Names: Cuban Red Macaw, Cuban Macaw Scientific name: Ara tricolor Conservation status: Extinct Info: The Cuban Red Macaw was a species of macaw native to the main island of Cuba and the nearby Isla de la Juventud that went extinct in the late 19th century. Its relationship with other macaws in the genus Ara is uncertain, but it may 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. No modern skeletons are known, but a few subfossil remains have been found on Cuba. The bird had a red forehead fading to orange and then to yellow at the nape of the neck. It had white skin areas around the eyes, and yellow irises. The face, chin, chest, abdomen and thighs were orange. The legs were brown. The upper back was brownish red with feathers scalloped with green. The rump, undertail feathers, and lower back were blue. The wing feathers were brown, red and purplish blue. The upper surface of the tail was dark red fading to blue at the tip, and the under surface of the tail was brownish red. The beak has variously been described as dark, all-black, and greyish black.
