of habitat loss, several species are severely endangered, especially the blue Spix's macaw, which formerly lived in the interior of Brazil, but is now nearly or wholly extinct in the wild.

Most frequently seen in pet stores and aviaries are the blue and gold macaw and the scarlet macaw, both of which are still reasonably common.

Scientific classification: Macaws belong to the family Psittacidae of the order Psittaciformes. The hyacinth macaw is classified as Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, the red-shouldered macaw as Ara nobilis, Spix's macaw as Cyanopsitta spixii, the blue and yellow macaw as Ara ararauna, and the scarlet macaw as Ara macao.

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