The Red Macaw is found in lowland rainforests from eastern Panama to Paraguay.
It is sometimes confused with the Ara Macao (Scarlet Macaw) because they share much of their colouring.
It is a social animal that congregates in flocks of up to 30 individuals and sometimes associates with large groups of other psittacines while ingesting certain minerals from the soil to counteract the effects of some of the plants they eat. They tend to live 45-50 years
It is a monogamous species, forming stable pairs. They nest in tree hollows and lay 2-3 eggs, which incubate for 28-30 days.
Adults are hunted for food and for their beautiful feathers, the chicks are often hunted for sale as pets.