Helping the cause of macaws Scientists' discoveries about macaws may help these magnificent birds survive. WWF has worked to protect the Amazon for more than 40 years, not only for macaws, but for all the wildlife and people who rely on its landscape. While we do not have scarlet macaws on exhibit here at the Cincinnati Zoo, you can always visit Leroy, the blue and gold macaw that lives in Discovery Forest! Macaws also have gripping toes that they use to latch onto branches and to grab, hold, and examine items. Conservationists work to protect the great green macaw. The dominant macaws will wear radio-collars so that our coaches can track us from a remote distance and know our location. They can be lured with food to stand on someone’s shoulder. Macaws on the edge of extinction. By creating networks of protected tropical forest—including one larger than the state of California —we help safeguard the Amazon for generations. Their habitat is in danger, however, because the swamp almond tree is being harvested for its high-quality wood. The birds sport graceful tails that are typically very long. Macaws are highly intelligent, mate for life and can live up to 60 years. Although capture of the Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) for the pet trade has eased since the early 1990s, wild population numbers are still very low.. Progress and outcomes: Since 2002, the World Parrot Trust has led the Blue-throated Macaw Program, which has made significant strides in understanding the birds' breeding and recovery issues. All 22 Mexican species are at risk; 11 species are classified as endangered, 8 as threatened, and 3 as under special protection. The foremost threats parrots face are loss of habitat and illegal trapping for the pet trade. Provided they have enough range to gather food, great green macaws can live to 60 years old in the wild. ... Brightsmith is working with the Brazilian government to develop a plan to protect Brazil’s wild macaws. We will also be monitored with markings on the beaks and rings on the legs with an alphanumeric code and Xcaret logo. The Amazonian rain forest is a bird lover's paradise, home to over a thousand different species, including the blue-and-yellow macaw. While he doesn’t look exactly the same, he does have some brilliant plumage and a knack for mimicry much like his scarlet-colored cousins. The current project has fostered a grass roots movement within the community to support the Spix's macaw and to become involved in environmental issues. Defenders focuses international efforts on Latin American parrot species including the military macaw and scarlet macaw. One aspect of the Spix's Macaw Recovery Program was the involvement of the local population in the conservation effort.