Macaws are wary birds and feed on seeds, nuts, berries and leaves. Many of the fruits they eat are raw and unripe and sometimes contain very high amounts of toxins which can be poisonous to other species. Macaws are unusual in that they can eat these highly toxic foods and survive. One theory is that they ingest large amounts of mineral-rich clays which aides their system in detoxifying or neutralizing the poisons. Nesting occurs in tree hollows and takes place from early January until April.
Eggs are elliptical and only two are usually laid.
The reproductive rate of wild macaws is very low, of the two young hatched frequently only one survives to be fledged and adults may not nest every year. The Scarlet and Green-winged Macaws found on the rock structure of the waterfall in the new biology hall are reproductions created by Craig Yanek. An original macaw model was carved in wood, the head was cut off and the body, head and 12 tail feathers were cast in silicone to produce a model. From this model nineteen heads and bodies and 212 tail feathers were produced in urethane plastic which picked out the details of the carved feathers. They were then reassembled in various positions and painted.