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Endangered animals in
South America

SCARLET MACAW

    The Scarlet Macaw is found in the treetops from Mexico to southern Brazil. It is about 90 centimetres in length and is bright red withblue and yellow wings, blue and red tail which is a unique feature in the family and a white face with big, sickle-shaped beaks. Its feet are able to grasp the limbs of a tree very firmly. When a Macawis fully developed, the tail is more than two feet long. Both the male and females look alike. It is the among the most well known among the species.
    It feeds on the abundant fruits and nutsfound in the tropical forests which is its habitat. It cracks open the nuts by using its extremely powerful beak and uses its blunt tongue to extract the nut meat. It also uses its beak to cut out piecesof fruit. Occasionally it eats insects and worms.
    Scarlet Macaws are famous for its ability in mimicking and imitating sounds made by the human voice as well as perform tricks.
    This bird hasbecome endangered due to the overwhelming demand for its colourful feathers in fashion in earlier centuries. Demand has not diminished until now as the young are taken from their nests for pets bypoachers. This has led to a great decline to the Scarlet Macaw's population.
    Law enforcement has been made in most of the countries where the Scarlet Macaw is found, but heavier penalties are yetto be enforced.

QUETZAL

    The Quetzal, one of best known species from the trogon family, it was a sacred bird of the ancient Mayas and the Aztecs. Its feathers were used in the clothing oftheir priests and royal family. Instead of killing them to acquire the feathers, the feathers were plucked from the bird as it was considered a crime which was punishable by death to kill a Quetzal.Today, it is the national emblem of Guatemala.
    The Quetzal is found in South Mexico to Bolivia in the hot lowland of the tropics but some are found in the mountains. The whole body is about 50...