Macaws are the largest members of the parrot family, and the 17 macaw species are amongst some of the most endangered bird species in the world. They are very sociable birds, living in groups of up to 100, and have a variety of habitats from tropical rainforest to savannah. Their diet includes fruit, seeds, nectar and nuts.
They tend to mate for life and can live for up to 60 years in the wild. They usually have between one and three young each year, and the young remain with their parents until the next breeding season. Although they have very few natural predators, macaws are under threat from habitat loss and capture for the illegal pet trade, as well as from hunting for food and their brilliantly-coloured feathers. The blue and yellow macaw is perhaps the one which most easily springs to mind, and, because this is one of the most trainable of the species, it is particularly at risk for capture for the pet trade.
In Peru an unmissable macaw spectacle is the early morning gathering of up to hundreds of parrots and macaws on exposed riverbanks (or collpas) to eat clay. This clay helps to neutralise toxins from the fruits they eat and aid in digestion, as well as providing a social function. This spectacle can be seen both in the Tambopata and Manu rainforests of Amazonian Peru.
The world's largest macaw, the hyacinth macaw, is found in Brazil.