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A red green-winged macaw with blue and green wing feathers perched on a branch.
Photo: Arjan Haverkamp, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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.

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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

Sources

  1. [1] SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Animal Info. “Green-Winged Macaw.” https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/birds/green-winged-macaw/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Ara chloropterus (Red-and-green Macaw).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22685566/163776409 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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