Scarlet macaw

"Depicted as the fiery god of light, Itzamna, in ancient Mayan legends, the scarlet macaw (Ara macao) is unmistakable. With a wingspan of nearly five feet and a squawk that can’t be ignored. . . As the 20th century dawned, the species was widespread across 85% of [Costa Rica]. By 1980 it was almost gone . . . Scarlet macaws in Costa Rica suffered two grim fates. First, they ate almost exclusively mountain almond (almendro amarillo). Deforestation, which peaked in the 1950s, had a devastating effect on the treed habitats these birds relied on both for food and nesting. The second problem, still persisting to some extent, was their popularity as pets. Since macaws mate for life, the loss of so many individual birds to the pet trade meant equal numbers would never breed again." Rigorous conservation efforts in recent years have focused on reintroduction and mating programs. Through these initiatives, the scarlet macaw has slowly adapted its diets to include other fruit and nut food sources, and the release of captive-raised macaws has been successful in expanding their current habitat range.