Three Ara macaws on the Wildwood Boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey, USA: (from left to right) Scarlet Macaw, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, and Military Macaw, photo by LancerEvolution ; [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Macaws, often called New World parrots or Neotropical parrots, belong to 18 species of in six genera (Anodorhynchus, Ara, Cyanopsitta, Diopsittaca, Orthopsittaca and Primolius) of the true parrots (Psittacidae) family.

Macaws are gorgeously colorful fairly large birds, originally native to South America, Central America and Mexico. Their natural habitats are rainforests and savannas but they can also be found on some woodlands or even grasslands.

Hyacinth Macaws are the largest in terms of length and wingspan, and the heaviest macaws are Buffon’s Macaws.

Parrots are very popular cage birds because birds of some of the species are best-known imitators of human voice. It has been observed and scientifically verified and recorded that these birds can be trained to speak at least some words (parroting?)

Now, look at the photo below. It simply shows that they can be trained in other skills too. The photo shows one Macaw pulling the other seated in a chariot (specially designed chariot for this purpose).

Ara macaws with a small chariot at an exhibition in Spain – a Scarlet Macaw is in the chariot pulled by a Blue-and-yellow Macaw, photo by The Torch (PapegøyeII Uploaded by Snowmanradio) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Parrots are extremely intelligent birds, and they are known to have been trained by Circus companies for performing interesting stunts. I have seen a Russian circus that had trained and used some white pigeons in a show. Now, especially because some of these birds are in the list of ‘Endangered Species’, and because of the campaigns against their misuse by animal rights activists, several countries have enacted laws to prevent such use of animals and birds. Now see the photo below:

A Scarlet Macaw riding a small tricycle at an exhibition in Spain, photo by The Torch (Papegøye Uploaded by Snowmanradio) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Macaws are quite friendly birds too. Look at the photo below. It also helps you to compare the size of the bird by comparing it with the head of a woman.

Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) standing on a woman’s shoulder at Houston Zoo, USA: photo by Kitten Fleming (originally posted to Flickr as Scarlet Macaw) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

And look at the photo below in which three species of Ara macaws have become quite friendly with a visitor at Macaw Mountain Bird Park, Honduras.

Photo by Sarah and Jason (originally posted to Flickr as IMG_6981) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The Macaw Mountain Park is a business venture in the Caribbean island of Roatan, started in the 1980s by Mandy Wagner, who began rescuing parrots and toucans, and her private collection had over 40 birds of 15 species. In 1994, the American biologist and businessman Lloyd Davidson inherited. By the year 2000, the collection had over 100 birds of over 20 species.