the.com/macaw
a parrot built like a paint factory exploded, screaming Latin and outliving its owner
means A macaw is any of several large, long-tailed, brilliantly colored parrots native to the tropical Americas, known for their loud calls and long lifespans.
from The word arrived in English in the 1600s through Portuguese 'macau' or 'macao,' borrowed in turn from a Tupi or other indigenous Brazilian language — likely from a native name for the bird or for a palm tree whose fruit the macaws fed on. The trail back to the exact source word goes a bit hazy in the Amazon, as colonial transcriptions of native names often did, but the New World roots are solid.
- lifespan
- can reach 60 years in captivity
- bite force
- jaws crack Brazil nut shells like cheap glass
- vocal
- flock calls carry miles through dense rainforest
- clay habit
- eats riverbank clay to neutralize seed toxins
- feet
- two toes forward, two back, gripping like hands
scarlet macaw — central and south america's largest red parrot, up to 33 inches long with a 49-inch wingspan
blue-and-yellow macaw — amazon rainforest parrot with distinctive blue and gold plumage, found from panama to brazil
hyacinth macaw — world's largest flying parrot species, cobalt blue, native to central south america, endangered with fewer than 5,000 in wild