Blue-Headed Macaw

Primolius couloni

A small "mini-macaw" of the western Amazon with a blue head and green body.

Checking teacher reviews…

Teacher? Sign in to review this page →Report a mistake

About the Blue-Headed Macaw

Blue-headed macaws are about 16 inches long, which makes them "mini-macaws," a name for macaws shorter than 20 inches. They have a blue head, green wings and body, and some maroon on the tail. They live in humid forests along rivers and clearings in the southwestern Amazon and the Andes foothills of Peru, Bolivia and Brazil.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Primolius couloni^[1]
Size: About 16 inches long.^[1]
Diet: Herbivore. Fruits and seeds; also visits clay licks.^[1]
Habitat: Humid evergreen forests along rivers and in clearings, up to about 5,100 feet.^[1]
Where it lives: Southwestern Amazon and eastern Andes foothills of Peru, Bolivia and Brazil.^[1]
Group life: Groups of 2 to 4. Active during the day.^[1]
Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).^[2]

Fun facts

Any macaw shorter than 20 inches is called a "mini-macaw."^[1]
Blue-headed macaws eat clay from riverbanks.^[1]
Their call is softer than most other macaws'.^[1]

Vocabulary

macaw: A large, colorful parrot with a long tail from Central and South America.
clay lick: A riverbank where animals eat mineral-rich clay.
arboreal: Living mostly in trees.
pet trade: Buying and selling wild animals as pets, which can take too many from the wild.
vulnerable: A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · BirdsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Blue-headed macaw.” https://www.sfzoo.org/blue-headed-macaw/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Primolius couloni (Blue-headed Macaw).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22685593/132058374 (accessed 2026-10-02)