Ten things that make macaws extraordinary
Macaws are the showpieces of the parrot family: long-tailed, loud, intensely social and dressed in some of the most vivid colours in nature. The name covers roughly 18 living species across six genera in the tribe Arini, ranging from the cobalt giant of Brazil's wetlands to small green species of the western Amazon. Here are ten verified facts that capture why these birds fascinate biologists and bird-lovers alike. For the full picture, see our macaw species guide.
1. They include the largest parrots on Earth
The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) reaches about one metre from bill to tail tip, making it the longest parrot of all. Only the flightless kakapo outweighs it.
2. Their beaks can crack what a hammer can't
A large macaw's bill can split rock-hard palm nuts and even coconuts. The hyacinth macaw specialises on acuri and bocaiuva palm nuts that almost no other animal can open.
3. They can live for decades
In the wild, big macaws commonly reach 30 to 50 years; in captivity, 50 to 60 years is typical, with exceptional birds passing 70.
4. They eat soil on purpose
In the western Amazon, macaws gather at exposed riverbank clay licks to eat clay, a behaviour called geophagy that is thought to buffer plant toxins and supply scarce sodium.
5. They mate for life
Macaws are generally monogamous, flying and roosting in bonded pairs that stay together year after year.
6. Their tongues have a bone inside
A macaw's dry, scaly-looking tongue contains a bone and is used to tap, manipulate and taste food with surprising delicacy.
7. One species is Extinct in the Wild
The IUCN declared the Spix's macaw Extinct in the Wild in 2019. Captive-bred birds have been released into the Caatinga of Bahia, Brazil, since June 2022.
8. Another came back from about 60 birds
Lear's macaw recovered from roughly 60 individuals in 1983 to more than 2,500 counted in 2024, a landmark conservation success.
9. They are the most trafficked birds in the world
Parrots, including macaws, are the most heavily trafficked group of birds, with tens of thousands entering illegal trade each year according to CITES and trade-monitoring data.
10. Poachers often fell whole trees for one nest
Because macaws nest in cavities high in old hollow trees, poachers sometimes cut down an entire tree to reach a single clutch of chicks. Our partner-funded reception centres in macaw range countries help rehabilitate confiscated birds; you can support that work if it moves you.
Read the full Macaw wildlife guide for the facts, IUCN status and conservation context — or donate to WARN to help fund the local partners protecting this species.
