The Scarlet Macaw

The Scarlet Macaw is the bird we imagine on the shoulder of the pirate Long John Silver, though it would weigh heavy after a while. This is a big and colorful bird with a long tail, weighing in at around 2.2lbs. The incredibly bright plumage comes in colours ranging from the scarlet for which it is named, through to light blue, yellow, dark red with metallic gold iridescence, and even some green in the wings. They have bare white skin around the eye down to the beak, and lots of tiny white feathers on their faces. Native to humid evergreen forests in the American tropics, this truly spectacular bird is yet another glorious example of how creative nature can be in ensuring the survival of species.