We came across a pair of Scarlet Macaw one morning while driving along a dirt road in the interior of Pará. Obligingly, they were on the sunny side of the road.

They could only be confused with Red-and-green Macaw (Ara chloroptera) but Scarlet Macaws have yellow rather than green upper wing coverts and almost white bare patches on the face where Red-and-green Macaws have red-feathered lines on their bare face. These shots show some red on the face but the Red-and-green Macaw's markings are very distinct.

When you see these magnificent creatures like this it is impossible to conceive of a cage that would be large enough to hold them in captivity. But some people obviously find this no problem as illustrated by Aves International