Living Alongside Scarlet Macaws in Costa Rica
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A Weekly Dose of Nature
Where nature tells the story.
Few sights capture the spirit of Costa Rica quite like a pair of Scarlet Macaws flying across a tropical sky.
With brilliant red feathers, flashes of yellow and blue, and unmistakably loud calls, the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is one of the most spectacular birds of the Americas.
But behind those extraordinary colors lies an even more fascinating story — one of intelligence, strong pair bonds, disappearing habitat, and conservation.
This week’s A Weekly Dose of Nature takes us into the world of one of Costa Rica’s most iconic birds.
Meet the Scarlet Macaw
Scarlet Macaws are large parrots native to tropical regions of Central and South America.
Their unmistakable plumage is dominated by brilliant scarlet red, with yellow and blue feathers across the wings. Their powerful curved beaks are perfectly adapted for cracking nuts and hard seeds.
Scarlet Macaws can reach around 80 cm (31 inches) in length, much of which is their impressive long tail.
And you will often hear them before you see them.
Their loud calls help them communicate as pairs and groups move through the tropical landscape.
A remarkable relationship
One of the most beautiful things about Scarlet Macaws has nothing to do with their colors.
It is their bond with each other.
Scarlet Macaws form strong, long-term monogamous pair bonds and are frequently seen flying together, feeding together, and resting close beside one another.
Pairs may preen each other and communicate constantly as they move through their habitat.
Seeing two Scarlet Macaws crossing the sky together is one of Costa Rica’s unforgettable wildlife experiences.
Where can Scarlet Macaws be found in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica remains an important home for Scarlet Macaws, although their distribution today is more restricted than it once was.
One of their important strongholds is the southern Pacific region, including the forests of the Osa Peninsula.
They are also famously associated with Costa Rica’s Central Pacific, particularly the landscape around Carara National Park and the Tárcoles region.
Carara National Park is internationally known for birdwatching, and the Scarlet Macaw is one of its most emblematic species.
Scarlet Macaws can also be encountered on the Nicoya Peninsula, including around Tambor.
And sometimes those encounters happen when you least expect them.
When the Scarlet Macaws take over the golf course
Here on the Nicoya Peninsula, Scarlet Macaws can sometimes become part of the most unexpected everyday moments.
A family member recently had to stop playing golf at Los Delfines Golf & Country Club in Tambor because Scarlet Macaws had gathered all around the golf course.
But their presence here is more than a beautiful coincidence.
Los Delfines has become an important habitat for Scarlet Macaws on the Nicoya Peninsula. Together with conservation efforts by ASOPROLAPA, trees that provide food, shelter and nesting opportunities for the birds have been planted throughout the area, helping create an environment where Scarlet Macaws can thrive.
So instead of continuing the game, there was really only one thing to do: stop, watch, and enjoy the moment.
Experiences like this are a beautiful reminder that Costa Rica’s extraordinary wildlife isn’t something you only encounter deep inside a national park.
Sometimes, it simply appears right in front of you — and takes over the golf course.
See the Scarlet Macaw in motion 🦜
Watch our short Scarlet Macaw video on YouTube.
Why Scarlet Macaws still need protection
A bird this spectacular inevitably attracts human attention.
Unfortunately, that has historically included illegal capture and nest poaching for the wildlife trade.
Habitat loss presents another major challenge.
Scarlet Macaws depend on landscapes containing sufficient food resources, mature trees for nesting, and enough connected habitat to move through the landscape.
They typically nest in cavities high in large trees, making mature trees particularly important for successful breeding.
When forests are fragmented or old nesting trees disappear, breeding opportunities can disappear with them.
Protecting a Scarlet Macaw therefore means protecting much more than one bird.
It means protecting forests, nesting trees, food sources, wildlife corridors, and entire ecosystems.
Globally secure does not always mean locally secure
The conservation story of the Scarlet Macaw teaches us something important about the way we think about endangered species.
Globally, the Scarlet Macaw is currently considered a species of Least Concern.
But that does not mean every population is secure.
In Costa Rica, the Scarlet Macaw is considered endangered.
It is an important reminder that global conservation status does not always tell the whole story.
A species can appear relatively secure across its entire range while individual populations in particular countries or regions still face serious threats.
That is why local conservation matters.
A Costa Rican conservation story
There is also reason for hope.
In Costa Rica’s Central Pacific region, conservation strategies including environmental education, artificial nest construction, monitoring, protection efforts, and habitat conservation have contributed to positive developments for Scarlet Macaws.
Costa Rica’s conservation efforts demonstrate that protecting habitat, educating communities, monitoring wildlife, and actively protecting vulnerable populations can make a difference.
The Scarlet Macaw is therefore more than a symbol of what we could lose.
It is also a reminder of what conservation can achieve.
From awareness to action
For us, sharing the stories of Costa Rica’s wildlife is only part of the journey.
We also want our work to contribute directly to protecting the natural world that inspires us.
That is why conservation is built into the Pura Vida Souqs model:
US$8 from every T-shirt sold and 5% of profits from other eligible products are dedicated to supporting conservation.
These contributions are intended to support organizations and projects working to protect wildlife, biodiversity, habitats, and environmental education in Costa Rica.
And we believe transparency matters.
As contributions are made, we will share updates here in the Pura Vida Souqs Nature Journal, including which Costa Rican organization or conservation project received the contribution and what our support is helping to protect.
So when you choose a Pura Vida Souqs design, you are not only wearing a species and its story.
You are helping us give something back to the place and wildlife that inspired it.
More than a beautiful bird
It is easy to look at a Scarlet Macaw and simply see extraordinary colors.
But biodiversity becomes much more meaningful when we understand the lives behind what we see.
A pair flying over the Costa Rican forest represents a relationship that may last for many years.
A nesting cavity represents a mature tree that may have taken decades to grow.
And every surviving population represents an ecosystem capable of supporting one of the world’s most remarkable parrots.
This is exactly why learning about individual species matters.
The more closely we look at nature, the more connections we begin to see.
From nature to art
The Scarlet Macaw has also inspired our artwork at Pura Vida Souqs.
Our design celebrates not only the unmistakable colors of Ara macao, but also the remarkable connection between these birds and the tropical landscapes they call home.
For us, nature-inspired design begins with learning about the species itself.
Because behind every illustration is a real animal, a real ecosystem, and a story worth telling.
This week, look up
If you ever find yourself beneath the tropical skies of Costa Rica, listen carefully.
You may hear them before you see them.
Then suddenly, two brilliant red silhouettes appear above the trees — calling to one another as they cross the sky.
For a few seconds, it is impossible to look anywhere else.
That is the magic of the Scarlet Macaw.
And it is a reminder of what we stand to preserve when we protect the wild places around us.
Protect Nature. Inspire Curiosity. Celebrate Biodiversity.
—
The Pura Vida Souqs Team
Next week on A Weekly Dose of Nature: Costa Rica’s beautiful Guaria Morada (Guarianthe skinneri). 🌸