The Amazon Rainforest macaw is the famed bird 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 are monogamous mate for life.
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 severely threatens their existence.
Macay Clay Licks
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 that neutralise toxins found in their food.
Best Places to See Wild Macaws
Another remote Amazon tour, this is the only lodge on the Heath River, which runs through the middle of the Tambopata / Madidi protected areas. At the Heath River Lodge, you can view a nearby macaw clay lick & stand a chance of seeing Amazon tapir at the tapir hide.
