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What the sources say

Scarlet MacawAra macao

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Scarlet Macaw profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 47 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Federal Register, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2019

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing the Scarlet Macaw. Federal Register, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2019.

The page saysbig scarlet parrot
The source saysare one of the larger macaws (Collar 1997, p. 421). Scarlet macaws are brilliantly colored and predominantly scarlet red
The page saysfeeds mostly in the forest canopy
The source saysScarlet macaws, like most parrots, feed primarily in the canopy
The page saysTropical rainforest, gallery forest, mangroves and savannas from Mexico to the Amazon basin, mostly below 500 meters elevation
The source sayslowland rain forest, mixed pine and broad-leaved woodlands, open areas and edges with scattered stands of tall trees, gallery forest, mangroves, and savannas, with many of the areas that scarlet macaw inhabit near rivers (Juniper and Parr 1998, p. 425; Wiedenfeld 1994, p. 101; Forshaw 1989, p. 407; Meyer de Schauensee and Phelps, Jr. 1978, p. 99). The species generally occurs from sea level to about 500 meters (m) (1,640 feet (ft)) elevationNote: 'mostly below' paraphrases 'generally occurs from sea level to about'; the rule adds reports up to 1,500 m in Central America
The page saysfrom Mexico to the Amazon basin
The source saysExtending from Mexico southward to central Bolivia and Brazil [...] The majority (83 percent) of the species' range lies within the Amazon Biome of South America
The page saysMostly fruits and seeds, plus flowers, leaves, bark and lichen; eats soil at riverbank clay licks in parts of its range
The source saysFruits and seeds comprise the majority of a scarlet macaw's diet, but they also consume, to a lesser degree, fruit pulp, flowers, leaves, bark, lichen, and bromeliads [...] in some areas of the scarlet macaw's range, they regularly visit claylicks (naturally forming wall of clay on a riverbank) where they consume soil or mineralsNote: 'Mostly' paraphrases 'comprise the majority'
The page saysmeasures 84 to 89 centimeters long and weighs between 900 and 1,490 grams, making it one of the larger macaws
The source saysThey measure 84–89 centimeters (33–35 inches) in length, weigh 900–1490 grams (2.0–3.3 pounds), and are one of the larger macaws
The page saysNo macaw covers more ground: its range runs from Mexico through Central America and across the Amazon basin to central Bolivia and Brazil, an area of roughly 7 to 10 million square kilometers
The source saysThe range of the scarlet macaw is the broadest of all the macaw species ... Extending from Mexico southward to central Bolivia and Brazil, it covers an estimated 7,030,975–10,200,000 square kilometers (km2)Note: 7,030,975-10,200,000 km2 is rounded to 7 to 10 million for a young audience
The page saysAbout 83 percent of that territory lies within the Amazon Biome of South America
The source saysThe majority (83 percent) of the species' range lies within the Amazon Biome of South America
The page saysFruit and seeds make up most of a scarlet macaw's diet, topped up with flowers, leaves, bark, lichen and bromeliads
The source saysFruits and seeds comprise the majority of a scarlet macaw's diet, but they also consume, to a lesser degree, fruit pulp, flowers, leaves, bark, lichen, and bromeliadsNote: 'most' paraphrases 'comprise the majority'
The page saysup to 52 plant species in the Peruvian Amazon and up to 43 in Costa Rica
The source saysThey have been reported to consume up to 52 plant species in the Amazon of Peru ... and up to 43 different plant species in Costa Rica
The page saysnesting in natural or abandoned tree cavities that they do not dig themselves
The source saysScarlet macaws are secondary cavitynesting birds, meaning they do not create their own cavities but rely upon natural or abandoned cavities for nesting [...] They nest in both live and dead trees
The page saysIn parts of their range scarlet macaws regularly visit walls of clay on riverbanks to eat soil or minerals
The source saysin some areas of the scarlet macaw's range, they regularly visit claylicks (naturally forming wall of clay on a riverbank) where they consume soil or minerals
The page saysOne suggested benefit is counteracting toxins in their food, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2019 listing rule found it unclear whether the habit brings a nutritional or any other benefit
The source saysit is unclear whether this provides a nutritional or other benefit to the species such as counteracting toxins in food sourcesNote: 2019 is the rule's Federal Register date; counteracting toxins is the rule's own example of a possible benefit
The page saysits northern subspecies, Ara macao cyanoptera, was listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2019
The source saysTuesday, February 26, 2019 / Rules and Regulations [...] determine the northern subspecies of scarlet macaw (Ara macao cyanoptera) is an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973Note: 2019 is the rule's Federal Register date, printed in the page header quoted
The page saysThe listing rule names habitat loss, poaching for the pet trade, lack of enforcement of existing regulations and small population size as the main causes of the scarlet macaw's decline
The source saysThe primary causes attributed to the decline of the scarlet macaw (A. m. cyanoptera and A. m. macao) include habitat loss and forest degradation (Factor A), poaching for the pet trade (Factor B), lack of enforcement of existing regulations (Factor D), and small population size (Factor E).
The page saysA 2009 estimate put the northern subspecies at fewer than 1,000 birds
The source saysthe current population of A. m. cyanoptera was estimated to be fewer than 1,000 birds (McNab 2009, p. 1)
The page saysby 2019 scarlet macaws had been wiped out from almost all of their former range in Mexico and all of it in El Salvador
The source saysTuesday, February 26, 2019 / Rules and Regulations [...] It has been extirpated from almost all of its former range in Mexico, all of its former range in El Salvador, and much of its former range throughout Central America.Note: 'by 2019' dates the statement to the rule; 'It' in the source is the scarlet macaw
The page saysThe same rule very roughly estimated South America's scarlet macaws at 15,000 to 45,000 birds
The source saysthe South American population of the scarlet macaw can be very roughly estimated to be 15,000–45,000 birds
The page saysIn some areas the birds regularly stop at clay licks, natural walls of clay on a riverbank, to swallow soil or minerals
The source saysin some areas of the scarlet macaw's range, they regularly visit claylicks (naturally forming wall of clay on a riverbank) where they consume soil or minerals
The page saysCountering toxins in their food is one possible payoff, yet the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2019 review judged it unclear whether they gain anything nutritional or otherwise
The source saysit is unclear whether this provides a nutritional or other benefit to the species such as counteracting toxins in food sourcesNote: 2019 is the rule's Federal Register date
The page saysin 2019 the northern subspecies
The source saysTuesday, February 26, 2019 / Rules and Regulations [...] determine the northern subspecies of scarlet macaw (Ara macao cyanoptera) is an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973Note: 2019 is the rule's Federal Register date, printed in the page header quoted
The page saysfound from southern Mexico to Nicaragua and Panama's Isla Coiba
The source saysA. m. cyanoptera (occurring from southern Mexico to Nicaragua and Isla Coiba, Panama)
The page sayslisted as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which ruled the southern subspecies threatened
The source saysdetermine the northern subspecies of scarlet macaw (Ara macao cyanoptera) is an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended; the northern distinct population segment (DPS) of the southern subspecies of scarlet macaw (A. m. macao) is a threatened species under the Act, and the southern DPS of the southern subspecies of scarlet macaw (A. m. macao)Note: Both distinct population segments of the southern subspecies are listed threatened, so the whole subspecies is

Source
02

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Ara macao (scarlet macaw). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysbeak that can break open the toughest nuts
The source saysScarlet macaws are also able to break open the toughest nuts.
The page saysA beak that can break open the toughest nuts
The source saysScarlet macaws are also able to break open the toughest nuts.
The page saysgrind hard seeds against the palate
The source saysThere are structures on the inside of their beaks that allow scarlet macaws to press the hard seed between their tongue and palate and grind the seed so that it can be digested
The page sayspaired with a monogamous bond that lasts for life
The source saysScarlet macaws form monogamous pair bonds that last for life.
The page saysadults may escape most predators thanks to their size and flight
The source saysAs adults scarlet macaws may escape most predation by virtue of their size and flight.Note: 'thanks to' paraphrases 'by virtue of'
The page saysjaguars, eagles and hawks may take adults and fledglings, and tree-climbing snakes, monkeys and small carnivores may take young in the nest
The source saysYoung may be taken in the nest by arboreal predators such as snakes, monkeys, and other small carnivores. [...] Adults and fledglings may also be taken by large cats, such as jaguars, and by eagles and hawks.Note: 'tree-climbing' is ADW's own gloss of 'arboreal'
The page saysScarlet macaws can break open the toughest nuts
The source saysScarlet macaws are also able to break open the toughest nuts.
The page saysStructures inside the beak let a scarlet macaw press a hard seed between its tongue and palate and grind it up
The source saysThere are structures on the inside of their beaks that allow scarlet macaws to press the hard seed between their tongue and palate and grind the seed so that it can be digested
The page saysparrots' beaks move more than other birds' do, which makes for a more powerful bill
The source saysParrots have more movement in their beaks than do other birds, which allows for a more powerful bill.
The page saysPairs mate for life and are rarely found alone once paired
The source saysScarlet macaws form monogamous pair bonds that last for life. [...] Once paired with a mate, they are rarely found alone except to feed when one bird must incubate the eggs
The page saystrap a hard seed against the palate with its tongue and grind it into something digestible
The source saysThere are structures on the inside of their beaks that allow scarlet macaws to press the hard seed between their tongue and palate and grind the seed so that it can be digested
The page saysParrot bills also have more movement than those of other birds, and that makes them more powerful
The source saysParrots have more movement in their beaks than do other birds, which allows for a more powerful bill.
The page saysFew other animals can get at such a wide variety of nuts
The source saysnot a lot of other animals are able to access such a large variety of nuts
The page saysby eating fruit before it ripens, ahead of other animals, the macaw may gain a competitive advantage
The source saysAra macao individuals are known to consume fruits before they are ripe. [...] By accessing these fruits before they are available to other animals, they may gain a competitive advantage.
The page sayspairs for life and, once paired, is rarely found alone
The source saysScarlet macaws form monogamous pair bonds that last for life. [...] Once paired with a mate, they are rarely found alone except to feed when one bird must incubate the eggs

Source
03

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources

AnAge entry for Ara macao. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

The page saysIn captivity, one female was still alive after 33 years, and she had bred with the same male for 22 years
The source saysOne female was still alive after 33 years in captivity but it rarely flew probably because of its age; it bred with a 32 year-old male for 22 years
The page saysAnAge, a database of animal lifespans, lists a maximum of 33 years, recorded in captivity
The source saysMaximum longevity 33 years (captivity)
The page saysLonger lives have been reported, one of 37.1 years and a specimen said to have reached 64, but AnAge calls those reports anecdotal
The source saysThere are various anecdotal reports of animals living longer, though, including one report of an animal living 37.1 years [0986] and one specimen living to be 64 years of age [0575].

Source
04

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022

Ara macao. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T22685563A163778999.

The page saysThe species as a whole is rated Least Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).
The page saysAcross its whole range the species rates Least Concern with the IUCN
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).

Source
05

Watson et al. 2015

Watson et al. (2015). Early procurement of scarlet macaws and the emergence of social complexity in Chaco Canyon, NM. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The page saysPueblo people at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico were acquiring scarlet macaws from Mesoamerica through long-distance networks as early as AD 900 to 975, radiocarbon dates on macaw skeletons show
The source saysNew accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) 14C dates of scarlet macaw (Ara macao) skeletons from Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico reveal the earliest (A.D. 900–975) direct evidence for procurement of this Neotropical species by Pueblo people from Mesoamerica. By directly dating the macaws, we demonstrate the existence of long-distance acquisition networksNote: 'acquiring' paraphrases 'procurement'
The page saysThat runs against models crediting Chaco's 11th-century peak of influence for bringing macaws to the canyon: most of the dated skeletons predate that period
The source saysIn contrast to models of societal evolution that attribute procurement of macaws to the 11th-century peak of Chacoan influence and architectural expansion, most 14C dates significantly predate this period.
The page saysStatus Symbol, Fractured Range
The source saysaccess to and control of these important status markers from MesoamericaNote: Heading: 'status symbol' paraphrases the paper's 'important status markers'; 'fractured range' summarises the rule's extirpation passage, claimed below

Source
06

Renton 2006

Renton (2006). Diet of Adult and Nestling Scarlet Macaws in Southwest Belize, Central America1. Biotropica.

The page saysIn southwest Belize, a breeding-season study found adults and nestlings eating mostly seeds from a narrow range of foods, with nestlings fed chiefly on seeds of floodplain trees that may be rich in protein
The source saysScarlet Macaw diet was determined during the breeding season of February–June 1998. Macaws were primarily granivorous, exhibiting a narrow diet during the dry season, with low variety of food items in adult and nestling diets. Seeds of Cnidoscolus spp. and Schizolobium parahybum, tree species characteristic of floodplain forest, were predominant in nestling diets, and may provide protein-rich food resources.Note: 'chiefly' paraphrases 'predominant'; southwest Belize is the paper's title scope

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.