Scarlet Macaw

The Scarlet Macaw is a brilliantly colored parrot found year-round in Ecuador’s eastern Amazonian lowlands, where it inhabits mature terra firme and floodplain forests below about 800 meters. Though generally rare and patchily distributed, it occurs locally in pairs or small flocks, feeding on fruits, nuts, and seeds, and often visiting clay licks to aid digestion. Globally listed as Least Concern, its population in Ecuador is suspected to be declining due to habitat loss and trapping, with highest densities recorded in relatively undisturbed areas like Tiputini Biodiversity Station. Nesting in large tree cavities, Scarlet Macaws form lifelong pair bonds and play a vital role in seed dispersal, adding both ecological importance and vivid beauty to the rainforest canopy.