Macaws are not only some of the most beautiful birds in the rainforest, but they're also some of the loudest. During one of our first trips into the rainforest, we were hopeful that we would get a glimpse of a macaw in the wild. It didn't take long before we heard a group of over 30 macaws loudly squawking. We were able to follow their loud cries and watch them before the whole group flew off to another fruit tree.

Macaws are the largest member of the parrot family. Macaws are brightly colored, and can be red, green, gold, blue, and purple. They build their nests very high off the ground (over 100 feet), where they lay their eggs and search for food.

Macaws need huge areas, or ranges, to live in. They spend most of the day flying from tree to tree in search of food. The rainforest's trees offer macaws plenty of their favorite foods: fruit and nuts. Their incredibly strong beaks are able to crush hard nut shells. Their feet are very strong and graceful, which allow them to climb branches and grab fruit.

We'll continue to keep our ears and eyes out for macaws. With their loud cries, they should not be too hard to find!

For more information on macaws, check out the following web pages:

Wilderness Classroom Rainforest Library

National Geographic Animal Facts, Habitats, Video, and Sound

San Diego Zoo's Animal Bytes: Macaws