In the bird world, the Macaw is without a doubt the king of the jungle. These majestic creatures have long been a favorite among bird enthusiasts worldwide, and for very good reason. Not only are Macaws one of the most beautiful birds in the world, they are also some of the most intelligent and have distinct personalities that set them apart from the rest.

Macaws in the Wild

All species of Macaw are only found in what is referred to as the Neotropics. The Neotropics are a distinct geographical region that lie within the Tropic latitude lines of Capricorn and Cancer that are parallel to the Earth’s equator. The countries which fall within these lines that the Macaws are native to include South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Macaws in the wild are spread throughout these areas, with each living in their preferred environment. While it is commonly believed that all Macaws are rainforest dwellers, there are some species of Macaw that prefer other habitats, such as savanna like areas or woodlands. However, the large majority of Macaws are found deep within the lowland tropical rainforest, within close proximity to water.

Macaw Breeding in the Wild

Macaws are a species of bird that mate for life. Macaws breed early in the season, with the female Macaw laying a clutch of between two and four eggs. Unfortunately for the species, they are slow breeders and suffer from extremely low reproductive rates. Part of this is due to the large number of predators in the wild that will kill the eggs. Many times only one egg will be able to mature to hatch.

Sadly, many of these young will not survive and often perish due to starvation. It takes young Macaws several months to fledge, during which time the parents must provide their food for them. As Macaws often travel very long distances between their nesting grounds and their food sources, it may be that the young Macaws being left without food for so long leads them to starvation. The fact of the matter is however, scientists are quite unsure why so many die of starvation in the wild, when there is an abundance of food available for them.

The Lifespan of Macaws and Macaws Facing Extinction

Should the young Macaws reach maturity and grow to reproduce themselves, unless killed by a predator the Macaw has a very long life to procreate and help raise the number of the Macaw population. In the wild, Macaws can live to be up to 60 years of age. Sadly however, many of the Macaws in the wild do not reach this ripe age due to the natural predators they face, the deforestation of their habitats and poachers that steal trap them to use in illegal methods of bird trade.

This has led to an alarming number of Macaws being deemed as critically endangered or even extinct. Of the 18 known species of Macaw, many are critically endangered or already completely extinct with some only being extinct in the wild, such as the Spix’s Macaw. Species of Macaw that are known to be extinct are the Cuban Red Macaw and the Saint Croix Macaw, though scientists also postulate that there were in fact several other species of Macaws that are now extinct but this theory is based solely on a small amount of evidence.

Fortunately, there are been conservation laws in place in an attempt to help prevent further extinctions in the wild from occurring. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna has placed some strict rules and regulations on the international trade of all Macaws, particularly those that are already in the critically endangered category. This has been somewhat beneficial to slowing the progress of the Macaws extinction, but sadly, deforestation still continues to be their primary plague and unless it is slowed dramatically, many species of Macaw may become totally extinct in the wild and only be able to be found in captivity.