If They Build It...Who Will Come? Indigenous Wildlife Sanctuary Taking Shape
Indigenous people are building a wildlife sanctuary to save the critically endangered great green macaw, but who will come to aid them?
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Scarlet
Macaw
Ara macao
Biological Information
The scarlet macaw consists of two subspecies, the Central and South American scarlet macaw. The Central American scarlet has more yellow on its wing, is bluer, and larger. This species can aggressively defend its nesting territory and has the ability to eat fruits and seeds that are toxic to other animals.
Conservation Status
This species is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Redlist.
Countries we work in
Guyana, Honduras, and Suriname
Regional Tidbit
Indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica traded scarlet macaws for over 2,000 years and used their feathers in headdresses, during sacrificial rites, and in other rituals. The birds held immense symbolic value in many cultures and represented sun gods for the Aztecs and Maya.
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