New York, April 10, 2025 – Scarlet macaws in Mesoamerica are highly threatened by poaching and habitat loss. In Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve, only a few hundred remain.

Their habitat across Mesoamerica, from Mexico to Colombia, faces destruction due to several factors including illegal cattle ranching which is tearing down the forests. The Wildlife Conservation Society Guatemala team works at a remote site to save the birds.

The team hand-raises low-weight chicks, or third or fourth eggs. In the wild, these chicks typically do not survive. The chicks are genetically in good condition, however, and do fine once hand-raised.

After the chicks mature, they are placed in foster nests or a flight cage, which is left open to allow them to fly into the forest, boosting the overall population. This effort helps the scarlet macaws thrive.

Watch here to see the newest batch of chicks in the WCS Guatemala nursery:

Said WCS Guatemala’s Rony García-Anleu: “The 5 Great Forests, which stretch from Mexico to Colombia, where scarlet macaws live, contain 7.5 percent of the world’s biodiversity and support 5 million people.”

He added: “These birds are one of the iconic species found there. Illegal cattle ranching by outside groups is a major threat. Despite severe fires last year in Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve, scarlet macaw nests were protected.”

García-Anleu concluded: “The birds continue to thrive. Their resilience sends a powerful message of hope and highlights the urgent need to prevent fires and stop illegal colonization in the Five Great Forests of Mesoamerica.”

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