The Scarlet Macaw is a Popular Parrot

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Scarlet Macaws are loving, but sensitive friends

Scarlet Macaw

Scarlet Macaw

The Scarlet Macaw is one of the largest of the Macaw species and is a very popular pet.

Scarlet Macaws are said to be more sensitive and high strung than some of the other Macaw species.

If not properly raised and handled well, they can become aggressive birds. For this reason, they are best for experienced bird owners. You need to establish stiff boundaries with Scarlets right when you bring this bird home. Otherwise, they will learn to scream, bite, or manipulate you in order to suit their needs.

The Scarlet Macaw is known for being very intelligent and loving (when raised correctly). Scarlet Macaws are definitely trainable–you can teach them to talk and learn tricks fairly easily.

Many bird owners are intimidated by the Scarlet Macaw’s strong will and large beak. Their beaks are very strong–one bite can lead you to the emergency room. These birds are not good for first-time bird owners. You need to be very experienced with birds in order to keep one of these, somewhat difficult, creatures.

To read more about Macaws as pets, please visit our Macaw page.

If you are an experienced bird owner and are prepared to handle bites from a large beak, sometimes replacing toys every week, spending a lot of time with your bird, training your bird to keep his mind active, and spending a lot of time setting clear boundaries, then this might be the right bird for you.

Fast Facts

Name Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)
Origin Central and South America
Size 32 in., 2 lbs.
Color Differences Scarlet Macaws are often confused with Green-Winged Macaws. You can tell a Scarlet Macaw apart because of the white face and yellow on the wings. Green-Winged Macaws have distinct red lines on their faces and no yellow feathers on their wings.
Average Cost $1200-1600
Lifespan 50 years on average
Noise Loud
Living Arrangements Because of their vocal abilities, size, and the size needed for their cages and other accessories, these birds are best kept in a house.
Qualities Scarlets tend to be more sensitive, high strung, and nippy than other Macaw species, most do not tolerate other birds, children, or pets, they can be a very loving pet, and have a strong personality. Macaws in general have the intelligence of a 3-8 year old child, emotional range of a 2 year old child, may throw tantrums to get attention, great sense of humor, can tease you and other members of your family (including other pets), require a lot of attention, can be very demanding, need to be kept busy with attention, toys, and training, love to chew, love showers, some are described as clownish, energetic, playful, like to roughhouse, some can be nippy and aggressive, some love to cuddle.
Abilities Excellent–they can learn to talk and learn tricks.
Interaction/Time Requirements High–These birds do need a lot of attention and will scream and become very aggressive if they don’t get the attention and time from you that they need.
Diet They need a diet for x-large birds.
Supplies Needed They need supplies for x-large birds.
See How The Scarlet Macaw Compares to Other Types of Pet Birds!

Scarlet Macaw Videos

“My Scarlet Macaw Chase”


This adorable video shows the trick-learning ability that Scarlet Macaws have. They are so talented!

“Mango Having Fun”


This is a fun video of a Scarlet Macaw having fun, talking, and just being goofy.

“Scarlet Macaw”


This is a great video of a Scarlet Macaw that shows how loving and affectionate they can be.

Scarlet Macaw Training

Macaws can be very aggressive at times, so it is important to train them correctly right from the beginning. They need to be taught clear boundaries so they will learn not to bite. Macaws can be fantastic companions. They are caring, loving, and they can become very attached. However, if not properly trained, they can become biters very quickly.

For this reason, we highly recommend that you find an effective training program for your Macaw. Whether your parrot is new to your home or you’ve had him for years, a training program will always come in handy. We personally recommend the Bird Tricks Parrot Training Course by Dave and Jamieleigh Womach. You can see many of their videos for free to get an idea of how much they know about parrots and how they can help you train yours.

Below is one of Dave’s videos about stopping your parrot’s biting. This video is a great example of how effective the training courses can be for your Macaw and how they are filled with a wealth of useful information for any bird owner.

This video is only the first step in getting your Macaw hand tamed. We highly recommend checking out the BirdTricks Training Course for taming your parrot even further.

For more information about Dave and Jamieleigh’s courses, you can visit the Bird Tricks website HERE.

Macaw Education

To learn more about your pet Macaw, we recommend these books:

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Macaw Gifts

Have a friend of family member who loves Macaws? Gift them something that will truly spark joy!

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Have A Great Story About Your Scarlet Macaw?

Share your experience with others! There’s no better way to learn about a pet bird than from an owner.

Some helpful information for potential owners can be: What is the species of your bird? Is he/she friendly? Loving? Cuddly? Talented? Messy? Loud? You get the idea!

Your comment may just help someone decide whether or not this pet bird is for them.

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