The Majestic Macaw:

The Macaw is considered on of the most stunning members of the parrot family and is very sociable. They originated in South and Central America and are widely available as companion pets. Macaws are the largest birds in the parrot group in wingspan and total length. Their native habitats are the forests, especially rain forests, ranging from Central America, South America and Mexico.

Macaws share basic characteristics; they all have slender bodies, wide heads, long tail feathers and are highly intelligent. A large variety of Macaw species are available as pets.  However, there are some Macaws that are now considered extinct in the wild, such as the Spix’s Macaw.  The biggest threat for the macaw population is the rate at which the forests are deteriorating and illegal bird trapping.

The oldest documented Macaw lived to be 110 years old but on an average they have a life span of 50-60 years.

Macaws keep one mate for life and will bond with their human companion if they do not have a mate or are kept as a pet.  These parrots have powerful beaks and are capable of injuring humans. Macaws love to chew and gnaw so it is imperative to provide your macaw with plenty of appropriate toys and wood to masticate. Their natural inquisitiveness makes training a must for these birds.  Macaws need a lot of interaction and love from their human companions.  If you do not stimulate and keep a macaw busy and supplying them with plenty attention, they will become bored and often develop into excessively loud and destructive birds.  However, taking the time with this beauty will be truly rewarding.

Types Of Macaws:

Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus):

This parrot originated in southern Brazil, eastern Boliva and northeastern Paraguay.  In the wild, this species is often seen in pairs or in small flocks.  The Hyacinth Macaw’s natural habitat includes the forests, swamps, and palm groves. It mainly feeds on palm, nuts, fruits and seeds. This is an unforgettable bird, entirely deep, rich cobalt blue with a high gloss to the plumage. The under side of the tail is dark grey. The yellow eye rings and skin bordering the lower mandible provide a surprising contrast; also the tongue is yellow with the tip black. Their beaks are dark grey, almost black, and the legs are dark grey. In total length, including the long tail, this macaw measures about 34 inches, thus is the longest of all parrots and weighs 4.5 pounds.

Spix’s Macaw:

The Spix’s Macaw is now labeled as instinct in the wild. These birds are hard to find since there are only a limited number in captivity. This single member of its sort is very different in appearance from the blue macaws, in fact, from any other macaw. The comparatively small beak and the small area of naked skin on the face which extends only from the lores to surround the eyes makes this the least typical of the large macaws. The beak is black and the naked skin is dark grey, which gives prominence to the light yellow iris. Its soft colors’ are far less eye catching than those of the members of the Anodorhynchus.

The forehead and ear coverts are grey with a hint of blue, the head being otherwise grayish blue. The plumage is dark blue above, lighter blue below. The under side of the tail is dark grey. This wonder, measures at 22 inches in length. However, immature birds have a shorter, darker tail.  The beak is primarily black with horn-colored markings along the culmen. This parrot inhabits northeastern Brazil and is an extremely rare Macaw and the least known of South American parrots.

Blue and Gold Macaw also known as the Blue and Yellow (Ara ararauna):

The Blue and Gold Macaw is one of the most magnificent and recognizable of all parrots. The Blue and Gold weighs 3 lbs and is 34 inches long. Half of their length is the tail itself. Their colorization is made up of rich sky blue from the crown of their head, down their back, to the bottom of their tail. Their belly feathers are golden yellow. The golden yellow color extends to the breast and thighs. The forehead and forepart of the crown is green, the ear coverts and the sides of the neck are yellow; where as the feathers of the throat and just below are black. The extensive white skin of the facial area is featherless except for several narrow lines of tiny greenish black feathers. The beak is black and the iris is yellow.  Immature birds resemble the adult Blue and Gold with the one exception – the baby’s iris is dark rather than yellow. These parrots have immense range over almost all the northern part of South American. They are commonly found from Panama and extend to Bolivia. Blue and Golds prefer a climate that is a humid forest and are rarely found about 1600 feet in altitude.  There is no mistaking the Blue and Gold Macaw.

Caninde or (Blue Throated) Macaw:

Although, somewhat similar in features to the Blue and Gold Macaw, the blue throat has some variations in its colors. The area covering part of the cheeks and ear coverts as well as beneath the throat is blue instead of black. The smaller area of bare skin adds to the beauty of the Blue Throated Macaw.  These parrot find their natural habitat in Bolivia and are the same size if not a little larger than the Blue and Golds.  This parrot may be hard to find, it is known to only have approximately 100 Blue Throats remaining in the wild.

Military Macaw:

Military Macaws are known to live in the wild in dry, barren regions and in altitudes up to 8000 feet. Their natural habitat is Mexico and South America. The head is light green where as, the wings and back are an olive shade. The throat is brown and there is a bluish trace of color on the neck and the greater wing covets. The outer edges of the primary wings are blue. The lower back, rump and upper tail coverts are light blue. The tail is maroon, deeply tipped with blue and the under side of the tail and flight feathers are olive-yellow. The large area of bare skin on the cheek is ornamented with several narrow lines of black feathers. Bill and legs are grey – black and the iris are yellow. A Military Macaw measures approximately 28 inches long. This parrot tends to be somewhat temperamental and needs to be handled quite frequently by their owners.

Buffon’s Macaw also known as The Great Green Macaw:

Buffon’s Macaw is similar and often mistaken for the Military macaw. The difference is the size of the bird. The Buffon’s macaw measures 34 inches in length.  Its colorization is a yellow shade of green. It has and is easily distinguished from other parrots due to the dense feathers on its forehead.  They originated in Central America but these birds are highly endangered. As pets they are quite affectionate and submissive.  They are mediocre talkers but excellent at learning and performing tricks.

Red Fronted Macaw (A. rubrogenys):

This macaw is one of the most unfamiliar of all parrots of South America. Intermediate in length between the large macaws and the small members of the same genus, often known as dwarf macaws, it measures 24 inches in length. Its markings of color are also distinctive, for it is mainly green (of an olive shade which is closes to that of the Military) enhanced by areas of orange and light red. The latter are found on the forehead, crown and a small area behind the eye and on the bend and carpal edge of the wing and the lesser olive green plumage is brightest on the head. Greater under wing coverts and the under side of the tail are olive – yellow. The tail is green above, tipped with blue, and the primaries and their coverts are grayish blue. The naked facial area is small; there are narrow lines of tiny black feathers on the lores. The bare skin around the eye is pink and the iris is orange. Bill and legs are dark grey. Immature birds have orange confined to the forehead, with pale orange on the lesser wing coverts and the thighs tinged with orange. They feed on corn and fruits, including cactus fruits. These macaws are usually seen in pairs and flocks.

The Scarlet Macaw (A. macao):

This magnificent bird is mainly scarlet in color, It has a face and plumage that is a bright red  and a white skinned face mask. It measures in length of approximately 36 inches and weighs a little over 2 pounds.   The tail is scarlet tinged with blue at the tip of the central feathers, the outer ones being almost entirely blue. The under side of the wings and tail is orange – red and brownish. The upper mandible is white, tipped with black on the upper edge; the lower mandible is black. The iris is yellow and the legs are dark grey.

Scarlet Macaws natural habitat is in the rainforests of South America. In the wild, they are seen in the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Equador. The Scarlet macaw is undoubtedly on of the best known of all parrots and had a long captive history; however, these parrots can no longer be imported, it is illegal to import them. Smuggling them was driving this particular species into extinction.  Scarlets can be quite loud and they require a lot of attention if kept as a companion.  However, they are very intelligent and can be trained to talk but they are not strong at mimicking if these parrots are not mentally stimulated, they can become very demanding and have a tendency to become aggressive or pluck.

The Green Winged Macaw (A. chloroptera):

This macaw is pleasant and gentle. In the wild they mostly nest in humid lowland forests. However, they have been known to dig burrows on cliff faces of river canyons as nesting sites. Their natural habitat ranges from Panama through the entire tropical region of South America. The Green – winged is easily recognized from the Scarlet by the lack of yellow in its plumage, its darker shade of red and shorter tail, which results in a slightly uneven show.  The Green winged is also larger, with a larger head and bill. There is substantial variation in the size, some Green-wings being extremely large and almost a large as the Hyacinth in body size. It measures approximately 35 inches in length, weighs around 3 lbs., and is the second largest macaw. Head, under parts, under wing coverts and part of the mantle are crimson. The wings are green and blue, the median coverts, inner secondaries,tertials and scapulars being green and the secondaries and primaries blue. Back, rump and upper tail covets, also the under tail covets, are light blue. The tail is dark, also under side of the flight feathers. The otherwise naked facial area is adorned with half a dozen or more prominent lines of very small red feathers. The upper mandible is mainly horn-colored, being black on the upper part of the cutting edge; the lower mandible is black.  Immature parrots have irises the color brown and the tail is shorter.

Yellow Collared Macaw (A. auricollis):

Yellow Collared Macaws live in the wild in Brazil, parts of Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. The yellow collar encircling the hind neck, a feature found in no other macaw, intermediately recognizes this bird. The forehead, crown and lower cheeks are brownish black and the primaries, primary coverts and carpal edge of the wing are blue. The tail is blue above, brownish red towards the base and olive yellow below, the latter being the color of the under side of the flight feathers. The naked facial area is creamy white and the bill is black, the upper mandible having a light horn-colored tip. The iris is orange. This parrot measures 16 inches in length and weighs approximately 8 ounces. Immature birds have fainter and less extensive yellow markings. The colors usually start to change at about three months.

Severe Macaw also known as the Chestnut-fronted Macaw:

This is one of the least distinctive of the macaws; its chestnut-colored forehead, which has given rise to alternative name, the Chestnut-fronted Macaw, makes it recognizable. A prominent feature is the red on the bend of the wing and on the lesser under wing coverts. The head is green; the crown may be blue or tinged with blue. The large area of bare skin on the face is creamy white, decorated with lines of very small black feathers. The feathers on the chin and the margin of the cheeks are chestnut in color. Outer webs of the primaries are dull olive. The tail is reddish brown above with green toward s the base; it is tipped with blue. The under side is pinkish red. This macaw measures 19 inches in length. It’s habitat is distributed widely over most the northern part of South America. Among the foods it is known to favor are figs and the seeds of the jabillo tree. It is common over much of its range and tolerates forest clearance well. However, it has declined in Ecuador.

Red Bellied Macaw  (A. manilata):

The Red Bellied Macaw has a very extensive distribution over Northern South America – from Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador to Peru. This species is mainly green with the lower abdomen and ventral area maroon. There is a large area of naked dull yellowish skin on the face. The feathers of the crown are blue with blackish bases; the primaries, primary coverts and outermost greater wing coverts are blue, edged with green. The feathers of the throat and upper breast are edged with pale blue- grey, shading into light greenish yellow on the under parts. The under wing coverts are blue-green, tinged with yellowish or yellow. The rather small beak is black and the iris is dark brown. Upper parts, including the tail, are green; the under side of the tail is olive yellow. The Red Bellied Macaw measures 19 inches in length and weighs 10 ounces. Immature birds have the blackish or brownish feathers on the head. Palm swamps are a favored habitat; this macaw is also found in parklands, plantations and Savannah County. It feeds extensively on the fruits of Mauritian palms. The Red-Bellied Macaw is one of the most abundant in the wild, and rare in captivity.

Illiger’s Macaw (Ara maracana):

This Macaw is well known for the scarlet forehead and the patches of red on the abdomen and lower back. The crown is blue and the rest of the head is bluish green. The primaries and the secondaries are blue. The tail feathers are blue, tinged with reddish brown at the base; the under side is olive yellow. Remainder of the plumage is green. The bill is black, the bare facial area is very pale yellow and the iris is reddish brown or dark brown. It is 16 inches in length and weighs 9 ounces. It natural habitat ranges from South America to northeastern Argentina.

Coulon’s Macaw:

This parrot is other wise known as the Blue –Headed Macaw and it measures 16 inches long.  Its head is entirely blue. The primaries as well as the coverts are blue and the secondaries are blue with green around the edges. The tail is maroon with a blue tip; under side of flight and tail feathers is dull yellow. The skin on the face is bare and it is gray in color.  The beak is black and horn-colored and iris is yellow.  You can find the Coulon in its natural habitat in Peru and western Brazil.

Hanh’s Macaw:

The Hanh’s Macaw is the smallest of the dwarf macaw species.  It is even smaller than several of the conure species. It is 12 inches in length.  It has a tiny area of skin surrounding the eye that is featherless and the lores are featherless thus, separating it from the appearance of a conure. It is for the most part green, more yellowish below, with the crown and forehead blue. The carpal edge, parts of the wing and under wing coverts are scarlet. The under side of tail and flight feathers are yellowish. The skin on the facial mask is white and the iris is brownish red. The Hanh’s macaw measures approx. 12 inches in lenght.  You can find these little ones in a wide range of territory north of the Amazon.

Noble Macaw:

There is a slight difference between the Noble Macaw and Hanh’s Macaw; the Noble Macaw has the upper mandible pale horn-colored with a black it measures 14 inches in length, making it slightly larger than the Hanh’s.