Green-Winged Macaw

Ara chloropterus

A big red South American macaw, also called the red-and-green macaw, with green and blue wings and lines of tiny red feathers on its face.

🦜 Parrots

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About the Green-Winged Macaw

Green-winged macaws live in tropical rainforests, savannas and mangroves across South America. They are mostly red, with blue and green wing and tail feathers, and their white faces are striped with tiny red feathers. They eat seeds, fruits, nuts, berries and leaves. Like other macaws, they visit riverbanks of clay called "macaw licks" to get salts and minerals.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Ara chloropterus^[2]
Size: 65 to 92.5 cm (26 to 37 inches) long, with a wingspan of 102 to 122.5 cm.^[1]
Weight: About 1,250 to 1,700 g (2.7 to 3.7 pounds).^[1]
Lifespan: Up to 60 to 80 years.^[1]
Diet: Seeds, fruits, nuts, berries and leaves, plus salts and minerals from riverbank clay.^[1]
Habitat: Tropical rainforests, savannas and mangroves.^[1]
Where it lives: Widely across South America.^[1]
Group life: Usually one mate for life.^[1]
Babies: Up to 3 eggs, which hatch after about 28 days.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).^[2]

Fun facts

Green-winged macaws are the second-largest parrots, after hyacinth macaws.^[1]
They visit clay riverbanks called "macaw licks" to get minerals.^[1]
Their bare white faces are striped with lines of tiny red feathers.^[1]
Green-winged macaws may live 60 to 80 years.^[1]

Vocabulary

macaw: A large, long-tailed parrot from Central and South America.
mineral: A natural substance, like salt, that bodies need to stay healthy.
monogamous: Having only one mate.
mangrove: A tree or swamp forest that grows in salty water along tropical coasts.
wingspan: The distance from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other.

See it in person

Montgomery ZooMontgomery, Alabama · South AmericaSee this area on the zoo's website ↗
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] SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Animal Info. “Green-Winged Macaw.” https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/birds/green-winged-macaw/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Ara chloropterus (Red-and-green Macaw).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22685566/163776409 (accessed 2026-10-02)