Macaw
Ara spp.
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Macaws are the famed birds of the tropics. You can identify a macaw from other parrots by the lack of feathers on their face (a facial path, which is sometimes reduced to a yellow patch around the eyes and at the base of the beak). They have a strong beak for cracking fruit and tackling difficult food items, and bright red, blue, green, or yellow feathers. Macaws aggregate in very large groups on clay licks (exposed areas of clay) in the Amazon, where they are one of the main tourist attractions. The clay contains chemicals the birds utilise to neutralise toxins found in their food. Macaws mate for life and are therefore monogamous. The hyacinth macaw is the largest species with a 140 cm wingspan. Sadly, macaws are intensely hunted for the pet trade, and this combined with habitat destruction has resulted in their endangerment.
