The scarlet macaw is one of the largest and certainly one of the most spectacularly colored of the South American parrots. Scarlet macaws have large, powerful bodies, making the adults immune to many common bird predators. This relative freedom from predators makes camouflage less important as a protective mechanism. They are safe to “flash their colors.”

Scarlet macaws feed mainly on fruits, large seeds and nuts, which they can easily break open with their extremely tough beaks. Unlike spider monkeys, which help disperse seeds through the forest, macaws are seed predators, able to eat tough or unripe fruits and seeds, even those that are bitter or contain toxic chemicals.