Anodorhynchus Ara Cyanopsitta Primolius Orthopsittaca Diopsittaca Macaws are a group of New World parrots that are long-tailed and often colorful, in the tribe Arini.

Of the many different Psittacidae (true parrots) genera, six are classified as macaws: Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, and Diopsittaca.

[3] Proportionately larger beaks, long tails, and relatively bare, light-coloured medial (facial patch) areas distinguish macaws from other parrots.

While still relatively large parrots, mini-macaws of the genera Cyanopsitta, Orthopsittaca and Primolius are significantly smaller than the members of Anodorhynchus and Ara.

[6] Several hypothetical extinct species of macaws have been postulated based on little evidence, and they may have been subspecies, or familiar parrots that were imported onto an island and later wrongly presumed to have a separate identity.

The greatest problems threatening the macaw population are the rapid rate of deforestation and illegal trapping for the bird trade.

Some species of macaws—the scarlet macaw (Ara macao) as an example—are listed in the CITES Appendix I and may not be lawfully traded for commercial purposes.

It has been suggested that parrots and macaws in the Amazon Basin eat clay from exposed river banks to neutralize these toxins.

[13] In the western Amazon hundreds of macaws and other parrots descend to exposed river banks to consume clay on an almost daily basis[14] – except on rainy days.

[19] Salt-enriched (NaCl) oceanic aerosols are the main source of environmental sodium near coasts and this decreases drastically farther inland.

Macaws and their feathers have attracted the attention of people throughout history, most notably in pre-Columbian civilizations such as the Inca, Wari', and Nazca.