The Birds

The Scarlet Macaw
(Ara macao)

84 cms in length and weighing 900grams. They produce anything from 2 - 4 eggs per clutch

One of the most beautiful Macaws - the scarlet has the widest distribution range of all the macaws, extending from southern Mexico to eastern Bolivia. The Scarlet Macaw was once prolific throughout the Caribbean and Pacific lowlands of Costa Rica in the 1900's, but by 1950's they had all disappeared except for small populations throughout the country.

Over the past forty years, habitat destruction, poaching and trapping has reduced the wild population to three groups of little over a thousand individuals.

The Scarlet Macaw is currently on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Appendix 1 since 1985, which "includes all species threatened with extinction.

The program for release of captive bred Scarlet Macaws into the 'wild' is unique and will answer many questions - can the birds survive? Will they endanger any wild population? Can they adapt to completely new surroundings? Will they be able to produce young? We hope to answer these vital questions and more.

This macaw is 84cm in length and weighs 900g for a fully grown bird. Brilliant colors, mostly red with yellow and blue markings, a long tail and powerful bill. The habitat frequented is solid or patchy deciduous or evergreen forests, feeding in the canopy on fruits and nuts of trees. Usually to be found in pairs of family flocks of 3/4 and can be joined by other family units in flocks of 25 and more at communal roosts. These birds can travel several kilometres in distance and will fly directly and steadily.

Nesting in natural cavities of trees, anywhere from 23 – 80 feet up the trunk, they will produce 1 or 2 eggs per season.

The Great Green Macaw or Buffon's Macaw
(Ara ambiguus)

The gentle green giant of Macaws - the green has a limited distribution and is restricted to the lowlands tropical wet forests of Central and South America, from eastern Honduras to western Columbia and Ecuador. In Central America the population is restricted to the Atlantic forests where in Costa Rica the population of birds has been reduced to dangerous levels.

The Green Macaw was once abundant in all parts of the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica, but is now restricted to the area between the San Carlos and Sarapiqui Rivers, due to the loss of the almendro (dipterix panamensis) tree habitat in other areas. The almendro tree has been deforested in Costa Rica. This is the macaws main source of food and nesting.

The Northern Zone of Costa Rica has been subjected to rapid colonisation and a very high rate of deforestation during the past two decades. The Great Greens habitat has been reduced by 95.7%. Listed on Cites, Appendix 1 since 1985 (most endangered) species, the Green may disappear from Costa Rica entirely within 10 years. (Powell et al. 1996).

The great green is 79cm and weighs 1.3kg. They have a shorter tail than the scarlet macaw and are more solid and robust with a heavier bill. Green in colour with a red brow band, blue back and reddish yellow green tail. The greens prefer the canopy of humid lowland forest, feeding mainly on the fruit of Dipteryx panamensis. Nesting is usually in natural cavities during the dry season, producing 2 eggs.

The Yellow Naped Amazon (Amazona auropalliata) which were declared Critically and placed on CITES Appendix 1 in 2003.

The Mealy Amazon(Amazona farinosa) are common to abundant in Costa Rica. Numbers are declining due to deforestation and the pet trade. Approximately 38cm in length and weighing 600grams.

They prefer forested areas generally keeping to the canopy. They eat fruits, seeds, palms, figs and green pods. Nesting in natural cavities and often dead wood trees and will produce up to 3 eggs per clutch.

The Red Lored Amazon (Amazona autumnalis) is approximately 34 cm in length and weighing 420grams. In some areas of Costa Rica these birds are abundant and in some are completely absent. The birds frequent the forest edge and scattered groves in open country,where they feed on fruits of palm, seeds, figs, leaf buds and mango and citrus. They usually nest in a dead tree and produce three to four eggs per clutch. Numbers are declining due to the pet trade.