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A green military macaw with a red forehead and blue wing feathers perched on a branch.
Photo: Justin Wright, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Military Macaw

Ara militaris

A green macaw with a red forehead that lives in scattered mountain and forest populations from Mexico to Argentina.

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About the Military Macaw

Military macaws live in tropical forests, rainforests and mountain areas in eight separate populations, from Sonora in Mexico through the Andes to Argentina. They are mostly green, with a red forehead, blue flight feathers and red tail feathers. They mainly eat seeds, plus fruit, bark and leaves, and may travel about 20 km a day looking for food. Flocks can have up to 100 birds.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Ara militaris[1]
Size
70 to 80 cm (about 28 to 31 inches) long, with a wingspan of 99 to 110 cm.[1]
Weight
Around 900 g (about 2 pounds).[1]
Lifespan
Up to 54 years recorded in captivity.[1]
Diet
Mainly seeds, plus fruit, bark, wood and leaves.[1]
Habitat
Tropical forests, rainforests and mountains, usually 500 to 1,500 m above sea level.[1]
Where it lives
Eight separate populations from northern Mexico through the Andes to Argentina.[1]
Group life
Flocks of up to 100. Pairs mate for life.[1]
Babies
2 or 3 eggs in a cliff or tree hole. Chicks leave the nest at about 13 weeks.[1]
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).[2]

Fun facts

  • Military macaws can sense Earth's magnetic field, which helps them find their way.[1]
  • A military macaw may fly about 20 km (12 miles) a day looking for food.[1]
  • Military macaws keep learning new calls their whole lives.[1]

Vocabulary

macaw
A large, long-tailed parrot from Central and South America.
cavity
A hole or hollow space, like a hole in a tree or cliff.
magnetic field
The invisible force around Earth that makes a compass point north.
population
All the animals of one kind living in a certain area.
vulnerable
A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

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. [1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Ara militaris (military macaw).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ara_militaris/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Ara militaris (Military Macaw).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22685548/179407584 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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