Red-and-green macaw (Ara chloropterus)

Identification and physical characteristics

This macaw is immediately recognizable by its broad expanse of red across the head and body, with green on the wing coverts that grades into blue on the flight feathers. A bare, pale facial patch with fine feather lines is typical, and the strong, hooked bill is suited to cracking hard seeds and nuts. Plumage patterns and the facial feather arrangement help distinguish it from similar large macaws. Key field marks include:

• Coloration: predominantly red with green and blue on the wings and tail.
• Face: bare facial patch with red feather lines.
• Bill and tail: large, powerful bill and a long, graduated tail.

Size, lifespan and life history

As a large-bodied macaw, the red-and-green macaw has a robust build and long wings and tail, traits that enable sustained, direct flight between feeding sites. In the wild, individuals have life histories marked by long-term pair bonds and extended parental care of young. Longevity in captive birds is greater than in the wild, where threats and environmental pressures can reduce average lifespan.

Distribution and habitat

These macaws occur across parts of northern and central South America, favouring lowland tropical forests, riverine gallery woodlands and secondary growth. They use a variety of forested habitats including dense forests and more open woodlands, often moving between feeding areas and communal roosts. At night flocks commonly return to favored trees to roost, and their local movements can be extensive as they search for fruiting trees and other food resources.

Behavior and social structure

Red-and-green macaws are social birds. In suitable lowland areas they may form large flocks, while on forested slopes they more often occur in smaller groups or pairs. Social behaviour includes mutual preening, loud vocal interactions and coordinated movements between feeding and roosting sites. Vocalizations are typically loud and raucous, serving to maintain contact across distances in forested landscapes.

Diet and feeding habits

The diet consists largely of fruit, seeds, nuts and other plant material. Their strong bills allow them to exploit hard-shelled foods that are inaccessible to many other birds. Like several large parrot species, red-and-green macaws regularly visit mineral-rich riverbank or cliffside clay licks to obtain salts and to counteract plant toxins in their diet; such communal feeding sites are important for health and social interaction.

Reproduction and development

Breeding pairs nest in tree cavities or similar sheltered sites, where a small clutch is raised with intensive parental care. Chicks remain dependent for an extended period, learning to process food and fly under parental guidance. Successful reproduction depends on the availability of suitable nesting trees and a stable food supply.

Threats and conservation

Populations have declined in parts of the range due to habitat loss from deforestation and land conversion, hunting, and capture for the pet trade. Conservation priorities include protection of large tracts of intact forest, safeguarding nesting sites, regulating trade, and community-based measures that reduce local persecution. Captive-breeding and reintroduction programs have been used in some areas to support depleted populations, while legal protection and enforcement are important to curb illegal capture.

Relationship with people

The red-and-green macaw has long been valued for its striking appearance and intelligence, which has driven interest in aviculture. This popularity has contributed to illegal trapping in some regions. Feathers have cultural uses in some communities and can also make the species a target for hunting; see resources on cultural uses of feathers. Conservation efforts that include environmental education, locally managed protection and regulated, ethical aviculture can help reduce pressure on wild populations.

Similar species and field identification tips

It is often compared to the scarlet macaw and other large Ara species. Observers can separate them by careful attention to wing coloration, facial feather patterns and the breadth of red on the head and shoulders. When identifying macaws in the field, note flight style, vocalizations and habitat as supporting clues.

Further reading and regional accounts are available for broader context on forests, woodlands, and the species' occurrence in northern and central South America. Conservation guidance and species summaries can be found through ornithological and conservation organizations that track macaw populations and threats.