Macaws are members of the parrot family which has 340 species. 17 different species of Macaw are found in the rainforests of South America.  Many of them are endangered.

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Breeding

Macaws nest in hollows in trees, sometimes high up from the ground. Two eggs are usually laid, which the female incubates for a month. The chicks are blind and naked when they hatch and develop slowly, staying in the nest for 3 months before fledging.

The parents feed the young on regurgitated food and they both defend the nest, showing great aggression towards intruders, screeching loudly and raising their wings above their heads to show the brightly coloured underwings.

Even after fledging, the young macaws may stay in their family group for more than a year. They do not breed until they are 3 or 4 years old and even after then, they may not attempt to breed every year. Pairs usually stay together for life.

Read More: Food and Feeding

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