The Cuban macaw or Cuban red macaw is an extinct species of macaw native to the main island of Cuba and the nearby Isla de la Juventud. It became extinct in the late 19th century. Its relationship with other macaws in its genus was long uncertain, but it was thought to have been closely related to the scarlet macaw, which has some similarities in appearance. It may also have been closely related, or identical, to the hypothetical Jamaican red macaw. A 2018 DNA study found that it was the sister species of two red and two green species of extant macaws.
Region
Caribbean
Typical Environment
Historically confined to Cuba’s main island and the nearby Isla de la Juventud. It frequented lowland savannas with scattered palms, gallery forests, and edges of wetlands. Birds were often reported near coastal plains and swamp margins where fruiting trees were abundant. Nesting likely occurred in cavities of large, old trees and palms.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Cuban macaw was the only macaw native to Cuba and one of the smallest of the large Ara macaws. It went extinct in the late 19th century due to hunting, habitat loss, and capture for the pet trade. Likely an example of island dwarfism, it resembled the scarlet macaw but was smaller and with distinct color patterning. A 2018 DNA study placed it as sister to two red and two green extant macaw species.
Study skin in Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, one of 19 specimens in existence
Painting of a specimen in Liverpool Museum (which one writer found to differ enough from other specimens to perhaps be a different species), by John Gerrard Keulemans, 1907
Painting of either a Cuban macaw imported to Jamaica, or the hypothetical extinct Jamaican red macaw, by L. J. Robins, 1765
Painting by Philip Reinagle showing a Cuban macaw among other birds
Fruits of the chinaberry tree
Zapata Swamp, 2009; the Cuban macaw lived in the area
1765 illustration by François-Nicolas Martinet
Temperament
social and noisy
Flight Pattern
strong flier with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups, occasionally forming loose flocks around fruiting trees. Courtship likely involved mutual preening and synchronized calling, as in other macaws. Nests were probably placed in tree or palm cavities, with both parents tending the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Loud, harsh screeches and rasping squawks, carrying over long distances. Calls quicken when alarmed or while flying between feeding sites.
