About the Cover Photo
Scarlet Macaw This strikingly beautiful parrot species lives in the subtropical
forests in Central and South America, including Costa Rica, southern Panama, and
the Amazon Basin in Brazil and Peru. They have a lifespan of 30 to 50 years and
eat mostly seeds and fruits. The squawks and screams of these noisy birds can be
heard for long distances throughout the forests. The scarlet macaws are threatened
by their popularity as pets, which is due to their beautiful plumage and affection-
ate ways with humans. Under an international agreement, it is illegal to remove
them from the wild without special permits. However, a number of these rare par-
rots are illegally captured, smuggled from their native habitats to the United States
and Canada, and sold on the black market for thousands of dollars a piece. During
their trip north many of the smuggled birds die from stress and poor care. An even
worse threat for the scarlet macaw is the clear-cutting and fragmentation of much
of its forest habitat, which is taking place at a rapid and increasing rate. For these
reasons, scarlet macaws and a number of other tropical bird species are threatened
with extinction.
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