Extinctions and conservation status thumb|The Brazilian coast in the 1502 Cantino planisphere, possibly the earliest European depiction of macaws The majority of macaws are now endangered in the wild and a few are extinct. The Spix's macaw is now probably extinct in the wild. The glaucous macaw is also probably extinct, with only two reliable records of sightings in the 20th century. The greatest problems threatening the macaw population are the rapid rate of deforestation and illegal trapping for the bird trade. Prehistoric Native Americans in the American Southwest farmed macaws in establishments known as "feather factories".
Extinctions and conservation status thumb|The Brazilian coast in the 1502 Cantino planisphere, possibly the earliest European depiction of macaws The majority of macaws are now endangered in the wild and a few are extinct. The Spix's macaw is now probably extinct in the wild The glaucous macaw is also probably extinct, with only two reliable records of sightings in the 20th century. The greatest problems threatening the macaw population are the rapid rate of deforestation and illegal trapping for the bird trade. Prehistoric Native Americans in the American Southwest farmed macaws in establishments known as "feather factories".