Scarlet Macaw

                                                                                            What Do You See?

Walk into the rainforest 

And what do you see

A Scarlet Macaw in the tree

breaking its seeds 

with so much ease

Like breaking ice with your teeth

Once you see them up close

You'll see the biggest rainbow

Closest to appear around you

You'll find them in the canopy and topmost layers of trees

With their families

Don't be scared if you hear loud noises

It is their way of communicating

It seems they have disappeared

Where could they be?

In the cages of the poachers;

Of course, they'll be

Being captured by cages

To be sold illegally, without care

What heartless type of people are they

Do the people think it is a joke

To cut trees around this Macaw homes

Causing deforestation

Everywhere these humans go

But there hope

Since people notice this unfairness

Building captivity centers for these birds

Helping their population grow

Making this species' population 

Increase in growth

Medelin Farias

Mr. Skipper

Encounters 8

May 1, 2024

                                                                        Colorful Feathers 

Introduction

In the most canopy and humid places of tropical forests, lives a bird mostly known for its beautiful colorful plumage, the Scarlet Macaw. These birds can be easily distinguished in the forest by their radiant feather colors but because of these colors, they are captured. People around the area build cages to trap these innocent birds and sell them off as pets. Deforestation is also one of the causes of this bird's extinction. This animal needs to be saved. If they were to go extinct it could affect its environment. When the Scarlet Macaw eats they “allow plenty of seeds (while eating, as well as in their droppings) to fall to the forest floor,” helping with the forest growth (Macaws).  These birds are already facing deforestation, so if they were to become extinct it would have an even greater impact on the environment since they wouldn't have the Scarlet Macaw dropping seeds on the ground.

Description 

Animals have characteristics that make them appear different from one another, just like trees have different physical forms, making them appear different. Macaws are large, bright-colored, birds with “long tail feathers” (Macaws). The Scarlet Macaw is “about 81 to 96 centimeters (32 to 36 inches) long” and the average weight is “one kilogram (2 to 2.5 pounds)” (Scarlet Macaw). Scarlet macaws also known as Ara Macao come from the family of parrots. The scarlet macaw can be distinguished by its colorful patterns, which are red, blue, and yellow. Scarlet Macaws are the largest bird species within the parrot family. When hearing the name “Scarlet” it refers to a tone of red, since Macaws are mostly red, except for some parts of their body that are different colors. Some physical traits of the Ara Macao are different from the Macaw species. The tail of the Scarlet Macaw is more than half of the typical tail of other Macaws (Scarlet Macaw). While having characteristics that make them different from the other Macaws, once comparing a male and female Macaw you'll find no difference since both female and male look alike. The only difference you can find is in age, since “young birds have dark eyes and adults have light yellow eyes” (Scarlet Macaw). When flying these birds can reach a speed of “56 kph (35 mph)” (Macaws).

 Habitat

The Scarlet Macaw, like any other animal, needs a place to stay safe and survive, like any other animal. These parrots can be found in the forests of “Central America and South America” (Scarlet Macaw), but they mainly live in the Amazon forests. Within the rainforest, they like to station themselves on the parts filled with leaves and branches from the trees meaning the “emergent layers and canopy layers” of the rainforest which is where the tallest trees are located(Scarlet Macaw). These parrots can be found in places in the parts of the forest where there is more humidity. They often can be seen flying in groups to mountains of clay called “macaw licks” which have nutrients these parrots need (Macaws). Scarlet Macaws have adapted so well to their environment that their brilliant plumage is “well-suited to the Amazon jungle’s bright fruits and flowers” helping them blend in with the environment and hide from predators (Top 10 Macaw Facts). Their sharp claws help them clasp into the tree branches, and their sharp, strong beaks help them break the seeds that they eat (Top 10 Macaw Facts). 

Food

To survive, you must consume food because it's needed for survival. The Scarlet Macaw has a very strong adapted beak that helps them with their diet, which consists of  “fruits, seeds, leaves, flowers and nuts” (Top 10 Macaw Facts). These parrots are also seen eating the damp solid from the clay licks, probably to help them neutralize the toxins in the foods that they eat. The clay provides necessary minerals that they don't have in their usual diet. Scarlet Macaws don't hunt for food; they just mostly use their beaks to feed on nuts from the trees or nuts from the ground that have fallen. These parrots can be seen eating together when they are feeding from clay licks (Top 10 Macaw Facts). They are also often seen flying in large groups, if they are “bonded pairs” they fly together touching wings (Macaws). While they're consuming their food they have to be careful because they can become the food of another animal. They're the prey of eagles, especially the harpy eagle. That's why they have to be aware in the wild. Their diet not only benefits them but also benefits their environment because dropping seeds on the floor there helps more stress build-up.

Issues

The Scarlet Macaw just like any other animal has something that endangered them, their population, and their homes. Scientists have identified that a “total of 22 species of macaws'' are either endangered or extinct (Top 10 Macaw Facts). These parrots may live a normal life but with precaution, since they are the prey of some animals in the rainforest. The Scarlet Macaw's main predator is the harpy eagle, but humans “ have caused more devastation to macaw populations” (Macaw)  It was noticed that there was a decline in Scarlet Macaws “in some locations where it used to be more commonly spotted" (Elizondo, Laura).  The Scarlet Macaw is an endangered species “due to their capture as pets and loss of habitat” (Scarlet Macaw). The Scarlet Macaw's reason for extinction is that people who lived by the parrot's habitat “stole them and sold them as exotic pets" (Elizondo, Laura). In the early 1990s, scientists had concluded that they were losing eight to ten macaws per year. Scientists had discovered some areas where the population of the Macaw was disappearing. (Macaws). Humans have caused more losses of these parrots than their natural predators, by hunting for their “plumage, meat, and for the exotic pet industry” making humans the main cause of their endangerment (Macaws). It also makes the people one of the many causes of the decrease of the Scarlet Macaw. When these bids were being hunted illegally and were facing deforestation due to humans and natural causes they started to decrease in numbers (Macaws). Costa Rica was facing the most decrease in the population, so they decided to start a conservation effort for these birds. The LAPPA worked on bettering the “quality of life for the region’s inhabitants” Since then the Scarlet Macaw has increased its population in the Central Pacific region (Elizondo, Laura). 

Conclusion

The Scarlet Macaw plays a vital role in its habitat; losing them would hurt its environment. Preserving the scarlet macaw is very important because it helps the growth of its ecosystem by dispersing seeds when eating (Macaws). If they were to go extinct the ecosystem would lose one of the animals that helps the habitat's health. The Scarlet Macaw presence also helps with tourism and the economy.  Which helps provide sustainable living that supports conservation efforts and local economies. Costa Rica has been the country facing the biggest decrease in the Scarlet Macaw population. It was first noticed how this bird species was disappearing in some places of the forest where you would mostly be stationed (Elizondo, Laura). Local “poachers” would make traps with nests and capture the Macaws, and then they would sell them illegally as exotic pets (Elizondo, Laura).  Two local community leaders named “Dr. Vauughan and Gullerno Henandez '' organized a workshop at the Hotel and Club Punta Leona that helped in the conservation of the Scarlet Macaw (Elizondo, Laura). The Hotel Punta Leona brought awareness “among the community about the disappearing animals”. The hotel owner “Eugenio Gordienko” gathered 15 attendees that would help with the first step of the Scarlet Macaws conservation. The community's awareness of the parrot's endangerment led to possible solutions and actions to stop the decline in the macaw population. They created the LAPPA and did so much for these birds like teaching schools the importance of the conservation of the Scarlet Macaw. They also protected “nests against poachers” and they made artificial nest boxes to help “ specimens go through their reproductive style” (Elizondo, Laura).  The Hotel Punta Leona and LAPPA have played a key role since the beginning of these species conservation. That has helped the Scarlets Macaw population in the “Central Pacific region” increase by almost fifty percent (Elizondo, Laura). Showing how their contributions to bird conservation have helped them.

                                                                  Work Cited 

Elizondo, Laura. “The Scarlet Macaw in Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Region: A Story of Community Participation and Conservation.” Earth.org, 15 Jun 2023, earth.org/scarlet-macaw-conservation. 

“Macaws.” Seaworld Parks & Entertainment, seaworld.org/animals/facts/birds/macaws.

“Scarlet Macaw.” Animal Corner, animalcorner.org/animals/scarlet-macaw.

“Top 10 Macaw Facts.” Rainforest Cruises, 3 Oct 2016, www.rainforestcruises.com/guides/macaw-facts.